Downtown 1/17/2011

Well today's trip was on the Martin Luther King holiday. It didn't occur to me before leaving this morning, but, as you know King is most remembered for two things. First, would be his leading the civil rights movement in the 60's and then for his famous, "I have a dream speech". As I was getting ready for the trip this morning, I was writing out a short note to put in with the bags of food telling the recipient of this help that they are loved by God. As I was writing these notes and thinking about the people who might receive them I started "dreaming" about heaven and what if when I get there, someone comes up to me and shows me one of these notes as coming at a pivotal time in their life. The food and water, the clothes and blankets will all pass away within a short time of each encounter. The words I use and the love I show each one of these people on behalf of Christ can make the difference in whether the encounter has lasting eternal value or not. We are simply called to be faithful and our obedience to that call can be used by God no matter how seemingly insignificant that task is. I need to remember this after my last encounter this morning. I was caught a little off-guard by it, but more on that later.
I got off the freeway at the Main St. exit off the I-5 just north of the I-10. As I was coming up to the stop sign at the end of the ramp I saw a man pushing his shopping cart into a grassy area near a wall. I figured he was looking for empty cans or plastic bottles. As I slowed down I called out to him but he didn't hear me. Then as I got to the stop sign there was a woman with her cart following him. I was able to get her attention and she stopped. Eventually, I parked (in a red zone) and gave her some food and water along with some socks and shirts. I had several pairs of womens jeans but nothing that would fit her. She then asked, "Can I have some socks for my friend?" It turned out that I hadn't recognized her "friend" was Victor. He usually sleeps under the freeway overpass at Main St just around the block.
I decided to drive around the area east of there and see if I could find some of my friends from here who have had to relocate. I never did find them, but in the process was able to help Robert near Eastern and Huntington Drive and Quiss (I thought he was saying Chris at first) who was in a wheelchair at Main and Mission Rd. across the street from Lincoln Park. I then went into downtown going under the 4th St. bridge at Mission Rd. Michael used to live there but in December moved to Portland to receive help through the VA. His friend Robert was there today. Robert is from New York. He told me Michael tried to get him to go to Portland too, but he would lose some of his current benefits if he left this area.
I ended up going over to the corner of Olive and Pico. I never quite know what is going to happen over there. I drove around a couple of blocks and thought I might find Dalton. What I ended up seeing was a homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk with his shopping cart next to him. Another homeless man was going through the sleeping man's cart. He found a bag of rolls and I'm not sure what else and started walking away with them. I had pulled over to the curb maybe 20 or 25 feet away to let traffic go by me. The man walking away with the bread stopped about 10 feet on down the street and then came back and put the stuff back in the sleeping man's shopping cart! I don't know if my being there and seeing it had anything to do with his change of heart, but I ended up asking him if he needed a bag of food. Of course, his answer was "Yes." I'm glad I was able to help two men with one bag of food!
Well, this brings us to the last encounter of the day with Arturo who I found sleeping in some grass next to the I-10 freeway on-ramp at San Pedro Ave. He looked all alone with very few possessions so I was pretty sure he could use some help. I didn't anticipate the reaction I was going to get. I first asked him if he was OK and if he could use some food and water. This is pretty much a standard intro line I use with people if I've never met them before and particularly if they are sleeping when I first come up to them. He told me he could use the help and since I noticed his toes sticking out from under the short blanket he had I asked if he could use some socks. He pointed to a pair he had hanging from his shopping cart. I asked if he could use a brand new pair and he said 'OK'. I walked back to the car and got a couple of pairs along with a couple of polo shirts. He had showed me the shirt he had on under the blanket and although it was OK I thought he might like to have a couple of shirts too. I walked back over to him and he had rolled over like he was going back to sleep (he hadn't started eating anything out of the bag of food either). Perhaps, he thought I wasn't coming back, I don't really know. Anyway, when I got back to him and gave him the clothes I asked if he had been staying in the surrounding area and he said he had. I then told him that I come down here once a week and I would look for him again. He then asked me, "Why?" When I used to prayer-walk in the neighborhood around our church several years ago I was asked that question, and at that time I answered, "Because I care about people's savation." Well, I've never had any homeless people ask that