Showing people where resources are. Haters not believing the homeless

 I just found a young lady on YouTube who is currently living in her car here in California. She escaped an abusive situation across the country and is here without family or friends support. I sent her links to SafeParking LA  and to the Hope Navigation Center which is a cool app that shows where a lot of resources for the homeless are, including safe parking. 

This girl is funny and beautiful and seems very much like most you tubers/tick tockers. She's dealing with haters who don't even believe she is homeless. Adding insult to injury when you're in a really crappy place and people don't even believe you.

I remember decades ago at the beginning of facebook finding out that many people I know are the type to discredit homeless. I made a post about helping a family who was living in their car with gas; while I was filling up at the gas station the guy behind me asked if I could put some gas in his car.  There was no money exchanged, I just gave gas to a guy who was obviously living in his car with his family (who I could see in the car).  But some of my friends got up in arms.  Several told me I was being scammed. I heard stories of panhandlers who became millionaires. I remember someone I won't name saying she personally knew a guy who made millions panhandling up and down highway 5. No, that never made sense to me. I was shocked at this attitude but it opened my eyes to how some people thought.

I don't see those kind of comments anymore. I hope it's because my acquaintances have wised up, but I think it may be because I confront their beliefs and I have worked enough with the homeless in the area to have data to counter their misconceptions.  

I do think people can be divided into those who would rather feed a few extra people who don't need it to ensure everyone is fed and those who want to make sure only the really needy get anything even if it means a few people go hungry.

Housed a homeless person

Today I invited one of the clients from the Shower of Hope and her dog to come live with me.  Last week she had black eyes and a split lip and she needs to get off the street.
I have a friend/ex-employee staying here also stitching Halloween orders for me. She's unemployed and living in her van.
 And with the girl I brought in last year, that makes 3 I'm providing homes for.  But only 2 will stay for a while.

Shower of Hope - Steven the CPA

Today at The Shower of Hope I met Steven. He approached us with a look I am becoming familiar with, apprehension, need, disbelief, and a bit of shame. He had one of our flyers in his hand, so I welcomed him. He told me he had just become homeless a few days ago. And he hadn't eaten in 2 days. He hadn't showed in a while and had no clothes to change into. He had worked as a CPA for over 20 years at a place within walking distance. His family was all killed in a car accident by a drunk driver and, as he said, he just 'checked out' for a while and lost it all. He cried a bit. And he got Hope at the shower. He got kindness and clothing and food and toiletries and hugs and a shower. It put a noticeable spring in his step. #Hope

Shower of Hope. Helping the homeless with a mobile shower.

Helped 34 clients at The Shower of Hope today. There were a few new people. A married couple came by who have been living in their car. I think one lost a job and they couldn't afford the rent on only one salary. They still had a bit of the 'I can't believe this has happened to me and I have to accept charity' look in their eyes. They really enjoyed their showers and they both got haircuts.

Shower of Hope

I volunteer each week at the Shower of Hope, a mobile shower for the homeless.

Today at The Shower of Hope I met Eric. It was his first time at the shower. He just became homeless a month ago. He left an abusive relationship of 7 years. His ex was also his business partner so he lost his job too. His family won't help him because he's gay. He has his stuff stored at a friends parent's place and he is trying not to overburden his friends by couch surfing. He has a degree from UC Santa Barbara and good job experience. He doesn't expect to be homeless long. He said several times that he never, ever thought he would end up where he was. I hear that a lot. Most people don't plan to be homeless.

Eric had the first shower he had in days and a very stylish haircut, a wonderful lunch (including a salad donated by Trader Joes), and he got to spend a few hours in a space with people he could talk to.

Shower of Hope

Was at the Shower of Hope today - 29 showers, 9 hair cuts.

I was speaking to a client for a bit and he said 'wow, for a moment I forgot I was homeless'.

Shower of Hope

I helped out at Shower of Hope today.  29 showers, 10 hair cuts. 

Today I met a 22 year old girl Lauren who has just hit the streets 3 days before. She left an abusive relationship and didn't want to go home to an abusive mother. She was contemplating suicide. Luckily she found Maria who has taken her in. Maria is in her late 60s and I've known her for a while, she's very funny and we've spent hours in conversation. Maria lives with her boyfriend in a tent in a homeless camp. She said the men have already been sniffing around Lauren and Maria said she had to have her sleep in her tent her while the boyfriend stood guard last night. 
The wait for a place in a shelter is long. It's improbable she will survive unscathed. #SheDoes deserve safety and protection.

She Does Matter - homeless women in LA

Spent the night sleeping in a tent on the sidewalk outside city hall of Los Angeles. "camping out in solidarity with the thousands of homeless women who are forced to sleep outside due to the severe lack of shelters in Los Angeles. We are demanding that Mayor Garcetti and the City Council of LA appropriate $20 million in the discretionary budget towards sheltering 1000 women by August 2018. We must have this action as the City budget will be voted on Friady, April 20th, 2018. We are also demanding that the Mayor and City Council promise to take immediate action to secure a minimum of 8 separate locations to accommodate shelters for 1000 women."

