Blog

Housing the Unhoused

Carolyn

Assignment Arcadia

September 28, 2021

Sept 26, 2021

Reese Anders (name changed) was a man I met one morning as I was ending my morning 3-mile run by my work place in Downtown Arcadia. I deliberately crossed the street to see if the man lying on the bench needed something to eat or drink. He looked at me surprised, and said, “Yeah, that would be nice.”.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Reese Anders.” He actually had a mobile phone and charger which made him high-functioning in my book. I put his name and number in my phone and called him so he had my number.

I ran to the 7-11 close by and found another man with an aluminum blanket over his shoulders, looking like his eyes were in a daze.

“Do you need anything to eat?” I asked.

“Yes, please.”

I told him to put away his blanket and card board sign and to follow me in to pick out the things he wanted to eat and drink. He was less functional since everything was stolen from him including his ID. I told him to come to my store at any time if he needed anything. I also bought a pizza for Reese Anders and ran back to give it to him, asking him if he wanted to get off the streets. (Not everyone wants to get off the streets but he seemed like him might be ready to get some shelter.)

“Yeah, that would be nice.” I emailed the part time Arcadia Housing Navigator who keeps tabs on our unhoused friends and tries to follow up. It would be a week until she could even have a chat with Robert. Meanwhile he needed food. I had him meet me at the local Ralph’s where I bought him whatever he wanted. He was very conservative, just buying snacks and Cup-O-Noodles. I urged him to get healthy food that he likes.

This would be the start of a week of hearing his story and helping him latch on to his purpose.

Sept 28, 2021

While waiting for Reese at the Ralph’s, I came across a woman with 4 kids and a sign asking for help. The store manager was yelling at her to leave when I walked up to her. “What do you need?” I asked

“Please, we just need food. I have a car we are living out of. We have no family here.” I went in and bought a gift card and ran out to them. “Here’s $100.” The kids erupted in screams of glee. Latifa and her kids were waiting for her husband to come from Armenia but for the moment had no resources and was running out of money quickly.

“Bless you, bless you!” She said, “can I pray for you in my own language?”

“Of course” I said, receiving her blessing.

“Call me if you need anything,” I said, giving her my phone number.

There are some of the normal people I met who were seemingly one step away from devastation OR one step away from recovery. I of course am trying to aid the step toward recovery.

October 11, 2021

“We would rather serve the homeless hands-on,”  said the group of student officers that make up Arcadia High School’s Compassion4Communities service club after Carolyn presented them with the option of speaking at city council meetings instead of the more labor-intensive act of canvassing the neighborhood looking for people to help, as she tends to do by herself.  “We want to do that,” they said.  Thus began our strategizing to do our part in mitigating homelessness in Arcadia and Monrovia.  

In November, AI officially opened up a project of “Housing the Unhoused” with the 6-month goals of:

1.  Changing the stigma behind poverty and losing a home through our choice of words and through educating our youth and community,

2.  Developing a database, flyers, and a website with available resources for the unhoused,

3.  Canvassing the city regularly to care for the immediate needs to the unhoused and provide triage while reporting situations to the CES database through partnership with Union Station and LAHSA.

AI’s HOUSING THE UNHOUSED project 2 year goal is to:

1. network with local non-profits, churches, city council members, COG, LAHSA, and HUD to keep abreast of new developments and broaden our reach,

2. work toward bringing more resources and housing solutions to Arcadia/Monrovia and the San Gabriel Valley,

3. partner with the city councils, non-profits, faith communities, and individual efforts to compassionately create safe places for the homeless, disenfranchised, and victimized in our community.

 

 

 

The Unhoused In Our
Own Back Yard

 

 

Reese Anders was a man I met. . .  

. . . one morning as I was ending my morning 3-mile run by my work place in Downtown Arcadia.  I deliberately crossed the street to see if the man lying on the bench needed something to eat or drink.  He looked at me surprised, and said,  “Yeah, that would be nice.”. 

“What’s your name?”  I asked. 

“Reese Anders.”   He actually had a mobile phone and charger which made him high-functioning in my book.  I put his name and number in my phone and called him so he had my number.

I ran to the 7-11 close by and found another man with an aluminum blanket over his shoulders, looking like his eyes were in a daze. 

“Do you need anything to eat?” I asked. 

“Yes, please.”   

I told him to put away his blanket and card board sign and to follow me in to pick out the things he wanted to eat and drink.  He was less functional since everything was stolen from him including his ID.  I told him to come to my store at any time if he needed anything.  I also bought a pizza for Reese Anders and ran back to give it to him, asking him if he wanted to get off the streets.  (Not everyone wants to get off the streets but he seemed like him might be ready to get some shelter.)  

