Crystal Clark recently stepped into the space as our Homeless Initiative Director. She is passionate about providing opportunities to people that have given up and inspiring new hope as they try again. It brings her great happiness to celebrate with them as they change their life! Crystal has been a catalyst of homelessness outreach in Costa Mesa for 11 years and Trellis has been lucky enough to benefit from her gifts and skills for 9 years as a volunteer and contracted consultant. Crystal has housed over 100 people and has been contracted in Costa Mesa for building a housing retention team. Her years of experience with some of the most sensitive issues and challenges of homelessness that are specific to Costa Mesa have prepared her for her role as our Homelessness Initiative Director.

Crystal’s previous experience in Behavior Health for a SAMSHA grant in addiction and RADT (Registered Alcohol and Drugs) through the state of California was utilized during her time working for Share Our Self in Costa Mesa. Crystal won the 2022 JUSTICE award at Share Our Selves for her work in advocation and tangible acts to help people experiencing homelessness get the opportunities they need. Crystal has maintained a working relationship with people experiencing homelessness in Costa Mesa for 11 years. She led Trellis’ Street Team under a grant from the city of Costa Mesa, then followed that successful year with a four-year proposal to be an outreach caseworker to the homeless on the City of Costa Mesa employee outreach team under contract to Trellis.

Crystal was raised in Costa Mesa, where she met and married her husband Troy of 32 years, and they then went on to raise her two kids who are now married and local to Costa Mesa. She loves hot rod cars and loves to drift anytime she can drive one! She previously owned one over the last two years and can’t wait to replace it. Crystal’s German Shepherd, Ruby, and Belgian Malinois, Dorothy, are her sidekicks of choice most of the time.