You listen to the news.
You watch T.V.
You read articles.
You see it online.
All different types of people- race, religion, men, woman , children, gay, straight, addicts and alcoholics and so on, in the city of Los Angeles......on the streets of Los Angeles!
It's hard to imagine the volumn of people who are on the street. Or I should say "Sidewalks".
I was in LA. Recently in the area below the 10 Freeway between Hill and Broadway Streets.
I arrived there around noon! And started my journey home after dark! As I left the building I was working in , heading toward the 10 freeway....
What I began to see literally dropped my jaw in shock!
Both sides of the street and side streets on every street I looked up or down, were hundreds of homeless in tents, boxes , blanketed, make shift type shelter of old and young, all types of people , babies, children, families, teens, disabled. Block after block, rows and rows of homeless lined along the walls of businesses and vacant buildings.
I couldn't believe the numbers of people allowed to set up 'camp' for the night on public streets. There wasnt police ordering them off properties or arresting anyone! My driver told me , " Its like this every night."
The sight of hundreds of people homeless people right out in the open for all the passers by to see, brought me to tears. I felt sick to my stomach. My heart literally hurt pounding my chest. Tears fells like a down pour of rain from my eyes. I couldn't hide the emotion that swept through my body to the pit of my stomach. My mind and thoughts were racing and twisting with wonder of why's and how's! I wanted to stop the car and just take it all in. I couldn't find the words to speak. I can't describe , to an accurate degree, what I was witnessing!
My first thought, " How, in the hell , could anyone drive by once or twice and not be compelled to do something....SOMETHING,...... Anything by way of help!?"
Secondly, how could residents business owners, knowing good and well, what pis happening in front of their establishment , every night, in all weather, from new born to nearly in the grave and not try to do something for these people.
Rally up other business owners and create a campaign ! Bring in donations to renovate one or more of the vacant and abandoned buildings that number up to more then a few in that area. Allow homeless to donate their time for restoring and building a new place to call home with walls and a roof! Perhaps donating specific number of hours into the project can earn a spot for a certain amount of time. Food for thought!
Why are there not councelmen and politicians doing something and should have something already done. An agreement with developers and property owners- offering tax breaks or debt resolving , in exchange for a building not in use or creating a fund to end this horrible and sad way to have to live!?
When I think of all those passers by, how many have stopped at random, to offer food or money or clothes or blankets or shoes or a shower!
A family or a single parent of a newborn, needing formula and diapers, has anyone taken the time or made an effort to offer any one person, a little comfort, offering anything could mean everything to these people, these human beings!
Allowing this city and the residents and businesses , to permit human beings to be treated and discarded and left on the side of the road, like an animal hit by a car and left to die....is by far the most disgraceful crime and injustice mankind has done- and to their very own!
I cried all the way home.I felt guilty leaving having a place to go to. And feeling angry that I couldn't offer anyone anything right then! I was pissed at myself for not having bettered my life to be in a position to do something for some of them! I was disappointed I couldnt
Hand out food!
It bothered me for days andmore because iI haven't been back since! The shear thought of driving to route again, seeing how real it is, overwhelms me! The suffering and sadness , the hopelessness and torment they must feel each day.
I can't imagine living as these people have to live when my children were small. There were times when I was homeless for a small fraction of time. I have lived out of my car too but thank God I had the ability to have my kids sleep somewhere else safe and warm and comfortable!
I guess you could say I have been just one step away from living in a tent, on a public street
But never had to actually do that!
Being grateful for the roof over my head? Yes, but that doesn't do sqwat for the ones that don't have a place to call home other then a sidewalk!
And I am left with this memory , that picture burned in my brain! Wondering what, how can I do for them!?