“Yeah, that would be nice.”  I emailed the part time Arcadia Housing Navigator who keeps tabs on our unhoused friends and tries to follow up.  It would be a week until she could even have a chat with Reese.  Meanwhile he needed food.  I had him meet me at the local Ralph’s where I bought him whatever he wanted.  He was very conservative, just buying snacks and Cup-O-Noodles.  I urged him to get healthy food that he likes.

This would be the start of a week of hearing his story and helping him latch on to his purpose.  



 

Click on photo to see video

 

While waiting for Reese at the Ralph’s, I came across a woman with 4 kids and a sign asking for help.  The store manager was yelling at her to leave when I walked up to her. “What do you need?” I asked

“Please, we just need food.  I have a car we are living out of.  We have no family here.”   I went in and bought a gift card and ran out to them.  “Here’s $100.”  The kids erupted in screams of glee.  Latifa and her kids were waiting for her husband to come from Armenia but for the moment had no resources and was running out of money quickly.

“Bless you, bless you!”  She said, “can I pray for you in my own language?”  

“Of course” I said, receiving her blessing.

“Call me if you need anything,”  I said, giving her my phone number. 

There are some of the normal people I met who were seemingly one step away from devastation OR one step away from recovery.  I of course am trying to aid the step toward recovery.



 

Click on photo and drop down menu to Oct 5, forward to 23:00 for video

 

After walking alongside Arcadia’s former mayor and council woman April Verlato over the past few years, she invited me to share an impassioned 3-minute speech with the Arcadia City Council where a proposal on something that should be considered common human decency has turned into a controversial issue:   whether or not to house the unhoused in Arcadia.  

Talks have gotten heated and ugly.  I knew the potential to be heckled was there.  Fortunately this night, the room was behaving better than at past meetings.  

“At the end of the day, we are all people with hurts, fears, and the capacity to love and help each other out,”  I pleaded, “. . . and I believe our society can’t get better unless we are ALL better.”  

At the end of the day, I found life and love in the new friendships I made among the unhoused.  Sometimes the issues seem too big when they are seen as problems.  Within each problem there is a relational blessing to be found.  It is my prayer we can all dig deep enough to find that blessing.

In Christ,
Carolyn
 



 

Click on photo to see video

 








 

 

 

 

 

 

What Do 40 Years Add Up To?

 

 

“I got a place today,” Reese called to tell me after requesting a meeting but then not showing up at his usual bench.  “They needed me to grab the apartment right away or they were going to give it to someone else, so I stayed here.”

“Congratulations!  Great!”  

It had been almost a full month of advocating for him by calling and emailing the Arcadia housing navigator, getting a motel room when the cold weather hit and he was at his lowest point, urging him to file a police report when all of his possessions were stolen, and shoving job applications in his face, and this felt nothing short of the end of an heroic effort.

Wanting to show his gratitude with meal, I turned him down, but urged him to pay it forward and to do his best to contribute to society.  

Last week, Reese wrote out his testimony and is working on a video to share with some high school at risk kids that AI’s friend Rick McGregor works with.  

So proud of Reese!

Read Reese’s testimony below.

 

Sent: Thu, Oct 14, 2021
Subject: Inspirational speech:  40 years gone

 

Hi my name is Reese Anders & I would like to speak with you for a moment regarding some of the problems you may be struggling with as you try to navigate going from a teen to an adult. As a young person I had to address a lot of problems in my life & I didn’t always make the most wise choices actually I feel I never made wise choices. My childhood was not the best & I was allowed to grow up much to fast & had very little guidance. At a very young age I befriended people who were much to old for me to be associated with, they were adults who were involved in all types of illegal activities such as drugs & stealing & this became my way of supporting myself. Unfortunately all these activities landed me in jail time & time again until I found myself the age I am now 58 & realized I had spent my entire life just about in & out of prison & had not accomplished anything. Unfortunately due again to some bad choices I find myself homeless. The one thing I would like to impress upon you today is bad choices you make today will impact your life for a long time. You’re young now & all the things you’re doing now may seem fun & exciting but 10-15 years up the road when you’re 30-35 with no job & no way to take care/support yourself regret will start to creep in & you will see your youth is slipping away but you may think “I still have time to get my life together” & you continue your life of crime, drugs & alcohol & you look up again & another 10-15 years have went by & you’re now my age & wondering  where the time has went.

