Success Stories

 

JOSHUA GOES HOME!! 

Joshua followed a woman to Las Vegas from Oklahoma. He arrived in LB four months ago. Joshua struggles with mental illness. While he was sleeping, all his belongings were stolen. He ended up at St Mary’s on hold. Jenny, his new Fairy Godmother, is a nurse in the ER. She is one of the nurses who go above and beyond. She called to ask if we could help him. Today we got him clothes, shoes, a backpack, and snacks. I spoke to his grandpa, who said he would be happy to have Joshua come home to Oklahoma City. Joshua was genuinely grateful for the help and kindness Jenny showed him. He had tears in his eyes when we said goodbye at the bus station.

 

PCH CLEANUP. 

Tim went back out to clean up PCH as it continues to b neglected. He filled up 32 bags! He was cleaning up Bellflow

er before this. Tim is one of the hardest workers we have.

 

JEREMY GOES HOME! 

One fewer suffering on the streets of Long Beach. Jeremy has been staying in Rec Park. I went to check on the people living at the corner of PCH & Anaheim at a citizen’s request. Jeremy was willing to go home. I called Rich, and he took him to the bus station. John was willing to leave when asked. Patrick asked for help getting housing and work. He cleaned up his mess and moved his tents against the fence. Arturo was not there all day.

 

 

MIGUEL NEEDED A WHEELCHAIR. 

Miguel is in Project Room Key and has been unable to get out because he can only walk a few steps. Sarah called to ask if we could help. A lovely neighbor donated a wheelchair a few weeks ago, and it had Miguel’s name on it!

 

CINDY TAYLOR 2ND & BAYSHORE. 

Remember Cindy Taylor from last December? I was across from the library with William, and there was Cindy. She has an injury to her leg from a bicyclist. Long story short, we convinced the hospital to put her in a skilled nursing facility for a month. His niece is coming down from SF, and we are trying to find her housing the family will pay for. It seems like everyone on 2nd knows Cindy. Would you please pray we can pull this off?

UPDATE Cindy has decided it is a good idea for her to be off the streets, and she is hoping we can find a room for her. She does not need access to the rest of the house, just a bedroom and bathroom. Cindy is charming, and she believes she will be coming into millions of dollars. If anyone has any ideas about a room she could rent, we would appreciate your help. Cindy has SS & a pension, and her relatives would pay the rent.

UPDATE WE DID IT!! Cindy has had a long few weeks. And years on the streets. She was injured and admitted to St Mary’s. She went to recuperative care only to get Covid, Olive View Hospital, and Pacifica Hospital. She finally realized she would die if she stayed on the streets and agreed to accept help! She is moving into her new room today!!! Thank you, Paul Duncan, and Project Room key!

UPDATE So Cindy decided she would not stay because she was sure being vaccinated would kill her. Her niece was trying to convince her that vaccination was a requirement. She slept in the doorway of Starbucks on Sat night and was able to get a room at a motel for Sun night. I met her this morning, and she was pleased to report she did her laundry. I was able to convince her to return to her room in Project Room Key. They were very understanding about her mental illness and welcomed her home. These adjustments are challenging.

 

WILLIAM FROM 2ND & BAYSHORE UPDATE Yay, William has agreed to accept help! 

William is now in a motel. We have an appointment with Social Security to begin the application for benefits. We got him a phone so that he can keep in touch. He is getting more comfortable and is opening up about his life. He has a painful story. He is honest and very practical. He is shy & very vulnerable. We were able to get his ID and put him in a motel. All he wants to do is sleep, shower, sleep & shower again. William is autistic, and his parents are deceased. I am trying to make contact with an aunt and cousins. We will begin working on services on Thursday. This will be difficult as he does not have access to everything he needs, but we will persevere. He is so grateful for the clothing and the new shoes. We will meet with the bank to see if his account still exists now that his ID has arrived.

THE LATEST, William has SSI disability. I had a long conversation with his aunt. She truly cares about him. We have established everything but housing. He needs to live independently and has agreed to try the Harbor Regional Center. If anyone knows of a unit he could rent, please let me know.

UPDATE William will be getting housing and will not have to go back on the streets. It will take some time, and the MSC has been outstanding. They will help us with housing and temporary housing until he can get into a place. Paul Duncan & Max understand he is a special case and has been amazing. He won’t be beaten or harmed anymore. Thank you to everyone who supports our efforts!

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE!! ETHAN LEAVES LB BEACH TO GO HOME TO AR. 

Ethan made it home safely and has been reunited with his family. They are now supporting him in getting back on track. He is now feeling hopeful & committed! Thank you for all your support. He appreciated all the kind words. Ethan has been living in a tent on the beach in LB for several months. He did not understand how the cleanups work. When he saw them picking up his belongings, he came running from up the beach. He was very stressed and vulnerable. Rich explained the process. He offered to help Ethan and save his few belongings. It took Ethan a while to calm down. Rich waited patiently in the truck for Ethan to collect himself. He explained he had a mental illness and that he was struggling. He declined Rich’s assistance. Rich gave him time to think about it, and after 5 minutes, he came back to the truck asking, “How can. you help?” Rich offered to hang onto a couple of his bags and explained his options. Ethan called the next day to accept help. After finding him a Rapid Covid test, we could get him on a train to Arkansas Sunday night. FYI Rich does not work weekends, but he came through again! Ethan texted me when he arrived at the train station and again when he was on the train. He continues to express his gratitude for the help he received. His family is happy to have him coming home, and there is a plan for him to get back on track. I will post updates.