question. They usually just accept the help with thanks and don't question why I'm doing it. With Arturo I said, "I like to look for people who need help and help them." He did ask if I was a Christian and then he asked, "Do you know God?" I told him, "Yes, I know God." He then, looking straight at me, said, "I don't know God." I told Arturo, that if you pray to Him, God can change your situation and that although, some of the outward circumstances may not change right away, he (Arturo) could come to have peace in his own heart. Well, I wasn't looking to "convert" Arturo in this conversation, but merely wanted to let him know, someone cares about him. He told me that sure he would like to have a car and a job, but he was OK having nothing and was at peace with himself. Recognizing that this conversation could be of eternal significance in Arturo's life I wanted to make sure that I wasn't argumentative or condemning in any way of his life. After all, if I am lucky enough to see him
again, we would have something to build upon. I asked if I could pray for him before leaving, but he refused the offer (and was somewhat adamant about it). I
realize that Arturo was asleep when I walked up. He also told me he was from Mexico and English was a second language and he was having a struggle explaining himself (although I understood him just fine). Still, I felt I had missed an opportunity in the encounter yet, even so, I left on positive terms with him. Perhaps the note in the bag of food will make a difference in his heart later. Please pray that I have more opportunities to build a friendship with Arturo. Until next week. --John

P.S. Yes, I did prayer-walk down Cloud Nine Alley. It was very quiet there today.

Downtown 1/12/2011

For several weeks now, I have gone to Lincoln Park first to see if Phillip, Nancy and Luis have returned to the area. They have left some of their belongings there, but as of yesterday they still have not returned. I can only hope they have found a better and safer place to live. I did see a couple of men who I haven't had a chance to help recently. That would be Victor and Jose. The smiles on their faces were worth the trip down there. It's always good to give enough help to these people to take the pressure off of them in their efforts to survive for even a couple of days. As I left the Lincoln Park area and headed into downtown I was able to help Mark who was standing on the street corner leading to Alameda Ave. When I asked him what his name was I kept hearing "Martin" until he finally said, "Mark, it's in the bible! (and I know there are no Martin's in the bible)" As is typical of a weekday trip, I found these men in places where I couldn't stop for very long, just long enough to have the briefest of conversations and pass some help through the car window and then move on.
As I traveled on up Alameda I got to 4th St. and turned east. There is an industrial area there that is pretty much deserted on the Sundays but during the week it's fairly busy. Yesterday, I found two men off Alameda on a street called Seaton. One of them, Robert, I have seen and helped a few times back in the fall, but the other man, Brook, must be new to the area. After giving him some food and water, I asked if he needed any socks or anything and he told me, "No, they gave me enough of that stuff." Since this street is close to the missions on 6th, I'm guessing he just spent time down there and they gave him a fresh start. However, with no relatives or friends to stay with, these folks end up still on the street. I'll have to watch for Brook some more in the future and get to know him and his story.
Well, with only one bag of food left I headed over to where my friends Willie and Tara Lee live, in an alley of Hooper St. Both of them were there and we were all happy to see each other again. The last time I saw them was back on December 12th when I barbequed for them. They got me caught up on the perils of living in this alley in the last month. They have been hassled by several different groups of people including other homeless folks. When I saw them last month there was a group of homeless people living about 50 yards down the alley and they were involved in a lot of illegal activity. Luckily, these folks moved on and Willie and Tara Lee were very happy about it. However, there are still some groups of people who are giving them a hard time to the point where they are thinking of relocating to another city. I stayed and talked with them for probably 20 or 30 minutes or so and told them I would be switching back to a day schedule at work at the end of February and we would have another barbeque when I could start coming on Sunday's again. I told them when we barbequed last month that I also tried to meet with Billy, James and Will, but only Will was there that evening. I suggested perhaps we could pick a Sunday and we could all get together (Billy, James and Will don't live too far away). I said, "You could get all your friends together and we could have a good time." Then Tara Lee said something that kind of shocked me. He said, "I could just see us all gathered around, and other people (homeless folks) coming up and asking what's going on and we'd just say, 'Oh, that's just pastor John preaching to us here in the alley'." I couldn't envision a better barbeque with my friends than that. Pray for that day to happen!!