The time to make changes & good choices are now while you’re still young & there are a lot of programs to help you, reach out to people who are willing to help. Having a job may not seem that important right now but if I had it to do over & could change somethings in my life I would listen to the adults in my life who had my best interest in mind & wanted to see me achieve. I would have went to school & graduate & learned how to do something worth while with my life & above all stayed out of the prison system because it’s not designed to help you it will only  harm you in the long run.

 

 

 

 








 

 

 

 

 

 

Housing the Unhoused

 

 

“We would rather serve the homeless hands-on,”  

said the group of student officers that make up Arcadia High School’s Compassion4Communities service club after Carolyn presented them with the option of speaking at city council meetings instead of the more labor-intensive act of canvassing the neighborhood looking for people to help, as she tends to do by myself.  “We want to do that,” they said.  Thus began our strategizing to do our part in mitigating homelessness in Arcadia and Monrovia.  

In November, AI officially opened up a project of “Housing the Unhoused” with the goals of:

1.  Changing the stigma behind poverty and losing a home,

2.  Developing a database, flyers, and a website with available resources for the unhoused,

3.  Canvassing the city to care for the needs to the unhoused and provide triage while reporting situations to the CES database through partnership with Union Station and LAHSA.

 

Affordable Housing. . .  

is the crisis of our day.  Those sleeping on the streets and in their cars are not only the mentally ill or drug addicts.  They are high school and college kids, families with small children, victims of abuse, and those rejected by their families because of life choices.  

AI is looking to network with other concerned citizens, ministry leaders, churches who wish to take a compassionate approach to get to know these individuals affected by the crisis and help those who want to be helped.

We are creating a webpage to share our list of resources for the San Gabriel area. (click below)
 

Resources for the Unhoused

 

As Giving Tuesday approaches. . .  

Our promise is that donations made toward any of our projects listed below will go entirely to the designated party with no fees taken except for credit card fees which we do not control.  (Please click on a photo to be taken to each individual project page.). This offer will last from now until the end of the day on Wednesday, December 1.

As of December, Carolyn will be salaried in the amount of $250/month in order to provide stability to the company to grow our infrastructure.  Funds given to “Housing the Unhoused” will contribute to her work in this area as she seeks more funding.  This fund will also cover food and basic needs provided for the unhoused.

We thank you for your partnership as we seek to walk in our God-given assignments.

Blessings,
the AI Board 
 









 

 

 

 

 

click on photo to watch video

 

Wishing You a Happy Valentine’s Day!!

 

 

AI Goes to the Parks!

Steven Boi, a jubilant, gregarious, balding man with commanding presence, is someone Carolyn was introduced to after being invited to a park bible study by an unhoused friend who goes by the street name “Missouri.”  Attracted by Steven’s charisma and dedication, and hungry for the Word of God and fellowship with other believers, scores of unhoused friends have shown up over a decade on Monday and Friday mornings to what they call “church.” 

It was Sunday evening when Charles Zhu of Arcadia High School’s Compassion4Communities club had organized 60 members of Arcadia’s Boy Scout troop 111 to assemble and donate 90 packets of snacks, toothbrushes and handwritten notes, and dropped it off at Carolyn’s garage.  Overwhelmed by the unexpected magnitude of the donation, she prayed for inspiration on how to distribute the goods quickly.

Early the next morning, in a pavilion adjacent to a dog park in a peaceful section of the city, Missouri could be found studying his full-sized leather bound bible after clearing out the usual spot for the meeting, his pit bull Paseo obediently present at his side as “security.”  Gradually, 15 or so brothers arrived, grabbing a free McDonald’s hamburger, a few slices of pineapple and a cup of coffee, and took their place on a bench, bumping fists and taking lighthearted jabs from the pudgy middle-aged Asian man who was their pastor.  

“Missouri,” Carolyn called, “can you help me bring a box from the car?”  He jumped up to help.

“These are from the boy scouts,” she announced, and set them on the table. “Take a picture for the boy scouts so they know what happened.”  A few men gladly jumped up to smile for the photo.  

When Steven saw that she was here to stay he opened up the pulpit to her.  Say whatever you want!

It was our privilege to provide a program for our unhoused friends this Valentine’s Day morning.  (click on top photo to hear the message)
 



 

click on above photo to see Brother Steven’s ministry

 

It was the beginning of January when Tobi and Carolyn started collaborating and ideating on something that was near and dear to both of their hearts:  sharing God’s love with the devastated, poverty-stricken, motherless/fatherless people in our midst through our words and actions.  Carolyn began canvassing the neighborhood parks in Arcadia weekly, making friends, asking people what they needed and why they were on the streets.  Tobi had just resigned as Director of Mental Health from a non-profit organization she had been with for 20 years and was in no mood to start something new.  As they unpacked their dreams, something began to emerge.
 

