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

Downtown-Father's Day, 6/20/2010

Sunday was the last day of spring and it felt like summer was here, temperatures were in the mid-80's downtown. I headed down to the 4th St bridge to see if Antonio was still there. I'm pretty sure I saw him in his spot on the bridge but I wanted to find a safe place to park because it would be quite a walk back to where he is. In the process I ended up on Mission Blvd. Mission Blvd is a pretty small street after it crosses 1st St. and comes to an end around 6th or 7th St. The last couple of miles of the road are in a strictly industrial area and it was completely deserted on Sunday except for a couple of homeless people. This is why I love going on Sundays. My target group is much easier to see and get to because the traffic is minimal. I found Carlos digging around in a dumpster. I asked where he was from and I'm pretty sure it was a town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Due to the heat, he was very happy to get the water as well as a bag of food. I was even able to help him out with some shirts and socks. After praying with him he expressed his thanks to God for me stopping and helping him. I'm sure the help was totally unexpected for him. As I left him he had already opened up the can of soup and was enjoying lunch. A couple of blocks away I found Marsella lying on the ground with a couple of shopping carts between her and the street. She had a dog with her tied up to her shopping carts. She had found some shade next to a building and kind of set up her stuff to 'camp out' for a while. I asked her if she needed some food and water and she quickly said yes and got up. I got out of the car and gave her some and asked if she needed any clothes or socks but she declined. I think she was probably hungry enough to accept the food but a little wary of any further contact with a strange man in such a deserted place. I was concerned for her safety in that area. It was deserted but that can work to one's disadvantage if someone wants to do you harm. Her dog barked a little at me and I'm glad she had some protection but I think that dog was nothing more than an alarm. Pray for her safety.
I left that area and drove by Lincoln Park and then down North Main St. I found Glen on the sidewalk going through all of her "stuff" which was spread out all over the wide sidewalk. This encounter was a little more than I expected. I turned around and drove back to where she was and parked next to her on the sidewalk. I asked her if she needed some food. Her response was, "What do you have?" I should have known right-away this one was going to be different. She reminded me of Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy show) when she would dress up as a country bumpkin with some of her teeth blacked out. Except this woman did have missing teeth. I'm guessing her to be in her mid-fifties and she was a fairly large woman. When she saw what was in the bag of food she said, "OK, I'll try one." But what she really wanted was a ride to a McDonalds on Olympic. Well, I knew where there was a McDonalds on Olympic and Central that wasn't too far away so I said, "OK, I can give you a ride there." I was going in that direction anyway. Now I usually don't give these people rides. I think I've given three rides (and this was the third one) in all the time I've done these downtown trips, so this isn't a thing I normally do or am even comfortable doing. It took her about 7 or 8 minutes just to get all her stuff back in her bags and in my car. When we got to the McDonalds it wasn't the one she was looking for. She actually had an address and the McDonalds she was looking for was just near this address. The address was 4425 E. Olympic Blvd and the McDonalds at Olympic and Central was the 1300 block. I was somewhat relieved that it was 1300 East Olympic so I ended up driving her the 31 blocks to 4425 E. Olympic. When you're in the middle of a situation like this you never know how it's going to end or how long before it ends so I was fighting the urge to start showing impatience the whole time. I'm pretty sure I succeeded at showing calmness the whole time but it was a struggle. I kept thinking that it would be over soon and when it was over I would be disappointed at myself if I hadn't helped this woman as best I could. Well, we finally located the address she was looking for and the McDonalds that was across the street. The address was apparently a bus depot. Whether or not she was going to catch a bus on a Sunday or not I don't know (and I wasn't going to ask) but I dropped her off at the McDonalds and wished her well. She looked pretty country bumpkinish but spoke with a New England accent. It was a weird combo. I pray she finds where she was looking to go. It ended up only taking about thirty minutes or so. Why are we so impatient with people who need our help? Lord forgive me.