With that, I drove on over to the Church by Cloud Nine Alley making sure I didn't park by a parking meter! Yeah, I paid the fine from the last time. My friend Gary, who lives in the parking lot next to the church had told me a few weeks back that he was planning on moving out and getting into one of the missions. When I arrived yesterday, he had moved. I was disappointed to not see him, but hopeful that he will make it off the streets for good this time. I usually have a bag of a few cans of soup in the car as 'extras' just in case I run into someone after I've given out all the other bags of food. What usually happens is I take this bag with me as I prayer-walk down this alley. Yesterday, I met a guy named Robert in that alley. He had been told by one of the businesses who's back door is in the alley to come see them that day for some work. Well, Robert ended up with the extra cans of soup. Yesterday was also his 54th birthday. I hope it turned out to be memorable. Until next week. --John

Downtown 12/12/2010

Well yesterday, I was finally able to fulfull my desire to have a barbeque for some of my friends downtown. I have had this idea for over a year now, but could never figure out how to reach some of my closest friends by having it in one location. So I came up with the idea of using a small portable Weber barbeque and driving around to where the people lived. I could only do this on a Sunday, a weekday simply wouldn't work. Since I've been only able to go on a weekday for the last couple of months, I haven't seen some of the target people in awhile. As I got closer to this Sunday I started getting a little concerned about whether this was going to work out or not. However, the main goal in doing this was to not only provide a warm meal but to have an opportunity to talk with some of these folks at length and develop a deeper relationship. I had targeted four groups of people. If you have followed these blogs for a while, you will be familiar with these people. First, I was hoping to spend time with Willie and Tara Lee and whoever might be with them, the next group would be Phillip, Nancy and Luis over by Lincoln Park, then Billy, James and Will and finally Gary over by Cloud Nine Alley and Church. I was hoping that by spending some extended time with Gary he would invite some of the men who live in that alley to join us. So far, my attempts to talk with those men living in that alley haven't gotten very far. For the last few weeks I have been accumulating all the supplies needed for this trip and after church with a carload of stuff I took off for downtown. I should mention that at the end of our church service yesterday they offered to anoint people with oil before we left for the specific purpose of bringing joy to our "world". We had never done that at church before and probably a hundred or so people stayed after to receive it. I decided it was definitely something I wanted since I was leaving directly from church. I arrived downtown around 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon (next time I do this I'm leaving earlier). I knew that at this time of year I would only have about four hours of daylight so I had to find my friends quickly.
My last trip downtown I had met Doug (one of my longtime friends) near where Willie and Tara Lee lived. I told him of my plans for the following Sunday and invited him to join us in the alley where they lived. He said he really didn't want to be with the others, but that he would watch for me. Yesterday, as I drove down that alley from the west end I saw Doug had found a place to stay directly across the street at the end of the alley. There was a set of fire doors and an indentation on the building across the street. He had set up his "house" (shopping cart, etc) right there and it gave him a perfect vantage point to watch for me. Willie and Tara Lee weren't in the alley and as I drove out the other end I said hello to Doug. I told him I wanted to check the next alley over because Willie and Tara Lee might have relocated there. As it turned out that proved to be right. I drove back to Doug to tell him and invite him to join us but, again, he declined. I told him I'd bring him some food when I left them. So I went back to the alley where Willie and Tara Lee live and got set up. Willie wasn't there at first, but Tara said he was due back very soon. While getting the barbeque set up and putting the food on, Tara and I had an opportunity to talk at length. He is originally from Fort Worth, Texas and has been homeless (at least this time) since November of 2007. We talked about many things and at one point after telling him about my daughter and her music lessons he confided to me that when he was her age he loved to sing and dance and that everyone in his neighborhood thought he would make something of himself, but that things just never worked out. I had at one point told him that when we first met he was one of only three or four people who declined my offer to pray with them before leaving. He then told me something I'll never forget. He said, "The last time you were with us, before you left you said God sent you that day to tell us that He loves us. After you left, I just cried and cried." It suddenly struck me that something we have heard so often, and probably take for granted, can mean so much to someone who never hears it and feels lonely and frustrated with life. It was a reminder of how precious these people are to our Lord and how in the gospel of Matthew (12:20) it says about Jesus, "He will not break a bruised reed..." Well, Willie did show up and they loved the food, although I had forgotten to bring a can opener and so I wasn't able to fix everything the way I wanted to. They both were thrilled to have a warm meal prepared for them and thanked me many times. Tara asked that I never stop coming to see them. I had cooked a few extra burgers and stopped by Doug's place on the way out and gave him those. While talking with Doug a couple of other people came by and I gave them some bags of food like I do on a regular trip. Doug has an aversion to being with other homeless folks. So many of the homeless are trapped in a lifestyle of drug abuse and he just doesn't want to be around it. It's probably a good policy to have in his situation. However, it does make for a lonely life.