As weeks went by, Carolyn began canvassing the neighborhood daily.  Both Tobi and Carolyn agreed to be faithful to the vision God had given each of them separately, and to stop any time the ministry started to get ahead of them.  Both found it energizing to meet, unpack, and rebuild.  A vision is emerging that we will release when the time is confirmed. 
 





 

click on photo to hear their story





Resources for the Unhoused

 

In her advocacy for our unhoused friends, Carolyn has found a close friendship in one of the city council members of Arcadia, and together are hoping the turn the attitudes of the community toward not only kindness, but practicality in the way our city deals with its housing crisis.  We are so grateful for partners who truly care about people.

Please pray for Carolyn as she gathers unhoused friends to speak at tomorrow’s Arcadia City Council meeting regarding Arcadia’s Housing Element and No-Camping Ordinance.

Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEAL Arcadia!

 

 

Our Unhoused Neighbors Bless Arcadia With Bagels

“OMG, was that a nazi?,”  my exuberant unhoused friend Ruben said to me with his endearing Latin American accent.  He was referring to James, a tall man in his 30’s or 40’s with his t-shirt pulled over his face revealing his eyes and white forehead, who came to our “Heal Arcadia!” event table where Ruben had neatly laid out rows of bagels for the Arcadia community to take and sit with us to tell us their story.

“I’m Carolyn,” I said, wanting to get the name of the man who took 4 bagels and stuffed them into his backpack.  “I’m James,” he said, clearly not want to say more than necessary.  When we coaxed him to say more, he disclosed with increasingly profane and bitter language that he was from Monrovia but just comes and goes these days.

Timothy, Ruben and I had just come out of a hope-filled, joyful, deeply satisfying conversation, so it took us a minute to calm down and realize just how offensive James’ words were.  The intensity of his eyes burned with hate as he confessed to being a nazi.  “We’re going into a new world order,” he went on for several more minutes, sounding progressively more repetitive and off point.  Timothy got up and walked away.  Ruben stood up, and I finally did too.

“Well, praise God,” Ruben said.   “God is so good, isn’t he?”

Shaken, by the suddenness of a new thought, James started agreeing.

Taking a cue from Ruben’s unfettered joy and boldness, I asked James, “Do you feel a love in your heart?”

“Yeah,” James said, now changing his tone making me feel like Ruben and I were Jedi knights.

“Oh, we are so thankful, God is so good,” Ruben said.

“Yeah, God is so good,” said James.

And just like that the conversation flipped into talking about God’s love.  He asked for a bible, saying he grew up reading the Bible.  We didn’t have one but told him to come back next week.   

Ruben concluded, “maybe that was the reason we were here today!”



 

Click on photo to see a video of our unhoused friends’ offerings to you.

 

The EXPERIMENT

Today was day one in our “Heal Arcadia!” experiment.  It all started a week ago when board member Joy Cheng asked if I wanted to take over an Einstein bagel harvest from her friend.  Taking that as God’s provision since Tobi and I have been praying for opportunities to start providing services and jobs to the unhoused in Arcadia, I jumped at it and said “yes!”  That would mean we would have 100 or so fresh Einstein Bros bagels to pick up and distribute every Monday.  Through praying and processing the opportunity with various board members, ministry partners, unhoused friends, and the Arcadia community leaders, I felt the Lord drop a vision to provide a place for healing to take place.

The hope is to welcome healing conversations across socio-economic boundaries, with heath and healing practitioners, therapists, prayer ministers, and interested volunteers stopping in to have a bagel and chat with our unhoused friends.

I asked a few exemplary members of the unhoused community, Timothy and Ruben if they could set up and host the event.  They gladly cleared their schedules and were ready to go as soon as the bagels came.

Click on the photo above to see a video of some of the conversations we had.

 

 

 

 

The first day of our experiment proved to be a gratifying step toward healing our community and land.  If you are in Arcadia on a Monday between 3pm-5pm we would love for you to stop by at the northwest end of the Arcadia County Park and have a free bagel!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launched:

HEAL Arcadia!

 

Councilwoman April Verlato and affordable housing advocate Jill Shook at
HEAL Arcadia! (click to see video)



 

 

 

“HEAL Arcadia!” was an experiment which began when board member Joy’s friend Jenn asked if AI was interested in acquiring a bagel harvest from Einstein’s Bros who donate their uneaten bagels to charity at the end of each day.  Since Carolyn and Tobi had been praying for opportunities to serve Arcadia, it seemed like God’s answer and the perfect excuse to bring together the unhoused and housed communities.  Carolyn responded with a resounding, “YES!  AI would like to acquire the bagel harvest.” 

