Downtown 6/27/2010

I made it downtown Sunday morning at about 8:30 a.m. It just worked out that this was the best time for me to go this week. I've only been down there this early once and that was last month on the Memorial Day holiday (a Monday). Getting down there this early means you have to make sure people are awake before you approach them. I may encounter homeless people sleeping later in the day but there usually isn't a problem disturbing their sleep in the afternoon. This early on a Sunday morning you might encounter some hostililty. Later in the mornig, I went down one alley off Washington Blvd. at about 9:30 and found 5 or 6 homeless men sleeping. Only one was awake and I could tell by his response that he really didn't want to be bothered yet (even though I was trying to help him). It was also very overcast so that added to the still "early" feel of the morning. Along North Main St. I saw a Latino man sitting on a planter with his shopping cart next to him. This is the northeast section of Los Angeles and a very Latino area so I expected this man to have quite an accent. You can imagine my surprise when I asked him his name and in perfect English and very chipper for that time of the morning he said, "My name is Ricky." He told me he is from this area. You wonder where his family members are. Surely there would be someone in his extended family who could help him out. He was very appreciative of the help as was Andrew just around the corner from him on Moulton Ave. I had been given some prayer and meditation booklets and included one in each bag today. Hopefully, these men (and the others) will make use of them, after all, it was Sunday morning!
One of the people I have had somewhat regular contact with and am hoping to provide lasting help to is Antonio, who lives on the 4th St. bridge (see photo). Since it was still early and not a weekday, I was able to stop and get out of the car and talk to him for a few minutes. I found out Antonio is 24 years old and from Louisiana. I asked if he had relatives out here and he indicated he might but didn't know them and they wouldn't know him. His life in Louisiana was, apparently, a very similar struggle to what it is out here. I didn't think to ask until later if Katrina was what caused him to move away from there. Since I had a little bit of time I opened the trunk and was able to give him some shirts and a
pair of shoes and new socks. I noticed he had on a different pair of pants than the last time I saw him (although these weren't much better). He told me, "I found these in the street." I asked what size he wears and he told me 36 x 32 which seems to be a size that fits a lot of these men on the streets. I told him I'd try and bring him back a pair next week since I didn't have any men's pants with me. The pair he had on were probably 6 inches too long and the zipper didn't work. I guess you take what you can get when you do your shopping in the street! Please pray for Antonio, he needs so much help and because of his age time is critical that he gets off the streets soon.
Back on the other side of town along the I-10 I found Octavius (I met him on Memorial Day) on Central Ave. just about where I saw him the first time. He was "accepting donations" at the freeway off-ramp. He seemed to be OK and was glad for the help. I only talked with him briefly because that corner by the freeway is busy all the time.
I continued along the I-10 freeway and at Hill St. I saw an elderly woman with her shopping cart under the freeway. I drove around the block so I could pull up next to her and stop. It was a no stopping zone but I took a chance on not getting a ticket since it was Sunday morning. I ended up stopped there talking with this woman for about 15 or 20 minutes. It turned out to be Mama Kirby and I had met her before. In fact, I looked it up in my previous recaps and it was January 25th when I first met her. I found out today she is from Texas. Her husband was a Korean War veteran (awarded a purple heart) who passed away in 1978. I'm not sure how long she's been living in the streets, but it would appear she has been living this way for a very long time. She told me her 'family' back in Texas has been 'using' her social security checks. She is a woman of deep faith and gladly accepted not only the food and water but a prayer booklet and a bible too. She inquired of the bible, "Does it have big print?" We prayed together and underneath her daily struggles and unhappiness with her family, she still is able to praise God. It was a valuable lesson to me about praising God in the midst of our struggles no matter how great they are. It was truly straight out of the book of Job right here in front of me on the streets of downtown L.A. I gave her physical help to get through the day, she gave me a lasting example of getting through life with an attitude of praise towards God. Thanks Mama.
The last man I met said his name was Blythe (I think). I've seen him for several months living by a building near Santa Fe Ave. on Washington Blvd. Several months ago I offered help to this man and he refused it. Today, he accepted the help but still had a very surly attitude. He is very thin and sits on an upturned plastic bucket with just a very few possessions near him (no shopping cart). He keeps himself and his area very clean. I've seen him wash up, change clothes and carry on a 'normal' street life over the past months. I hope this encounter breaks the ice with him so that we can talk more in the future. Perhaps the prayer booklet in with the bag of food will help. Please pray that we can reach this man. When I left Blythe, it was off to church, after all....it was still Sunday morning! Until next week. --John