I drove by where Willie, James and Will live, but they weren't there so I headed on over to Lincoln Park. Unfortunately, my friends who live there weren't there either. However, Carlos and his dog were there, sleeping on the grass just across from where Luis used to stay. I woke him up and gave him a bag of food. I asked him if he had seen Luis and Phillip and Nancy. He told me that the police had made them move on. He indicated that they moved on down towards East L.A. Before leaving Carlos I offered to pray for him. When I finished he told me he wanted to pray too. What followed was probably the most simple and humble prayer I've ever heard. He simply said, "Thank you Lord, I have some food, a place to sleep and clothes, thank you." and with a shrug of his shoulders he was done. I told Carlos I would continue to look in on him.
After seeing Carlos I headed over towards Cloud Nine Alley. On the way, I found Jose sitting on the sidewalk on Central Ave near Washington Blvd. He had a cup of soda from some fast food place but no bag of food to go with it. When I offered him a bag of food he quickly got up and came over to the car for it. I think the soda was the only thing he was going to have that night if I hadn't stopped. When I got to the church, Gary was outside by the parking lot sweeping up. Part of his arrangement with the owner to stay there requires him to clean a couple of the parking lots and surrounding areas that the owner has. Since he was busy working, he couldn't stop to have a barbeque. However, I did give him some food that he could cook for later. I prayer-walked the alley and since the church was open and about to have a service soon I ducked in and stood in one of the back pews and prayed. They had a praise band (yes, in Spanish) going on up in the front, it was about 5:30 p.m when I walked in there. I stayed until a little after 6 p.m. Several people came up to greet me. I was told that Pastor Rodriguez was in Mexico for a wake. Before leaving a man walked up to me; he was a pastor from Dallas who was going to be preaching that night. He asked if I was staying, but I told him I had one more group of homeless people I was hoping to meet with before leaving for home. He said, "I was starting to wonder when I saw you if this church was becoming bilingual!" I asked them to let Pastor Rafael know I had stopped in. Amazingly, despite the language barrier, I always feel welcomed there by everyone.
Well, I wanted to give Billy, James and Will one more shot before I left for home. I got there at about 6:30 p.m. and Will was sitting on a crate in their alley off 14th St and Stanford. I called out to him by name and he told me that Billy and James were due back soon, but they had gone to a church in Long Beach and would be riding the Metro coming back. He had gone to a local church nearby. When I asked if he was up for a barbeque he said yes and we hoped Billy and James would show up soon. Unfortunately, when I left at 8 p.m. they still hadn't gotten back. However, Will and I had a good time eating and visiting. I hadn't eaten anything with Willie and Tara because I knew I couldn't eat every time (well I probably could if you know my appetite) so Will and I ate together. His birthday is this coming week and he will be 53 years old. He is from the Compton area and has lived in this area all his life. He has 3 sisters and had one brother who was killed in the Viet Nam war. Now you may remember that Billy, James and Will were the guys I met a couple of months ago who all had bibles with them (it was a Sunday evening that night too) and they asked about a verse in Romans that I told them about. Last night, Will was telling me about some of the churches in the area that he had been to and how some of them were quite judgmental towards homeless people. I told him about the first two verses in Luke 15 and how people who were looked down upon by the 'regular' people in society always gathered around Jesus to hear him talk. In fact, he had me underline it in his bible (it was nighttime by now and he had difficulty seeing anything in print). We had a very enjoyable time. Towards the end I told him that Billy and James weren't going to believe that I had come by and cooked for him so I cooked the last of the hamburgers and left them with him. While I was there, a man who goes by the name E.J. came by and said he had just been with Willie and Tara. Will knows them too.