She does matter. All women do. And we need to get them off the streets.

Shower of Hope - Shower for the homeless

Helped out today at a mobile shower - Shower of Hope.  We helped 27 people have showers and 7 got haircuts. 

Showers for the homeless

Helped out today at a mobile shower - Shower of Hope.   We are in a #SheDoes movement to get at least 1000 new shelters for women by august.  Tired of seeing women abused on the streets.

Groceries

Just sent a friend $145 worth of groceries.  She has 5 kids, 4 still at home in high school, and she can't work. She got injured last year and is in a wheel chair.
  She's been posting pictures of things she's selling to pay the bills this month, her camping stuff (that's how I know her, we do a reenactment together).  And she just posted a request for people's grocery coupons - the new monopoly game. She posted her address.  So I sent her groceries.  Not sure if she will be able to tell they are from me. 
   Her kids are all doing very well in school and her parents are helping so I"m hoping she won't end up on the street.

Shower of Hope

Helped out at a mobile shower for the homeless.  It's a 4 shower unit that moves. On Friday night it's in Highland park in the parking lot of a church that allows people to sleep in the pews.
Shower of Hope

Shower of hope - mobile shower for homeless

Helped out today at a mobile shower - Shower of Hope.  Incredible experience.  The group is the Monday Night Missions  that feed people on Skid row. I've joined a few times, the group is non-religious, not official, just a bunch of caring people who want to see people have basics in life, like food.  And now showers. This mobile shower is new and there are now several of them and more coming. Totally changes someone's perspective when they can have a shower.

Food and Kindness on Skid Row

Heading down to Skid Row to feed and offer kind words to people who didn't make it into a shelter tonight.  I do this with a group called Monday Night Missions. It's not religious, not official. We bring our own food (we meet and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches), fruit water. And kind words.

New Camera

I bought a camera today for a homeless person that is in a local facebook walking group that I am in.  Someone had stolen his camera and he was posting that he couldn't share pictures anymore.  The camera was one of his sole forms of communication.

He posted about it on his youtube.  Not used to seeing feedback.  I feel humbled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4_6mhkAv88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsp1BnrNV-g

Feeding folks on Skid Row

I joined Monday Night Missions today that feeds people on skid row in Los Angeles who doesn't get into shelters. It's a non-religious, non charity bunch of people who go every night during the work week. We met at a place we could make peanut butter and sandwiches together, then went down as a group. The leader is very good about keeping everyone safe and healthy.  The point of the group was to both feed people and acknowledge them, so there was this wonderful greeting ceremony where we all said hello by name to each person. Such a great experience, I'm going back.

Homeless

I invited two of my homeless friends to come live with me for at least a year. They are very young and kinda failed the parent lottery. They have been living in their car, working full time.

I may not be able to help all the homeless. But I sure can help two.

Kiva & home

Made a few Kiva loans today.
Had 4 homeless people stay at my house this month, 2 couples who are friends. One had to go to the hospital and stayed a week to heal. The other 2 got jobs kinda in the area (3 hour bus ride) and stayed till they could find a closer room.

Helping the local homeless

Made a donation to

Care Packages for the Homeless Community of Boyle Heights

Ovarian Psycos would like you to help us raise funds to assemble a total of 200 Care Packages which we plan to distribute on our bikes on the morning of December 31st, 2016! The ovas welcome you to join us on your bike while we ride around BH to various homeless camps to distribute the care packages and to connect with this community that is too often outkasted and stigmatized! 

Each Care Package will include the following items:
-2 pairs of socks (preferably wool)
-1 pair of gloves
-A scarf
-Baby wipes
-Chapstick
-Waterless shampoo
-Small first aid kit
-Lotion and body spray
-A beanie
-2 pairs of clean (never used)underwear
-Bottled water
-Snacks and nonperishable food items
-A list of resources in BH for quick and easy shelter

You can help here

Respect and Dignity

I had a conversation with a homeless man today.  He was sitting outside a book store and said hi to me so I stopped and chatted with him when I came out. Just about what I was doing and small talk stuff. Nothing about him being homeless or wanting food or money.  Just treated him like he was a person. Which of course he is. But when you're homeless that gets taken away from you.

I've sat with homeless people on a few occasion (sometimes I'll buy food and eat with them). As soon as you are with them, people stop noticing you.  They walk by and advert their eyes. Everyone just happens to be looking the other way. They clutch bags and act afraid.   I can tell they don't see me, I am just getting judged by the company i'm with. I don't get that reaction when I sit alone, lots of people make eye contact.

So today I gave a homeless person some respect and dignity.