So now I really headed back to downtown (and in a hurry) to more familiar turf. I found Nick lying on the street at 18th and Los Angeles St. He quickly got up and came to the car when I asked him if he needed some food. No, he didn't ask what kind of food was in the bag! He was especially happy to get some water too. Remember it was still pretty hot. As I drove down Olive St and was waiting at a signal at 8th St. a homeless man with a shopping cart was standing right there on the corner waiting to cross the street. His name was Jessie. I didn't recognize him but he may have recognized me because after I gave him a bag of food he asked if I had water too. As I drove away he was starting to eat some of the food in the bag. Once again, what a privilege to help people in their time of need.
The last man I helped was Alan. I've helped Alan a few times before. He is one of the dirtiest of the homeless men I've helped and doesn't talk very much. He was sitting on the sidewalk around the corner from the recycler and the Jack in the Box at Alameda and 14th St. He has 3 shopping carts of stuff now that were lined up in the street while he sat under the shade of a tree on the sidewalk (see the pictures). I parked and walked over to him with a bag of food. "Hey, Alan can you use some food?" I asked. He nodded his head. "How about some water too?" Again, he nodded his head. That's about the only response you'll get from Alan. I went back to the car and got the last gallon of water I had and gave it to him and sat down on the sidewalk next to him. It was about 1:00 or 1:30 in the afternoon by now. I decided I would try and talk with Alan for a little while and see what happens. He had started to look through the bag of food and had pulled out the can of soup. I told him there was a plastic spoon in the bag which he quickly got out. I almost laughed out loud when he "wiped if off". He seemed to hesitate before eating the soup so I told him to go ahead and start eating. So while he was eating the soup I talked with him for a few minutes. I told him it was the last official day of spring and summer looked like it was really going to be a warm one. I was just trying to make some idle conversation hoping to get him to talk to me. I told him it was also Father's Day and asked if he had any kids. He shook his head no. He had told me before that he was from East Los Angeles so I asked if his Dad was still around or alive. Again he shook his head no. I then asked him what town in East Los Angeles he was from and he motioned towards the east and made kind of a looping motion like it was "just over the bridge". Since I was sitting so close to him on the sidewalk I noticed he had a large bible next to him. I picked it up and saw that it was a King James version from the Latter Day Saints. I commented, "So the Mormans have been by, huh?" He nodded his head again. I said, "Well good for them." I had given him a Gospel of John which was in the bag of food and he had pulled it out when he went through the bag. It is the NIV version and a lot easier for us to read in our day but I thought I'd let him discover that on his own. He had actually been reading a recycler newpaper when I walked up. While we were sitting there under the shade of that big tree two small sparrows had landed on the street in front of us, not more that a few feet away. I commented that Jesus said a sparrow doesn't fall to earth but that the Father doesn't know about it and because of this Jesus said the Father knows all about us too. Well, I didn't stay too much longer with Alan. I wondered later if he was as impatient for me to leave him as I had been with that woman. I hope not. It's weird that I was willing to spend time with Alan because I knew I was in control of the situation and could leave at any time but was
uncomfortable and impatient with Glen because I wasn't as much in control of that situation. Lord teach me a lesson in patience in this and calm my spirit. It turned out to be a good Father's Day downtown. --Until next week. John

Downtown 6/14/2010

I didn't make it downtown until about 11:00 am Monday morning. Since it was so warm it really felt like the first day of summer (at least summer vacation) to me. Life's struggles continue for the folks living on the streets down here. I hadn't gone over to the 4th St. bridge in a while so I started there first. Just off the bridge on the west (downtown) side I found Robert sitting on the sidewalk with his back up against a chain link fence and his shopping cart of possessions next to him. He is from the Los Angeles area and I'm guessing him to be in his early forties. He didn't appear to be homeless for very long, probably recently out of work, so there he was sitting on the sidewalk trying to figure it all out. I'm sure it was a surprise to him that someone would drive up offering food and water and just talk to him for a few moments and pray with him. He told me he has relatives in the LA area and Arizona. Pray that he reconnects with them.