Well it was time to go and as I drove towards the freeway I couldn't help but notice all the homeless people all around the area. I think in this section of town, since it is somewhat close to the missions, they end up coming here just to get away from the crowded conditions on the skid row streets. All in all, it was a good day and a good trip. I'll have to do this again in the spring. Until next week. John

Downtown 12/7/2010

A month or so ago I saw an elderly woman at the 60 freeway off-ramp at Azusa Ave in the City of Industry. She was holding a homeless sign and stood next to the curb with a walker. My guess is she was between 65 and 70 years old. The light was green as I approached and I had to drive on through the intersection. Recently, in the last week or so my wife has seen this same woman standing there and has had the opportunity to give her some assistance a couple of times. The other night as I was going to bed my wife expressed to me her concern (with tears) over how this woman was going to get through yet another cold night. I gently comforted her and said, "You're now catching the spirit of 'Right Now Counts'. It's hard to just forget about them when you come home, isn't it?" It's now been over a year and a half that I've been making these trips downtown and many nights I've wondered how my friends are doing. Are they hungry? Are they warm? Dry? What are their chances of ever getting off the streets? The older ones who have lived the lifestyle for many years have the survival techniques down, but the young ones, what are their prospects? Mark Twain was once asked if the verses in the bible that he didn't understand bothered him. His response was, "It's not the verses that I don't understand that bother me, it's the ones that I do understand that bother me." Jesus summed up our obligations to others when he simply stated, "Love your neighbor as yourself." A religious leader questioned him further and asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus' response was the story of the Good Samaritan, with the point being, whoever is in need is your neighbor. Sometimes the need is not always physical. Yesterday, one of my encounters was with a man named Doug. I've helped this man several times in the past, but it has been several months since I last saw Doug. As it turns out, he had been in the hospital battling diabetes (Type 1). He is about my age, maybe even a couple of years younger and is facing a very difficult road ahead being homeless and having to deal with this disease. He may eventually have to go to an assisted living facility. He knows his prospects are not good. I'm not sure exactly what I said when I prayed with him, but I know I prayed something about being in His (God's) presence eternally, and asked God to give Doug a taste of that presence here and now. When I finished Doug said, "Wow, you really helped me to zero in on where I need to focus my mind." All I could think of was praise God that the Holy Spirit guides us to pray when we don't know what to pray for. Our "neighbors" are everywhere and I know we can't help everyone we see. But the help needed may be just a kind word or encouragement at the right time. Yesterday, I was able to talk to Gary who lives in the parking lot next to the church on Cloud Nine Alley. I asked him if he had talked to him Mom recently. He had expressed a desire to see her a couple of months back. Her name is Marilyn and she lives in Atlanta. I offered him my cell phone to call her if he knew her number. He told me he would sure like to see her at Christmas, but she was at work during the day and he didn't have her work number. When we prayed together I expressed to God Gary's desire to see his mother and if not at Christmas, perhaps New Year's. I think just the idea that he shared this deep heartfelt desire to someone was of benefit to him because he thanked me afterwards. It would make sense that many of these homeless people are "homesick" for not only home and family, but just for the idea and memory of things being the way they used to be and this memory is something they treasure in their hearts and minds.