Every Monday from 3-5pm over the next 4 weeks some 5-14 unhoused friends would show up at the Arcadia County Park to share their burdens, ask for prayer, share their ideas for how Arcadia could deal with the housing crisis, and take some free bagels.  Happy to say, one person was housed immediately as a result of showing up at the event and another two who came every week were eventually housed, while another found steady work.  The problem was that Carolyn was the only housed person who showed up week after week, making it very tiring for her.

When the one-month experiment was over, it seemed like a convenient time to end; only now, some housed friends began to show interest. After finding the inner assurance that God would provide both the housed and unhoused participants needed to pull off an event, Carolyn went forward with Week 5. 

The result was Affordable Housing Advocate Jill Shook and Councilwoman April Verlato came to meet with 5 unhoused friends.  April brought her broom after several of the unhoused said they don’t want hand outs, but would rather work for their money.  Robert grabbed April’s broom, but Liz was wanting her hand at sweeping as well.  

They agreed to come early to clean the pavilion for our next meeting.  AI needs to switch gears and provide cleaning supplies each week for unhoused neighbors to clean the park, since apparently their cleaning supplies always get stolen.  

 

Jill Shook will be leading a one-day event open to those who live, work or hang out in Arcadia, and are seeking biblical solutions to the housing crisis.  April Verlato and other community leaders across the SGV will present as well. Please join us by registering before April 27. Lunch will be provided. (click for website)



 

Here are some of our unhoused friends who came through HEAL Arcadia, most of whom are now housed!

 

 

Vanessa: housed
Timothy: housed
Liz: housed, unhoused again
Robert:  housed
Ruben:  working

 

What happens with the leftover bagels?

Carolyn, her mom and dad (Reiko and Richard) take extra bagels door to door around Friendly Valley retirement community where residents have been blessed.  Additionally, AI donates extra bagels to:

  • Temple City Homeless Coalition
  • Foothills Kitchen, Monrovia
  • Megan, Sierra Madre families
  • Foothill Unity Center, Monrovia
  • Pasadena Nazarene Food Pantry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alissa chose the streets over drugs.

Help Her Stay Housed



 

Robert sent Alissa to Carolyn

 

 

 

Robert is a gregarious, honest, polite, generous, respectful middle aged unhoused man I am working with.  He showed up at AI’s first HEAL Arcadia! meeting six weeks ago and every week since then.  “I need to be here,” he said, “I need someone I can report to once a week so I can hear myself talk.” 

The first time we met, he told me his life story, managing to fit nearly 20 tragic stories within 30 minutes about why his life turned out this way.  It was overwhelming.  “Stop!” I said, “give me a minute.” 

He gushed, “I’m so sorry, it’s just you are so respectful, I couldn’t stop myself. . . . Thank you sooo much!  I feel human again.”

In weeks to come I asked Robert to clean the benches and pick up trash and gave him a little cash for his efforts.  Whatever he did, he did passionately and well, proving himself to be a hard worker with keen relational skills but also someone who couldn’t keep his money once he earned it.

Two days ago, I got a call from a young woman on the streets named Alissa.  She left a message saying Robert told her to call me because I could help her.  I was very happy she called because it turns out I COULD help her.  She told me her roommate was a drug user and it was too hard to be around her since she had come off using drugs herself in the past.  She resorted to moving out and living on the streets but kept her full time job without missing a beat.  

I talked to my friend Wendy who had friends in the area Alissa worked and slept.  Wendy contacted her network of providers including St Vincent de Paul Parish, and between them and AI and all Wendy’s resources, we were able to cover 4 nights of hotel vouchers to get Alissa immediately off the streets.  We also secured a case worker who can help Alissa get temporary and permanent housing.

The temporary housing shelter in her city can’t interview her until next Thursday, and while she waits, St Vincent de Paul and AI are trying to keep her housed.

Alissa’s homeless situation is one of the easiest types to mitigate since she is already making good choices and is self-sustainable with her full time job.  We wanted to reach out to you to see if any of our supporters are willing or able to help us raise $300 for 4 more nights of housing for Alissa, and another $1000 to provide Robert with work this month? 

AI wants to pay Robert for the work he does well, and will pay him petty cash while opening a savings account for him to save money for housing and will pay the rest of his salary to an account he has agreed not to touch.  He is also seeking longer term work and permanent housing (click on photo above to hear Robert’s talk).  

Thank you for your care and support for helping us love our neighbors as Christ loves us.

