Pasadena Update #6
Written January 3, evening.
Hello from Los Angeles! Today, January 3, is our last day of
activities, and we definitely enjoyed the warm weather outside before having to
head back to the snowy weather in Iowa tomorrow! We visited Skid Row today and
it was a scene that a lot of us have never seen before.
Skid Row is a 55 square mile section of downtown L.A. where
many homeless people live on the streets. The name comes from when people first
started moving out to California, especially L.A. This was the place where
there was a lot of work, as this location used to be a forest. They would skid
the logs (from the trees they cut down) in a row, which is where the term
originated.
We served at Union Rescue Mission, which is in Skid Row. The
Mission Center has been around for 125 years, helping the homeless get back on
their feet and off the streets. Their building is 225,000 square feet and costs
about $12 million to operate each year. There’s about 1200 residents in the
center, who are participating in programs to improve their lives. Each wing of the
building houses people (dorm style living) recovering from different
addictions, whether it be drugs, alcohol, or anything else. There’s about
300-400 people in each program at one time and it takes a year to recover and
to graduate from the program. The Center holds a graduation ceremony every six
months.
We got a tour of the Mission Center from two guides. One gentleman lived on the streets from the
time he was 16 until he was 42. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol and lost
his family during that time. He decided to enter the program to get clean and
struggled to stay in at some points, but was always drawn back to the center.
He graduated in 2003 and got a job with the center and is still working there
to help other people get off the streets. After not seeing his kids for years,
he was embraced by them after graduating from the program. He is now married,
knows his kids and grandkids. Since he was addicted to alcohol, he now helps
people recovering from alcohol addiction.
We took 437 hygiene kits to the Mission Center to hand out
to the homeless. The Center serves lunch from 11-2:30 for homeless people in
the area. We handed out our kits to them when they first walked into the
lunchroom, before getting their food.
Each hygiene kit contained a comb, soap, deodorant, shampoo,
toothbrush and toothpaste, razor, and lotion. We also handed out underwear,
socks, bras, t-shirts, notepads, pens, bookmarks, bags, and Bibles. The Bibles
we gave away were for the 3rd grade reading level, so that it would
be easy for everyone to read. We served four different groups of people. We
first gave kits to the men staying in the shelter, followed by the women and
children, and then the women staying in the shelter. The last group we served
were the men living out on the streets.
From visiting Skid Row, we all realized how fortunate we are
to live in Iowa and Indiana with healthy lifestyles. We live in safe
communities where we don’t have to watch every step we take. It’s been a great
learning experience for all of us out here in Los Angeles and we all will
definitely continue sharing what we’ve learned when we get home.
Please pray for our safety as we return home. God Bless you!
Jeni Zeller- journalist
Ellie Menz-Photos
Note from Ellie: The
part of Skid Row that is always the toughest for me is to see the Moms and Dads
with young children on the street. If
you wish to learn more about the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles,
please go to www.unionrescuemission.org
At
their website, in addition to learning about the mission, you can request to be
on their email list to receive updates and you can make donations as well.
If you wish to send hygiene items, socks, underwear, Bibles,
etc., send to
Union
Rescue Mission Attn: Jeremiah Johnson
545 S. San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 347-6300
545 S. San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 347-6300
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