One final word. Last week after one of my encounters I was asked by a policeman to not help the homeless in that area. He said to go to the missions area (5th,6th and 7th streets) because the homeless will return to whatever area they found help and the businesses in this area don't want the homeless on their sidewalks. I didn't argue but simply said OK and left that area. Wouldn't you know that yesterday there was a homeless man on a sidewalk at the exact spot where the policeman told me this last week. Now where this man was, was not in front of a business but next to a parking lot on Olive St. I tell you this not to appear proud or anything, not but because I disobeyed the police, but only because that was where the "neighbor" who needed the help was. I tried to take his picture, but he was under the shade of a tree and it didn't come out. We are carriers of God's light and God's presence. Bringing this light and presence to this world full of our 'neighbors' can take us to some of the darkest places of despair and hopelessness that we can imagine. As James says in the opening chapter of his letter, "Count it all joy." and may I add, "Count it all joy", 'when we have the privilege of bringing this light and His presence to those neighbors in need.' --Until next week. John

Downtown 11/30/2010

I arrived downtown this morning at about 10:30. It was sunny and fairly warm if you were in direct sunlight. I was traveling north on Santa Fe Ave around 2nd and 3rd streets when I saw a man pushing a cart on the other side of the street. I turned around and drove back to him and asked through the window if he needed some food. He said "Yes" to the food and water and when I asked if he needed some socks he somewhat sheepishly said, "I could always use some socks." With that I pulled over and parked to open the trunk up. When I got out he was already drinking out of the water jug I had given him and commented to me, that the water was, "A lifesaver." I noticed he had a cap on with a "B" on the front. It was a red cap and I figured it was a Boston Red Sox cap, but I wanted to ask just in case it was Boston College or something else. It turns out his name was Kennedy and he was from Massachusetts. Kennedy was his first name and knowing that Ted Kennedy was the long-time senator from that state one would guess that's how he got his name. He is a year younger than I am. Knowing also that the Boston area has a large Irish population I told him my last name was O'Connor and he told me his last name was "Call" but at one time his family used to be called "McCall" and yes they were from Ireland too. We talked about our roots for awhile. At my prompting I asked if he needed any other clothing items out of the trunk and we were able to come up with the socks and a pair of jeans. He was quite touched by the help he received. I told him, "I just like to help people." and he looked at me quite intently and said, "I can see that." If I hadn't seen another person today, this encounter would have made the trip worth it. I was able to give this homeless man a hug and pray with him before leaving.
I drove over to the Lincoln Park area but couldn't find my friends there today. In fact, it appeared that Phillip and Nancy hadn't been there for a couple of days (two of their shopping carts were there) and Luis' stuff hadn't been touched for several days either. I pray they have all found warm shelter for awhile. While leaving the area and driving down North Broadway street I found another man pushing a cart. He was very happy to receive the bag of food and when I asked him his name he said "Juan". Well, he didn't look Hispanic and when I asked where he was from he told me he was from Viet Nam. Perhaps the spelling of his name is "Wan". He was the first Asian man I've helped! He was just north of Chinatown. I'll have to watch for homeless folks in this area some more.
I continued on Broadway into downtown and over on Los Angeles St and 4th on a very crowded sidewalk I saw a man named Anthony standing near a corner with what just so happened to be an open parking spot right there. I called out to him asking if he needed some help and he told me yes. After giving him a bag of food he said something I'll never forget. He said, "From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Just like with Kennedy, you never forget the heartfelt thanks from someone who is desperate for help. What a privilege to be there at that time.
I stayed pretty much in the heart of the downtown area today and at the corner of Pico and Olive I saw a man laying face down on the sidewalk. I waited awhile and he hadn't moved so I got out and walked over with a bag of food in my hand and leaned over and asked him if he was OK. He had a jacket on and it was pulled up over his head. He moved a little but made no attempt to look up or speak at all (not even a 'Leave me alone.') I left the bag of food next to him and left. Not too far from this man was another homeless man resting by his cart. I didn't recognize him at first but it was Dalton whom I've seen a couple of times in the last few weeks. It was good to be able to help him again.
With one bag of food left I went over to the church by Cloud Nine Alley to prayer-walk in that area. Again, it was a busy weekday and the church was not open nor was anyone in the alley at the time. As I walked down the alley I continued to pray that God's love would penetrate the darkness of this area and reach the souls that live there. I ended up driving on down into the South Central area and gave the last bag of food to Walter at 30th and Main St. He told me he had been staying at a shelter at night and was waiting for his Social Security benefits to start coming. He appeared to be old enough to start receiving them. I guess during the day he has no place to go. He declined my offer to pray with him. That was disappointing.
Before leaving today I drove back to Pico and Olive streets to see if that man was still there, but he had moved. It had been close to an hour since I had seen him, so I'm guessing he's OK.