On the other side of the bridge I found Antonio. He was in the exact same spot as the last time I saw him a few months ago. Since he is so young (early twenties) I was quite surprised that he was still there. Because he stays at a location that is very hard to stop for any length of time it's difficult to find out his story. It would appear that his life is 'stuck' right there. His clothes, especially his pants, are falling apart. My guess is that he is staying right there and living off the missions on the other side of the bridge. I'm going to have to find a place to park and walk back to him sometime and just talk with him and see what's up. I've never gotten a chance to pray with him because I just can't stop for more that a few seconds on that bridge. Antonio is going to be a project and I am determined to help this man find hope in this world. Please pray for this man, that God would use me to bring about a transformation in his life.
Next, I went down the alley where Willie and Marvin used to live. I haven't seen either of them for a couple of months now. Today I saw a man sleeping where Marvin use to live. I called out to him as I drove by but didn't get a response. So I drove down a ways and turned around so I would be on the same side as he was and called out to him again, but still no response. It was getting pretty warm out and he was sleeping with his shirt off. I pulled over to the side and got a gallon of water and walked back to him. By now he was awake and when I asked if he wanted the water I quickly realized why I didn't get a response from him earlier. He is deaf and mute. I've seen this guy twice before, the last time was probably six months ago. He wanted the water and when I made eating motions he nodded his head so I gave him a bag of food too. The last time I saw him was actually in the area where I saw the first two men this morning and he was digging around in trash bins looking for recyclables. This is his life, deaf and mute, digging in trash cans unable to talk with anyone. I don't know if he knows sign language but I'm going to learn a few words of it and try and talk with him next time. I remember the last time I saw him I offered him some clothes in the trunk of my car and he was so happy he wanted a hug. I prayed with him today, although he couldn't hear a word of it.
I headed west along 16th St. which parallels the I-10 freeway. I turned up a small street named Trinity St. towards Washington Blvd. On the corner of Trinity and Washington Blvd is a small church named, you probably guessed, Trinity Church. Just a few yards away from this Church on Trinity I found Glen pushing a shopping cart. On Washington Blvd just a little ways east of this church I found Tyrone sitting on a planter. I was able to help both of these men and prayed with them too. I didn't recognize Tyrone at first but I think I've seen him on the other side of this block before. What I remembered about him was his very quiet voice, barely above a whisper, almost like he's out of breath. He is a fairly large man and he may be in poor health, although I don't think he's forty yet. I wonder about the church. I sometimes see racks of clothes on the sidewalk. I don't think they are selling these clothes because I don't see anyone out there. Perhaps, they are offering the clothes to the homeless living in the area. The people that go in and out of that church (when I see them on Sundays) are well dressed, but I never see them walking the short distance to the freeway underpass where the homeless are living. I wonder if they have co-existed so long together that they just don't "see" the homeless anymore. What an opportunity for a church to be a light amidst so much darkness.