 

 

Donate to Help Our Unhoused Friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Architha

“Sure, I don’t mind handing out bagels by myself,” said the bold junior from Temple City High who is Architha Arunraj, a girl scout working on her Gold Award, a daunting project that involves 80 hours of helping an organization to build out a program.  While canvassing the park and talking with our unhoused friends is usually not dangerous, it’s also not necessarily for the faint at heart. 

In her young life, Architha has already served on the US Tennis Association council, helping them to create partnerships with other sports organizations to help underprivileged children in the LA area have an opportunity to play tennis and soccer with free equipment.  Having already discerned a clear mission to help the less-fortunate, Architha arrived just in time to help us with our “Heal Arcadia” project at the county park.

 

She jumped in immediately by setting up a plan to resource Assignments International by helping us pick up, pack and distribute bagels and clothes to the unhoused, every Monday afternoon from 3pm-5pm at the northwest corner of Arcadia County Park.  Together with Carolyn, they welcome the unhoused and housed friends alike, talking to them about healing and caring for the land, and about “next steps” and moving them closer to being healed and housed.  

 

AI Gets Nominated for 

Readers Choice Award

 

 

 

It is a privilege to be nominated for the Hey SoCal Reader’s Choice Award for our work with Housing the Unhoused in Arcadia.  If you have 5 minutes, we would love if you took the time to vote for AI and your other favorite restaurants, services and organizations in the San Gabriel Valley. 

Click here to vote:  https://heysocal.com/readers-choice-2022

 

 

Housing the Unhoused Update

 

JUNE: 
With your help and support, Alissa was housed for 5 weeks by AI and Saint Vincent de Paul Temple City and Baldwin Park, while adding her name to a year-long waiting list for permanent housing.  Meanwhile, she has decided to take on two jobs, driving for Door Dash while keeping her other full time work.  Her host Joy is a kind and loving Christian woman who encouraged Alissa to go back to church.  She was really the right person to help Alissa gain more stability.

JULY:  
Barbara Jean was housed by AI for two nights while she experienced a medical and mental breakdown.  AI was also able establish contact with her doctor and get her the prescriptions she needed.  She has since gotten assistance from Arcadia’s three newly hired caseworkers Paul, Anthony, and Joe, who are trying to get her through the necessary health check before finding temporary shelter for her.

Robert was housed by AI for two nights while he was caring for Barbara Jean.  Robert is a consistent participant in AI’s “Heal Arcadia” event on Mondays, and has even led the meeting for two weeks while Carolyn was gone.  Robert agreed to check in to rehab for 30 days in order to get his health clearance to get housed.  With the help of our three Arcadia case workers he was able to obtain all of his documents necessary to move forward with shelter and job-hunting.  Robert asked Carolyn to be his lifeline while in rehab.  She happily agreed.



 

Left: Robert happy to be moving forward.
 
Right: Carolyn’s worlds collided as her unhoused friends came to rock out at Neighborhood Music’s stage at the Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival. (click on photo to see video)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s Gift of Neediness

 

 

Click on photo to see Steven Boi’s God’s Park Ministry

 

The Gift of Neediness

It takes neediness to truly understand how to minister to the needy. 

Angelica (name changed) is an independent post-retirement aged woman who is estranged from her family, who drove 2600 miles through a tornado storm to accept a job as an organist at a small church in the San Gabriel Valley. . . which didn’t turn out to be a good place for her.  In spite of now being homeless and in debt, she is an accomplished pianist and piano instructor, and I determined our music school could hire her as a teacher and give her an advance to help pay off her debt, and AI could help her find affordable housing.  A big donation from one of our generous supporters made this all possible. 
 
Unburdened from her past, I reasoned, she now had a straight shot toward getting her life together. . . except that she fell. . . literally.  While moving her belongings (by herself) from her car into her new apartment, she fell on her hip.  Thinking she was fine, she continued unpacking her car and moving in.
 
The next morning, she called into work sick, saying she couldn’t stand up and was stuck on the floor.  I drove out to her place to find a barren furniture-less apartment with Angelica wrapped on the floor in her bedding.  I made a calls to healthcare worker friends Coleen Nakamura, Karen Crabb, and my mom Reiko to figure out what to do.  We ended up calling 911, and thus began a 9-month road to . . . trying to. . . find the road to recovery. 

Many falls and doctor appointments and insurance debacles later, Angelica finally got a diagnosis and a surgery date for a hip replacement.
 
Although interesting and pleasant to talk to, she is not someone who accepts help or asks for help, which is fine, except that the burden to help falls upon one or two people who she trusts, and that seems to be the category I (Carolyn) fell into.  And I was feeling the brunt and heaviness of that position when she told me she gave the hospital my name as her “responsible person” (caregiver/surgery coach) because she didn’t have anyone else.  As honored as I was, this is certainly not what I am equipped or prepared to do, especially when not given due notice or preparation. 
 