One final thing. Last week as I was getting ready to leave for downtown I realized I was out of blankets. This is the time of year when they are such a lifesaver to the homeless. I was more than a little concerned about what to do. I didn't say anything to anyone about it. Out of the blue, a longtime friend of mine called with a gift for this ministry. Yes, it was a gift of blankets and there were more than I could fit in my car! There's only one thing you can say after that. "PRAISE THE LORD." Until next week. John

Downtown 11/22/2010

Sometimes your best intentions and plans just don't go right. Last weekend was one of those times. I had planned on making Sunday a special trip to barbeque some food for 3 or 4 special groups of people downtown. Then the rains came and when I woke up Sunday morning it was still raining. I didn't want to take a chance on the rain continuing throughout the day so I decided to postpone the barbeque part and just make a regular trip in the early afternoon. I had just gotten downtown when I received a phone call that required me to leave right away and pick-up some stranded people. So I ended up finally making the trip on Monday. I have quickly learned that some of the people that I regularly see on the weekends are not at the same location during the week. Particularly, the folks living in some of the alleys. This is due primarily if they are located behind businesses that use the alley frequently to ship or receive freight. For example, Willie and Tara Lee weren't in the alley where I normally see them. In fact, I just happened to see Willie a few blocks away at the Jack in the Box off Alameda. He was pushing a shopping cart and told me he had all his stuff stolen a few days before and was lucky he found his cart the next day. Believe it or not, there are actually certified "homeless" shopping carts, certified by the city for them to use. If they don't have the placard on them, they can be cited and if there are any warrants out on them they can be arrested. Willie was quite thankful to have found his cart. I asked if he knew if the articles I had gotten for Tara Lee a couple of weeks ago were helpful for his skin condition and he told me they were. That was good to know. I told him of my plans to visit them the weekend of December 12 in their alley and to try and be there that day. We'll see what happens.
I had gone by Lincoln Park and didn't see Luis. It also didn't look like he'd been there for a couple of days. Phillip and Nancy's stuff was still there but I didn't see them either. I did see a homeless man by the name of Carlos. He had a dog with him that he called "Poop"! I was finally able to give out some of the dog food donated a couple of months ago. Carlos asked if it was going to rain again Monday night. I told him it wasn't supposed to and he seemed pretty relieved.
I drove up Alameda and looked to see if Alameda Man was anywhere near where I saw him last week, but I couldn't find him either. On Central a few blocks over near 4th St I did find Andrew Jackson laying on the sidewalk. He was from Las Vegas. When I parked he sat up and when I asked if he needed some food he answered, "Yes." in a way that indicated he was hungry right then. He was located about a block away from a large and busy noontime outdoor cafe. My guess is he had little or no money for a meal. I came at just the right time for him.
I drove over to the heart of the downtown area near Broadway and 2nd St and found George Rogers Segal Jr. going through trash cans on the corner. He was pretty happy to receive the help. He was quite talkative but I couldn't stay at the curb longer than to just pass some food through the window of the car.
The last man I encountered was Charlie. He was from Oakland. I found him sleeping on the sidewalk near 14th and Central. He didn't have many belongings and when I asked if he needed some socks in addition to the food he said yes. As I got the socks out of the trunk I noticed he only had on a T-shirt and I didn't see a jacket among his stuff. I had one sitting on top of the clothes in the trunk of my car so I gave that to him also. It's been cold the last week or so and he looked like he needed one and he didn't turn it down.
With just one bag of food left I drove over to Cloud Nine Alley. It was pretty much deserted but I prayer-walked there before leaving for home. The last bag ended up with Jackie who was standing by the freeway at 18th St. I had seen her there the day before when I came down. You realize even standing by the freeway takes a lot of time and dedication to make ends meet. As I handed the bag to her she said, "Thanks John." She remembered my name.
Well, this trip wasn't one of the most memorable and I even debated about whether or not to write about it. It took two trips downtown to make it happen. The encounters were all very brief and it took far longer than it normally does to find the right people needing help. However, all of them needed the help and even though this trip wasn't what I had hoped for I've learned to stay the course, God is faithful and we're gaining momentum for the next breakthrough. --Until next week. John

Downtown 11/16/2010

I couldn't make the trip downtown until Tuesday this week. I had some appointments to keep on Monday and I even considered not going because I'm making a special trip downtown on Sunday. I have this coming Saturday night off from work and I am planning to spend most of the day down there on Sunday. I have purchased a small portable barbeque and will be making some special meals for some of the people as sort of a pre-Thanksgiving Day event for them. I'm really looking forward to it.