Just before leaving downtown I was driving north on Maple and saw Johnny's stuff and him sleeping right next to it. His stuff is clean and neatly organized so he's easy to recognize. I only had one bag of food and one gallon of water left but before I could get back to him I found Roger just down the street a ways and decided to help him. I had never met Roger before. This made it an even split of folks I had helped before and those who I helped for the first time today. My hope is that with all of these people, as the next couple of days go by, that each time they eat and drink the stuff I left with them they will remember "the guy who prayed with me" and connect with the God who provided for them today. --Until next week. John

Downtown 6/6/10

I wasn't sure when I was going downtown this week, but ended up being able to go late Sunday afternoon. I didn't know how the traffic would be since there was a Laker game starting at 5 p.m. I arrived at about 4:30 p.m and traffic wasn't too bad at all. I got off the I-10 at Central Ave and kept going west until I got to Broadway. That's when I saw the person in the picture laying on the sidewalk. It was a warm day, probably in the mid 80's, and I'm sure the concrete sidewalk was hot to be laying on. I wanted to help this person but I couldn't find any parking on the street anywhere near there. There were parking lots available (for a price) but the curbs were red or no stopping all around that block. There were a couple of people standing on the corner nearby but no one seemed concerned. Behind the blanket hidden from this camera angle was a plastic bottle with some water in it. I'm sure it was warm water by now, but it indicated the person under the blanket was probably OK. It occurred to me that the Staples Center was less than a half a mile away. The place would be filled, at this point, with celebrities at courtside and million dollar basketball players and here within such a short distance and away from the television cameras a completely different lifestyle existed. A short distance from here at an alley around 12th and Pico I found Hernando digging through a trash bin. He was just thankful to receive the food and water I had. While driving around the area looking for a place to park for the person in the picture I found Johnny! You may remember him from a couple of weeks ago. He was the one who declined my offer to pray for him. He was sitting on the curb with his shopping cart under the shade of a small tree. Along with the food and water he told me he could use a blanket. I got one out of the trunk and when he complained of having a terrible itch all over his body and being unable to shower to get clean I offered him a couple of clean shirts. He warned me not to get too close to him because of this itch. I know there's no poison ivy around there, but he may have slept somewhere where someone dumped something with a chemical in it that is causing the skin irritation. When I offered to pray for him this time he relented but said, "Just a short prayer." So I prayed a short prayer with him and was able to give him a Guideposts magazine. I was so happy to see this man after not being able to pray for him the last time. Perhaps now he will be more open to me the next time I see him. I've been criticized for not "evangelizing" these people I meet on the street. All of these people have many needs and they all need a relationship with God through Jesus. However, some of their needs are physical and need immediate attention. In Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan there was no mention of him evangelizing the injured man. He was commended for simply helping the injured man when he needed it most. After those needs are tended to, there is then a foundation for getting to some of their other needs. Helping people when they need it without asking anything in return is a good way to establish an ongoing relationship. After all, they might just ask why you're doing it the next time. By the way, I found out Johnny is from Fort Worth, Texas.
Up a few streets from Broadway on 18th I found Carmen on a corner holding up a 'homeless needing help' sign. I stopped and gave her a bag of food and she said she could use the water too. It turned out she needed some the other items I had in the trunk, shoes, socks and a blanket. Carmen is still fairly young, about 30 or 35, but I could tell she had spent a lot of time now on the streets. I prayed with her and she thanked me for stopping. As I pulled away she was putting on her 'new' shoes and gave me a thumbs up on the fit. What a privilege.
About a mile or so east of Broadway I turned down a small street called Naomi. Under the I-10 freeway I found Faulstine. She had quite a collection of stuff around her, but it was kind of a mess too. When I asked if she needed any food and held up a bag she immediately got up and came over to the car. She asked if I'd pray for her too. I said, "Well let me pray for you right now." I held out my hand to her and she apologized saying her hand was dirty from recycling. I said, "That's OK, I don't mind." I held her hand and prayed with her. I told her I had something for her to read and she said she had a Bible. I said, "No, I've got something else." and I gave her a Guidepost magazine too.
A few more blocks over at Olympic and Alameda I saw two people I'm quite familiar with. One was Alphonso and the other was John Mellin. Both are quite talkative although Alphonso talks so quietly it's difficult for me to hear him (he's always next to a busy off-ramp). John talks pretty loud and I have no problems hearing him. He was very excited to see me. He said, "I've got something to tell you, I've got a girl friend!" I'm glad he's found some companionship. Life on the streets is so lonely for these people. Most of these people are very talkative when you get to know them and when they feel safe around you. A few blocks down Alameda I found Chavez. The street I saw him on was completely deserted on Sunday afternoon. Typically, it is crowded with tractor trailers waiting to get unloaded. He may have been looking for work as a 'lumper' (person who you pay to unload your trailer). We didn't talk much, but I know he was happy to get the food, especially without having to unload a trailer of freight!