Because of my temperament and skill set, doing God’s work without the Holy Spirit is a trap I can easily fall into.  I too easily say “yes” just because I can, and almost never say “no” unless I absolutely can’t.  As you probably know, always saying yes eventually leads to being positioned to have to say no.  I have sadly had to reach this point several times over the past year, and am trying to learn this lesson, and have people holding me accountable to this.  Angelica’s situation was clearly out of my range of abilities to solve.  I reached out to minister friends to help me pray and find a solution.
 
Support came from mentor and friend Rev Dennis Bachman, who helped mobilize people, but alas, it was in the wrong city.  (My mistake.) 
 
Help came from another mentor and friend Pastor Steve Boi who runs God’s Park Ministries at Eisenhower and Arcadia County Park, a ministry of love through God’s Word, providing morning meals, housing and job opportunities.  Steve is a fearless mobilizer and encourager.  When I asked if he had any ideas for someone who could take Angelica to her surgery appointment and act as her “responsible person,” Steve after prayer, said he had someone.  I was concerned with the costs, because I knew this was a tall order to be someone’s “responsible person,” and neither Angelical nor I had much spending power.
 
“John can do it, and we’ll all pitch in to cover the costs,” Steve said.  “If there’s one thing that the Lord has shown to me, it’s that we need to take care of the elderly and the fatherless/motherless.  There is always enough in the budget for them.”  My eyes teared with his generous view.  I told him how deeply touched I was.
 
John, who is homeless himself, lives out of his van and does contracted electrical work.  “Of course, I’ll cancel my work on that day.  This is important.”  Still teary-eyed, I asked, “how much do you need to make it work?”  He said, “don’t worry about it.” 
 
John has been taking care of another elderly woman, also a music teacher, who he met at the park 8 years ago.  She now has symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and her business as a voice teacher shut down with Covid and never recovered. 
 
Sometimes it’s the most needy among us that are the most willing to bend over backward to help those in need.  I was deeply humbled by the mobilization of God’s people to provide.   

 

 

CHOA website
 

 

One of the joys in working on such a big issue as the lack of affordable housing and homelessness are the people who we have to work together with to make things happen on a larger scale.  One such group is the new CHOA (Creative Housing Options in Arcadia) group headed by Mike Veerman, an Arcadia resident and Christian who has a burden for bringing the Arcadia churches to unite on this important issue.  AI supports CHOA in hosting events that resource and bring together Arcadian Christians and churches who operate out of the conviction that we should be on the forefront of defending the oppressed and seeking justice in our cities and communities.

Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.  – Isaiah 1:17

We are holding a free event on Saturday November 5 at Santa Anita Church from 9:30am – 11:30am.

The agenda is below:

  • Update from CHOA regarding the Housing Element, to build affordable housing in Arcadia.  See the City of Arcadia’s extensive information at this link.
  • Update from CHOA regarding the Short-term efforts on homelessness.  See the City of Arcadia’s information at this link.
  • Hear about the Hills Church (on 1st Avenue) Food Pantry distribution, every 2nd and 4th Saturday.
  • Learn about Abundant Housing LA
  • Allow time to ask questions, give your solutions, and find how best you and your church can get engaged.

Register for Nov 5 event



 

A GREAT READ

I met Kevin Nye through Mountainside Communion, a local church that I frequent because of their involvement in housing those who are in crisis in the Monrovia, Arcadia and Greater LA area.  Kevin told me he was working on a book, which to my delight has just come out in both book and audiobook form.  “Grace Can Lead Us Home:  A Christian Call to End Homelessness” is not only a moving firsthand account of a minister who is called into this crisis to love the poorest among us, but also a comprehensive discussion that challenges common misinterpretations of Scripture and assumptions that lead to a culture of platitudes and avoidance of the the poor.   

If you are at all moved to dig deeper in one of the prevalent issues in society, are a Christian seeking God’s heart on this issue, I strongly recommend this book.  
 

Kevin Nye’s book & website
Grace Can Lead Us Home Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click photo above to hear from Tim

 

‘Tis the Season

 

 

. . . for God’s Provision

It had been a tiring year of investing my time and efforts with the chronically unhoused populations of Arcadia and Monrovia. I had just finished and printed our annual report.  Writing it caused me to feel the pangs of futility as these men and women still for the most part continue to struggle on the streets.  Then one by one, this month, our regulars who have turned up each week at our bagel events to share and get prayer began to report good news.