On the trip today I found someone I hadn't seen in a very long time. His name is Louis Parks and he was near where I saw him the last time on Alameda St. I'm guessing it's been close to a year since I saw him last and I have wondered about him and prayed for him ever since. I almost didn't see him, but I happened to be waiting at a signal at Alameda and 4th St and he was sitting up on some steps in the shade of a tree just opposite from where I was waiting in my car. I drove around the block to get back to him but I couldn't park there because it was a no stopping zone. Louis always has a very quiet demeanor about him and something that distinguishes him from most other homeless men. He has no shopping cart and usually two small cardboard boxes with his personal stuff in them. I don't know how he gets around with them, but I'd like to talk to him about it sometime (if I could find a place to park).
The next enounter I had just a little ways down Alameda was one of the most disturbing sights I've seen since I've been going downtown. On my right side as I was driving down the street I saw what initially looked like a small pile of clothes and some metal piled up next to a building. It's an area with few pedestrians, but a lot of cars and big trucks travel this area. The buildings are set back from the sidewalk about 20 or 25 feet and at one time railroad cars were pushed into what's called a spur to be unloaded next to these buildings (warehouses). They long ago stopped using these tracks to unload rail cars. So as I passed by this pile of "stuff" I noticed a shoe and what appeared to be one leg. That caused me to do a double-take and that's when I noticed a man was laying down there. I drove around the block to get back to him and parked the car on the sidewalk. The sidewalk is so covered up with dirt and with there being basically no foot traffic I figured I could get away with parking there for a short time. I was now able to fully see the man laying down there. He had a walker laying on top of him and his left leg was amputated at the knee. I got a bag of food and walked over to where he was sleeping and asked if he was hungry. He immediately sat up and started yelling and put his fingers in his ears so he couldn't hear me. I don't know what he was saying, but it was clear that he wanted to be left alone. When he first sat up I was startled about the condition of his eyes. The skin under his eyes sagged at least 3/4 of an inch below each eye which amplified the redness and made his bloodshot eyes look even worse. I would have loved to talk to this man and let him know I cared about him and let him tell me his story, but it was clear I was not welcome. I walked back to the car and prayed for him in my car. He had begun to look through what was in the bag and then he laid back down again. It was heartbreaking to leave him like that. Please pray for the "Alameda Man".
Not too far away from there and just off Alameda at 5th St I had a woman by the name of Karen walk up to the car as I was stopped at a stop sign. She asked, "I know I look like a disgrace, but could you help me?" I asked her if she could use a bag of food and she replied, "Oh yes, thank you." I ended up parking and giving her some clothes from the trunk and praying with her. I couldn't help but think how unfortunate to be not only desparate for help, but to have to introduce yourself in the manner she did. Perhaps if I had stayed to talk to the Alameda Man I would have missed her.
I ended up driving for several miles down Alameda St until I got to Gage St (that's around 62nd St.) and eventually found a homeless man limping badly and pushing a shopping cart. His name was Joe and he was sure thankful for the help. Back near the downtown area I found Sergio near 18th and Grand. Nearby where he was is a small street where probably 30-40 homeless people live. A large church is nearby called the "Glory of Jesus Christ Church". On this small street this church has apparently, set up an outreach. One of the storefront buildings said, "Glory of Jesus Mercy House". This is just off of Washington Blvd and a long ways away from the skid row missions on the other end of town. I usually don't drive down this street because there are so many people milling around there and I'm not set up to handle crowds of people. I'm more of a one on one kind of person, but I'm sure glad there is a mission outreach on this end of town. Before leaving this area I stopped to help Amir who lives under the I-10 freeway at about Hill St. He doesn't speak English, so I was a little surprised when I saw what looked like a New Testament on the sidewalk next to him. I'll have to try and talk to him about it the next time I see him. Where he stays under the freeway is a no stopping area. When I have helped him before I've had to park on 18th and walk back to him, but on a weekday even 18th St doesn't have any parking spaces. After leaving Amir I drove over to Cloud 9 Alley and prayer-walked there. Once again, the church wasn't open and there were no homeless folks in the alley during the day, only delivery people for the businesses there.
With that I left and went home. Please pray for the upcoming trip on Sunday. I'm looking forward to it being a special day to bond with some of the people I've come to know living in some of the alleys downtown. Logistically, it will be difficult to start and restart a small barbeque several times during the day. But I'm sure I'll learn some valuable lessions on how to get that done while showing these homeless people that God cares for them. --Until next week. John