The Catalyst Foundation was founded in 1992 by Dr. Lawrence during the most despairing years of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Our mission was to provide critical supportive services to those living with HIV/AIDS, many of whom faced severe discrimination and social exclusion. Since 2003, first as a consultant, then as a director in 2005, and as CEO in 2013, David Mashore has led Catalyst to serve our most marginalized community members in a trauma-informed, participant-centered manner.
David recognized the profound impact that trauma and its lasting effects can have on individuals, families, and society. In 2003, David and Dr. Lawrence laid the groundwork for what became the Inspiring Transformative Change Program (formerly the Creating a Healing Society Program) and delivered trainings and presentations nationwide to prestigious audiences, including the Mayo Clinic, the Boston School of Medicine, Creativity and Madness conventions, nonprofit groups, and many others. Catalyst also worked with Dr. Vincent Felitti, co-principal investigator of the landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study (www.acestudy.org and www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace/), which affirmed what our work had long reflected: early trauma has far-reaching consequences for adult health and well-being. This understanding has shaped our mission, programs, and services for more than three decades.
During David’s tenure, Catalyst has launched numerous innovative programs. In 2005, Catalyst partnered with then-incarcerated Ken Hartman to develop the multi-session, trauma-based, prison-specific Inspiring Transformative Change Program (formerly the Creating a Healing Society Program). This in-depth, award-winning program addresses the root causes of antisocial and self-destructive behavior and provides the tools, insight, and motivation to support individuals in meaningful, transformative change. David personally taught these weekly, in-depth classes for 17 consecutive years across multiple maximum-security prison yards. Many formerly incarcerated people credit this program as pivotal to their rehabilitation and successful transition and reentry into the community. Ken Hartman (formerly incarcerated for 38 years) was a significant contributor to the development of this program, which continues to this day.
The Catalyst Foundation was the first community-based organization to provide programs within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation throughout Service Planning Area 1.
Catalyst recognizes the extensive trauma individuals in prisons and jails experience, as well as the significant challenges they face upon returning home.
Catalyst has also developed several trauma-based healing programs for youth, adults, and children ages 12 to 17. Our Inspiring Transformative Change Program has reached thousands of people in state prisons and continues to do so every week. We also provide intensive peer-led case management, housing navigation, and other services to support formerly incarcerated individuals in successful reentry.
Under David’s guidance, Catalyst has implemented a wide range of innovative, trauma-informed supportive services. These include case management, food programs, nutritional education and counseling, housing assistance, eviction prevention grants, temporary financial assistance, and assistance with applying for SSI, SSDI, and Veterans benefits. Healing programs for unhoused and low-income community members have included the first-of-its-kind—art therapy, writing workshops, healthy cooking, organic gardening, martial arts, trauma education, and meditation classes—all free for unhoused and low-income community members. Catalyst has also offered asset-building and workforce development programs, as well as outreach, HIV testing and counseling, and health education focused on the connection between childhood trauma and adult outcomes.
David also established the first community garden in the Antelope Valley, the Elm Avenue Community Garden (now closed). The garden provided thousands of pounds of healthy, organic produce to community members in need. It hosted dozens of community events that supported low-income residents, other community members, and emerging artists, and provided food, free education, and a safe community space for vulnerable residents. Each year, the garden served as a volunteer site for the City’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and was a welcoming space for learning about organic gardening, healthy eating, and cooking.
Under David’s leadership, and with the help of wonderful Directors, Melisa Simmons, and Erin Mize, Catalyst developed a cutting-edge, credible messenger-style curriculum for justice-impacted transition-aged youth and incarcerated populations. Taught in Los Angeles County, the curriculum offered trauma-healing classes to low-income and disenfranchised residents. David has served on several city and county commissions, including the Mayor’s Health and Wellness Commission, the Neighborhood Vitalization Commission for the City of Lancaster, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff Captain’s Advisory Committee for the Lancaster Station. Through his leadership, The Catalyst Foundation has served many and grown meaningfully.
Today, Catalyst is honored to receive funding to serve individuals experiencing homelessness, low-income community members, formerly or currently incarcerated people, and other marginalized and disenfranchised populations. Our work is guided by the core principles of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural and linguistic competency. These values enable us to address the root causes of health and psychosocial challenges rather than treating only the symptoms.
Catalyst is a participant-centered organization. We exist to serve our community, especially the disenfranchised, low-income, underserved, and high-risk, and we keep the needs and dignity of those we serve at the forefront of all we do.