The first was Michael who got a full time job and was able to cash in his Section 8 voucher for permanent shelter.

Then Robert said Michael got him a job at the same restaurant, washing dishes and doing clean up.  There is a chance he may be offered temporary housing soon.

Then Timothy got his Section 8 voucher and could finally look for permanent housing which would definitely facilitate his ability to find a job.

Our work at AI provides just a tiny spot of encouragement in a sea full of helpful people, organizations, and systems that are all under the umbrella of God provision for these friends, but it is satisfying to know we were a part of a movement that eventually moves people closer to God and up the scale toward thriving.

 

This is NOT the End

This is the end of their journey for the many friends and colleagues who are focused on helping individuals find housing, but it is not the end of the journey for AI since we are focused on relationships.  AI seeks to help individuals thrive and find self-sustainability through having resources for basic needs, education, and spiritual growth.  

Timothy expresses the need to be close to the park because this is where his “church” is.  

Robert calls periodically for help financially to cover his temporary housing and clothing needs when he is short on cash but he always pays it back.

 

As I read the writings of Gustavo Gutierrez I was reminded of a liberation theology that highlights the way Jesus calls positive attention to the poor.  Jesus came as a poor person, lived without permanent housing, and blesses those who serve the poor.  Wherever he went, Jesus could be found with the poor, in fact he continues to be found here even after his death and resurrection. 

There is no doubt I have experienced Jesus in the poor in China, Africa, and Mexico, in fact it was quite easy be changed by the spiritually rich who reside in material poverty. 

However, I must admit for most of this year, my US filters make it hard for me to perceive the local chronically homeless with the same compassion I have had overseas.  It took until December until I finally realized, if there’s any lack of spiritual connection, it’s been my perception, not theirs.  Two of my closest unhoused friends say they pray fervently and experience God regularly, sometimes even experiencing God through all of us when we speak with kindness and a listening and non-judgmental ear.

AI thanks all of our prayer, financial, resource, and service supporters as we celebrate a year and a half of intentional local outreach.  We are living Jesus’ kingdom on earth as we walk together.

Merry Christmas,

Carolyn and the AI team

 

 

 

 

 

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Daniel

Click on photo to see my meeting with Daniel
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Meet Daniel

 

Daniel, a 6’3” burly unkempt guy barged in and announced himself as homeless. He asked to use the bathroom to wash up. I said OK. He made a mess of the bathroom and when I asked him to clean it up, he moaned and said sorry, but he has OCD and is going to get caught up in a cycle of washing his hands.

He went on about how society doesn’t understand him and dropped names from the music business and then asked if he could play a guitar and was actually quite good. Same on the piano. Arcadia Police came to back me up since he wasn’t leaving, and I told him to go outside. He said that it was such a nice guitar and he’d come back to buy it. He went outside and APD said he could hang out on the sidewalk.

When I told him I needed to lock up, he asked if he could have the guitar. I said sure. He was ecstatic. “Wow, you ARE a Christian!” He said. He sang a song that he wrote. He may still be celebrating on First Ave.

 

 

– Carolyn
 

What is Empathy?

 

What is Empathy, and When Is it Triggered??

 

The idea of the government displacing houseless people primarily to move them “out of sight” is a recurring accusation by pro-houseless rights groups. Just before last year’s Super Bowl, California’s transportation department forced people living on the streets near the SoFi Stadium to move elsewhere, which they argued was important for visitors’ safety. It’s complicated to say exactly how “being able to physically see the homeless” negatively or positively affects our perceptions of them, but there seems to be a shame or disdain attached to seeing encampments in our neighborhoods.

 

At the same time, a study from 2018 found that empathy is triggered particularly when we feel physically close to someone. Specifically, the study found that our empathy for another’s pain is tied directly to their physical proximity from us. The same triggering of empathy led an otherwise extraverted and highly communicative AI team member to confess that she tries to avoid talking to people she doesn’t know at shopping malls out of the fear that if she starts to like you, she will feel like she will want to do something for you or buy something from you. This begs the question about the complex dynamics that arise in our hearts and minds when we cross paths with a houseless person? Could we be afraid that if we start to care, we may have to engage them in a way that is costly to us?

 

It’s worth thinking about whether our aversion of being close to the houseless may not just be out of our negative judgements about them, but also out of our wanting to avoid confronting our own guilt and moral bystanding. The so-called NIMBY-ism (“Not In My BackYard”) which describes residents who don’t want to build lower income or Section 8 housing in their own neighborhood, even if they agree to helping them in principle, may be more complex than simply disliking the needy.

 

What are your thoughts?

 
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