Downtown 3/8/2010

I arrived downtown slightly after 11:00am knowing it wasn't going to get much warmer than the 61 degrees showing on a thermometer/clock by the freeway. I guess that's really not too bad for winter time anywhere else. I got off the freeway at Central and a couple of blocks down the street found a woman sitting on the corner with several small plastic bags that she was going through. With the weather the way it was I was a little surprised she didn't have more on than a sweatshirt and jeans. Being that it was a busy street I didn't have much time so I gave her a bag of food. She saw that there was a small book in the bag and asked if it was a bag a books. I told her there was a booklet in the bag along with some food. She then asked if I was from "the church"? I've been asked that question many times by the people I meet down there and it always amazes me. Apparently, only "church people" go and help these folks. I continued going west and turned uptown on Figueroa St. I had only gone a couple of blocks down when I saw a man pushing a shopping cart in the same direction. I couldn't get over just then so I circled around the block and came back to where he was. The "problem" on that street is the right-hand lane is for buses only and no stopping, of course. I checked behind me and didn't see any buses coming for a couple of blocks so I pulled up next to where he was walking and held up a bag of food. He immediately came over to the car and got a gallon of water too. He kept saying the same thing over and over (I think it was yes) until I realized he didn't speak english. I said, "Como te llama?" and he answered "Jorge". Then he said "Thank you" a couple of times and had a big smile on his face. I was so happy to have helped.
I continued on Figueroa St. and went all the way up the street past Temple and backtracked on Hill St. I kind of just cruised around that part of the city and saw about 10 homeless people sleeping in a grassy park area near Olvera St. There was no place really to park there so I had to keep going past them. One of these days I'll have to take a shopping cart myself and fill it up with the stuff from my car and push it over there to where they are and just give it out to them! Wouldn't that be a scene?
Since I was near where Marie sleeps (7th St) I thought I'd drive by and see if she was there. I'm really trying to build a trusting relationship with this woman and the only way to do that is to try helping her fairly frequently. However, as I drove by where she sleeps she wasn't there. A little ways further down the street, about a block, and on the other side, I saw a man sleeping on the sidewalk in front of some building. I was surprised that he hadn't been forced to move on since it was probably 11:30 at this point. I parked and grabbed a bag of food and some water and walked across the street to him. He was sleeping with his sweatshirt pulled up over his head for warmth. I had to keep tapping his knee to get him to wake up. When he finally did wake up he said yes to the food and water and when I asked if he could use a blanket he got real excited. I told him I'd have to go back to the car to get one and I'd be right back. I grabbed a blanket, a T shirt and another sweater with a hood on it and took it back to him. By now he was digging into the bag of food and, specifically, eating the packages of cookies. We started talking and it was actually kind of hard to understand him because he was popping one cookie after another into his mouth. I found out his name was Mike and he had just spent two years at the Tehachapi prison. He was 39 years old. He had no idea what he was going to do now. I asked if he had any identification and he said he had lost his but the missions can help you get one. I hope they will. Getting a job without one would be next to impossible. I told Mike I come down there every week and I will look for him again. We prayed and he was very thankful that I had come by.
After seeing Mike, I continued down 7th to Alameda and turned left (south) and headed back towards the I-10. Just up the street guess who I saw walking with the only possession she has wrapped around her shoulders? Yep, it was Marie. Well, I couldn't stop on Alameda St but she just happened to be walking by a drive-way in front of a chain-link fence. I was able to get the car off the street and in the driveway and with the window down called out to her. She quickly came over to get the bag of food but declined the water when she saw that it was a gallon and probably more than she wanted to carry at that point. I told her I'd look for her again next week and drove on. She was wrapped in the same blanket you saw in the picture from last week.
I made my way up to Washington and Santa Fe Ave and as I passed a small steet named McGarry I saw out of the corner of my eye a man walking on the sidewalk with a bag over his shoulder. This street normally doesn't have anyone walking on it. There is a truck scale and truck wash there and some industrial buildings but usually only tractor trailers are parked on the street waiting to get into the truck wash. I drove around the block and came up along side where "Mark" was walking. I sometimes wonder what these folks think when a total stranger just drives up along side of them and gives them food and water. They must feel like it's their lucky day. I guess in a way it is. Now most people probably would have just driven on by Mark because he was walking down the street drinking a beer. Yet, I remember from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, it says in verse one, "Now the tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering around to hear him [Jesus]. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to do just as Jesus did. Not only was I sure that he wasn't drunk (he wasn't walking like he was) but remember inside the bag of food is a copy of the Gospel of John. One never knows who might be blessed by receiving God's word. He was indeed thankful for the food and water I gave him.
The last stop was down "the alley" off Hooper St. where Willie and Marvin live. I haven't seen either of them in several weeks so I thought I'd drive down there and check in on them. I had driven down there a couple weeks back and saw Marvin's stuff but neither man was there. Today I drove in the back way and saw Willie laying under a blanket. When he pulled the cover off he said, "Man, I was just thinking about you." It really is gratifying to get a welcome like that! And it's so absolutely wonderful to be able to help someone like that too. Beyond the food and water I asked Willie if there was anything special he needed and he said he could use a pair of pants. We looked through the trunk and we found a pair of 36 x 30's that should fit him just fine. We talked for awhile about how he weathered the storms we've had lately. He said he prefers to stay under a freeway when it rains because the missions are not only very crowded but the people steal from one another too. We talked for quite awhile. Willie is a loner and really needed a "safe" friend and person to just talk too. We prayed and I was so glad to be there. When I left him I drove on down the alley and saw Marvin's stuff but not Marvin. I'll look for him again next week. I also figure it's time to check in on Downtown Richard Brown again. I'll do that next week too. Until then. John