Downtown 3/14/2010

Well, with the time change last night I not only worked an hour less, but since it stays light an hour later I was able, on short rest, to go downtown on Sunday also. I arrived at about 4:00 pm and the pace of things was slow and easy. I started by looking for Louis Parks down near First and Alameda St. but he wasn't there again this week. It looks like he's had to move on to another location. I'll keep looking for him. Marie was curled up on the sidewalk sleeping on 7th St. I decided this week not to wake her up. There must have been 8 or 10 people walking on the sidewalk near her. I guess she's invisible to most people.
As I made my way towards the south side of downtown (9th and Central by the McDonald's) I saw someone on a bicycle that I was pretty sure I recognized. Sure enough it was John Mellon. He used to live in an alley off Alameda St. He has since had to move because the owner of the block kept giving him a hard time. John loves getting the bread from me because the condition of his teeth is so bad that soft foods are best for him. We must have talked for 20 or 30 minutes (he's quite a talker) and just got caught up on stuff since I had last seen him. You can only do that on a Sunday. I have met with John since my earliest visits last year. He and one other man are the only ones to have declined my offer to pray for them. I never pushed the issue with John and have always treated him nicely. I don't know what John's spiritual background is or what might have made him suspiscous of anyone offering to pray for him. I have heard him bad-mouth people (televangelists) who have taken money from people and then lived a lifestyle contrary to Christian ways. You can imagine my surprise when as we parted he said to me, "I'll pray for you John, I love you."
I drove over to 18th near Los Angeles St. and saw a man laying down on the sidewalk sleeping. Well, I thought he was sleeping until I walked over to him with a bag of food. It turned out he was drunk and passed out. I couldn't really wake him up. As I stood there trying to decide whether or not to leave the bag of food with him I saw Dave across the street holding a 'homeless' sign up for passers-by. I walked over to him and gave him the bag of food. When I walked back to the car, the man on the sidewalk had gotten up and was urinating on the sidewalk. He had no possessions with him so it's very possible he lived in the neighborhood nearby and had been drinking at a local bar there on the corner and couldn't make it home. I can only hope for the best for him.
Just a few blocks east of where this occurred I turned right and drove towards Washington Blvd. Just before Washington Blvd. I saw a woman with her shopping cart and a couple of dogs. I was sure I recognized her and called her name out. I had helped her out last summer not too far from there. Her name is Becky. I remember she called me "Pastor John" back then. I think she was just as happy that I remembered her name as she was to receive the food and clothing items I gave her. We talked for a while and she introduced me to her 'family' (dogs). She was very upbeat and happy and thankful that I had stopped and prayed with her. As I left Becky I was about to turn right and get back out on the street when I saw in the alley to the left a man and his dog, in a baby stroller (it was a small dog). The man was digging through a dumpster. I'm hoping he was only looking for recyclables. His name was Lariano and he was from Cuba. I'm guessing he was in his mid forties. He was very happy for the food and water. We didn't talk too much because of the language barrier. He introduced me to his "perro" (dog) but I still can't figure out the name he called that dog! Just around the corner of that building and sitting on some steps of another building was a man eating out of an ice cream box. I remembered him from a couple of months ago. His name is Ron and he is from Kentucky. He was eating out of an ice cream box that day too. I hope that isn't his diet. It was somewhat amazing that within a 100 yards I was able to help 3 different people. They were all very happy to have received the help and I was glad to be there for them.
I had one bag of food left and decided I'd head over to the Jack in the Box off the I-10 and Alameda St. I ended up going inside and ordering a couple of tacos. While I was waiting for them a man came into the parking lot pushing a shopping cart. He had just done his recycling thing and was counting his money. He walked over to the trash can outside the door (and right next to a couple sitting inside at a table) and started going through the trash. Right then they called my order so I picked it up and put it down on a table and walked outside and asked "Henry" if he needed some food. He recognized me and said, "All right. I remember you. You had some chicken soup the last time." I've been remembered for a lot of things but I didn't know I was remembered by anyone for chicken soup. Then I remembered that some of the cans of soup I had in my food bags might have been chicken soup. Today it was some kind of sirloin steak in vegetable soup. Unfortunately, as soon as I gave away the last bag to Henry there were two other homeless people walking through the parking lot. I wished I had brought more today. Until next week. --John

PS. I looked for Downtown Richard Brown but he wasn't "home" (where his stuff is).