All in all it was a good trip downtown. It was a good mix of people I'd seen before and people I met for the first time. I even got home in time for the end of the Laker game. There was a time when I would have stayed home to watch the whole game, after all it is the playoffs, right? But at the end of the day what's more important, to watch a game or help people? I guess I really have changed in the last year or so. Until next week. --John

Downtown 5/31/2010

I arrived downtown at about 8:00 a.m. which is the earliest time I've ever been down there on one of these trips. With the holiday and the early hour the traffic was extremely light. I stopped first in the garmet district to pick-up a supply of socks, if possible, and was surprised the store was even open on the holiday. After leaving that store I traveled down Olive St and at around 12th St I found Dorothy all huddled up against a building. Although the sun was shining and it appeared it would be a warm day she was thrilled to get, not only some food, but a nice heavy coat with a hood too. Dorothy is a young woman, maybe 25 or so and very dimunitive. When I prayed with her I prayed especially for her protection. It's heartbreaking to realize how this woman will most likely survive on the streets and the abuse she will have to face. Pray for Dorothy.
Usually, I take a drive down skid row each week just to get the impact of the homeless situation in Los Angeles. The actual skid row street is 6th, but I drove down 5th, 6th and 7th streets and saw hundreds of people. Some were sleeping on the sidewalks but most were up and awake. I saw one man (with a crowd of people standing around) going through someone elses shopping cart and taking all the recycleable bottles and cans. Most of the people in this area live off of the missions. Substance abuse and theft are rampant down here. I usually don't try to help the people in this area because I've learned they have become so dependent upon the missions that they often aren't interested in the food and water I have because they'd have to carry it. I figure they aren't that desperate if they know where their next meal is coming from. That's why I concentrate on the homeless along the I-10 freeway. They are trying to eke out their existence by recycling and staying away from all the trouble on skid row. They're nearly always appreciative of any help one might offer. So when I left the skid row area I traveled down Central Ave and found Octavius (yeah, that was his name) under the I-10 freeway. He was laying down on a piece of cardboard and covered up with a blanket. He was from Detroit. I asked how he ended up out here and his reply was somewhat humorous. "I came out here because of the gold in them hills and the easy livin'." We both had a good laugh over that one. Since I couldn't park on the curb next to him I had parked in a parking lot about 30 yards away. I kept making trips to the car to get more stuff for him (shoes, shirts, etc). At one point while talking with him we heard a pop noise that sounded kind of close. I looked around but didn't see any rocks or anything. Then we both noticed what had happened. A bird from up under the freeway had pooped on his cardboard sleeping mat. I said, "Yikes" when we realized what had happened. He told me he sometimes has to throw rocks at birds that have roosted directly above him at night-time. I'm thankful for a roof over my head and one that doesn't have birds under it too. As I walked back to my car a man called out to me from across the street. Apparently, he had been watching us. He was in need of help too. I always love it when someone else walks up while I'm helping someone and I get to help two at once. This was a man called Peter. And I wasn't going to pass-up an opportunity to help and to pray with Peter!
After leaving these two men I drove down 16th St which parallels the I-10 freeway and found Juan walking down the street carrying a bag that looked like it was all the possessions he had. On that street I only had a few moments to speak with him and offer him some food and water which he gladly accepted with much thanks. As I started to pull away he said, "You're beautiful." What a privilege to help people exactly when they need it most!
After leaving Juan I crossed over to Washington Blvd and found two people needing help. One was another young man whose name was Brandon. He was in almost the identical shape as Juan. Walking down the street with one bag that appeared to contain all his possessions. A little further down Washington and across the street was Becky. I've been able to help Becky a couple of times before. She was sitting on the steps of a house that looks like they rent out rooms. It's a fairly good size house with maybe 6 to 10 rooms in it. I was surprised they let her stop there because she has a couple of dogs that were laying down on the steps with her (and of course her shopping cart with A LOT of stuff in it). Becky proudly showed off a tiny little kitten in her hands. As I drove away I couldn't help but think how this woman would make a good loving mother to small children. She has always been happy and talkative with me and it's unfortunate that her mothering instincts aren't allowed to blossom some place where they are most needed. Pray that Becky finds that place. Until next week. John