When people help people change happen
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Phone Number

310-345-0313

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Our Story

Free From Hardship LA takes pride in rehabilitating individuals, aiming to reunite families and instill newfound confidence, enabling them to become whole once more.

Free From Hardship L.A., Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe and sober living environment for men and women transitioning from displacement, homelessness, and incarceration.

 Our vision is to break the cycle and create hope. 1 in 3 American adults have a criminal record with limited possibilities for education, employment, housing, and other resources they need to become self-sufficient.

Free From Hardship L.A. Inc. wants to empower underprivileged men and women to redefine their lives in the face of injustice and incarceration while providing committed guidance and effective resources.

Together, we will establish a road toward independence, safety, and freedom.

Not Just Numbers. People.

People we have helped

Houses provided

Communities we have helped

The Best Professional Team

Our Team Members

Celestial Scott

Founder & Executive Director

Learn about Celestial

Diana Saunders

President
Learn about Diana

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Here at Free From Hardship L.A., Inc. values our values: Advocacy, Support, and Love. Homelessness affects everyone in society. It can feel overwhelming and it's hard to know how to make a difference.
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Diana Saunders

President

Diana Saunders is an LMFT with over 15 years of experience in the field of Mental Health. Diana is a Los Angeles native who received her BA in Psychology from Spelman College and her MS in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the University of Phoenix. Diana is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and has served the Los Angeles community providing therapy in Methadone Clinics, Residential Treatment Facilities and Community Based Services. Throughout her journey she has held multiple leadership positions allowing her to work directly with county partners in order to implement change from within. Her passion for giving back and working with at risk youth and families within the community has fueled her purpose of ensuring that those impacted most have a voice in their treatment. Diana’s ultimate goal is for those who choose to serve the community to serve from a place of compassion and not from a place of charity.

Celestial Scott

Founder & Executive Director

Celestial Scott, born and raised in Los Angeles, an Entrepreneur, CEO, CommUNITY Advocate and a formerly incarcerated female, who's been on her own since the young age of 16. Celestial grew up bouncing around between family members as her father was not in the home and her mother has suffered from drug addiction, mental health issues and was in and out of prison for the past 40+ years since Celestial was 4 years old. Celestial's lack of stability and guidance allowed her to freely roam the streets of Los Angeles, which eventually lead her to several years in prison. Once Ms. Scott was released from prison; she was blessed enough to obtain gainful employment only 6 days after her release. This position led Celestial to 20 years of a successful career in the insurance industry as she climbed the corporate ladder, ultimately landing her a position as a Senior Risk Analyst. Although Celestial had a stable & promising career, she still was not fulfilled and wanted more for herself and her community. After she created a plan, saved up funds and bought a multi-family property, she opened her 1st transitional housing site for men in 2018; providing support and outreach services to those formerly incarcerated. In 2019 she opened her women's site just before Covid 19 struck the world. Celestial's lived experience and past trauma has helped her to clearly understand the population of those formerly incarcerated, suffering from addictions, mental health issues and housing insecurities. She is committed to serving those in need, within her community and lending every hand to as many individuals and families as possible.