 

 

CHRIS & TIM ARE WORKING FULL-TIME!!! 

Chris & Tim are the two homeless guys who have been cleaning up the freeways and around the city. They work tirelessly and take pride in making our city a better place. My goal was to get them off the streets and working full time. Chris has a room, and both now have jobs. Now we need to get Tim a place. A local contractor has hired them. They love the work and the long hours. It does not get better than this. Now we need to get Tim housed.

382 BAGS CLEANED UP PCH Anaheim & 7th St! The Oleanders were destroyed, and the trash was left. One homeless woman was told she could continue to live there. We insisted she move, and we cleaned up the trash and green waste that was left. The guys appreciated all the people who waved and honked in appreciation.

 

THEY WANTED HELP!! 6 PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS. 

There has been a camp on the 710 across from the Long Beach sign. The people living there are not young, except for one young man who is almost completely blind. They have been allowed to move back and forth across the fence from City to County property. I am told there were so many complaints that it was decided to clean both sides of the fence simultaneously. This would force them to go elsewhere. They were not prepared for this and assumed they would still be allowed to move back and forth. I got a call in the afternoon frantically asking me where they should go and what they should do. I could not get any answers. I told them to go to the park, and I contacted the LBPD to promise I would have them out of the park by 3 PM the next day. They were under the impression that they might be arrested and would undoubtedly be cited after 10 PM. They scattered. The young blind guy and a tiny 64-year-old woman were together with no working phones. It is very dangerous out there.

The reason they stayed together in that camp for so long was they could be safer together. The Commander contacted me at 9:45 PM to ensure they were left alone, as I had asked. I contacted Paul Duncan at the MSC, Allison Kripp, and Max Estrada. Paul told me to bring them all in. The folks were thrilled as I rounded them up and got them over to the MSC. They are now in emergency motels and getting everything they need. They are being interviewed for transitional housing. It takes a team, and we were lucky everyone stepped up to help. Please know that you could force a situation that will put someone in danger when you are complaining. These people are examples of so many who want to get off the streets and need some help! Thank you to everyone who helped and cared!!!

 

MICHAEL GOES TO SOBER LIVING

 

Michael has been homeless for many years and sober for 14. He’s earned enough money to live on by walking dogs in the neighborhood. He doesn’t panhandle or accept money from people. His community is very fond of him. He cleans up after himself and others. 

 

His sciatica has become severe, and he struggles to walk, even with the help of a cane. Sleeping on the concrete is extremely painful. He never complains. He has a mental illness, which makes it difficult for him to take better care of himself. John K. asked me to help him. So I did. When I met him and asked if he wanted help, he said, “Yes, please.”

 

I found a motel room for him. John paid for one of the nights. We got him a CA ID. 

 

We found a contact at a Sober Living house in Torrance. We drove him there, and he was accepted. He asked if he could please work while he was there, saying, “I can still push a mop and a broom.” The sober living home views him as an asset to their community with his 14 years of sobriety, and so do I. Remaining sober on the streets is an impossible feat, but Michael did it.

UPDATE:

Michael is now taking odd jobs and says he will be happy to continue living where he is. I have a lovely conversation with him on his new phone. He is going to get his Driver’s License soon.

 

 

WATCH CHRIS’S INTERVIEW:

 

Chris is one of the nicest people you will ever meet! I was blessed to meet him in front of Lowe’s about nine months ago. He was the first person I asked, “Do you want help” it was the first time I heard “Yes, please, but not right now.” He helped me understand that I am afraid I cannot do it right now, but please be patient with me. Chris worked very hard to get to where he is and is the epidemy of humility. Chris reaches out daily to many to offer his support. Growing up in LB did not make him feel like he had a “place.” He lost that. Now he has his family, many people who know and love him, and I am grateful to be one of those people. Chris has a “place,” and we are all the better for it. Thank you, Chris!

 

 

4 HOMELESS PEOPLE GO HOME

David & Tina arrived several months ago. David is a Vet and was hoping to get medical treatment in LB unavailable in Kingman, AZ. He was unable to get work. After spending all their money, their truck broke down. They were not prepared for how expensive and complicated things are here. These people cleaned up their camp before leaving to get on the bus. They could not stop thanking us for our help. Jesse & Amy arrived many months ago from Alabama. They were to live with relatives, and he had a job as a welder. The housing with the relatives did not work out, and they did not have enough money to rent an apartment which affected his work. They are from a small town in Alabama and were completely overwhelmed with life in LB. Between the expense and difficulty, they were homeless for many months. They arrived safely in Alabama and are grateful to be home. Bus tickets are the least expensive way to reduce the problems. They are only suitable for people who come from elsewhere and have a place and people to go. It must be clear they will not be returning. Two of these tickets were $290 & 2 were $484. I could not do this without your help

 

 

Justin & Melissa came to LB for work after he lost his job in W VA. They are from a very small town, and LB was genuinely overwhelming. They could not afford to live here and spent his retirement trying to make it. The car died, and next, they were homeless. They are not drug addicts, just folks that got in over their heads.  

 

Michael, Justin & Melissa are just a few of the people we have helped.