Great News -- Here's To A New Chapter for Would Works!
Dear Friends of Would Works,
We have great news to share!
We are delighted to announce that Would Works’ (WW) programs have found a new and supportive home within Rediscover Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides woodworking instruction and vocational training for youth as part of their mission to provide all Angelenos ages 5-25 with the tools, resources, and confidence to create physical objects using discarded and creatively reused materials.
The WW Board of Directors and WW's Director, Michele Liu, have been working closely with Rediscover to transition WW's programs and ensure that our important work can continue within a structure well-positioned to provide long-term stability.
It was wrenching to close Would Works at the end of 2025, but this feels like a rebirth!
Founded in 2002, Rediscover provides classes and workshops for children and youth at their two centers in Mid-City and Venice, in schools, and at community events. They currently serve 14,000 youth and 8,000 adults annually with 11 full-time staff members and 25 part-time and contract facilitators and teaching artists on a budget of $1.7M.
Since 2010, Rediscover's woodworking program has created spaces for youth to learn, build, and grow, through camps, workshops, open makerspace access, and vocational training. Rediscover is proud to continue WW's efforts to support transitional age youth facing housing and employment challenges with hands-on creative experiences in woodworking, and the skills-building that comes from developing as a woodworker.
In our conversations with Jonathan Bijur, Rediscover’s Executive Director, we felt strongly that our hearts were in the same place. Rediscover has been looking for ways to increase their involvement with under-resourced youth, and this seemed like a very good fit.
Jonathan and the Rediscover staff very much want to welcome WW's friends and supporters to join their community. We will keep you in the loop as we move forward with this exciting transition. Look for more information on WW's social media channels and keep your eye out for an invitation to one of the Rediscover's makerspaces – they’re spectacular environments full of materials ready to be transformed!
For now, take a look at Rediscover's website and follow them on Instagram @rediscoverctr
As always, we are so grateful for your loyalty and support as we start this new chapter!
Warmest regards,
Connor Johnson (Founder & Board Chair) & Michele Liu (Director)
Also in News
With Heavy Hearts, We Must Announce The Closure of WW at the End of 2025
After 13 years, Would Works has made the difficult decision to sunset operations at the end of 2025. Over the past year and a half, we have worked to position Would Works for long-term success and to better serve our unhoused community in Los Angeles. Despite our best efforts, it has become clear that the current climate is not in our favor.
A New Chapter: Beginner Builders Youth Pilot Program
On August 23, 2025, Would Works officially kicked off our reimagined paid job training program in woodworking for youth experiencing homelessness, in partnership with My Friend's Place, and funding support from Snap Foundation, Cedar-Sinai Grantmaking, and the Arlene and Michael Rosenfeld Foundation.
Nick Offerman Partners with Would Works to Empower At-Risk Angelenos Through Woodworking
Beyond woodworking, Nick Offerman highlights the “incredibly benevolent and warm humanism” at the heart of Would Works. "We're giving people … mental health, counseling, job counseling, life coaching. It's a place to say, 'Come on in, I see you, I care about you, I recognize the trouble you might be having. Here's a sandwich, here's a bowl of soup. Now, this is a hand plane,'" Offerman said.