Yesterday I had an awesome experience. In the city of Glendale an apartment building is being setup to temporarily house single moms and their kids. My first trip there our minivan was filled with two moms and three babies. All were homeless. One baby was two weeks old and 5lbs – a gorgeous baby!

The apartments for the most part were bare. Nothing inside, but the girls were ecstatic with joy that they had their own apartment. They need everything – cleaning supplies, furniture, food, curtains, silverware, clothes, toys, beds – everything! Just imagine moving into a place and you have nothing, and the only money you get is food stamps!

It is a good program. The girls can stay there anywhere from 12 – 24 months. Their rent is 30% of their income and they have to save another 30% to get back on their feet. They have to look for work or go to school – or both!

Unfortunately all social service agencies are taxed right and all of these single moms need your help.

Please DON’T GIVE JUNK!

If you can help please contact Ivet.

Ivet Samvelyan
Homeless Coordinator for the City of Glendale
Isamvelyan (at) ci.glendale.ca.us
(818) 548 3720
141 N. Glendale Ave., Room 202
Glendale, CA 91205

@abc7 just broadcast this tweet: OC teens unleash paintball attack on homeless man, permanently damaging his eyesight: http://tinyurl.com/9mg5a2

I hope you watch the video and I pray it pisses you off.

It made me so mad I had to take a walk. While at the corner store security comes dragging in a middle-aged clean-cut white guy. He had just lifted a Sneakers bar and got caught. The whole thing seemed kind of odd to me, and to make it even a little weirder the clerk behind the counter says, “Everyone is going gangsta right now because no one has money”! He was so casual about his words I got the feeling shoplifting is not only increasing…it is becoming rather normal.

Point blank – a few weeks back I was in a city meeting and unofficial comments were made about the possibility of riots this February. With more massive layoffs coming, a new administration, and the backlash of the down economy it is not far-fetched.

Over a year ago I wrote this post, “Serious change is coming! Are you ready?”.  At the time I was employed in an organization that is very superficial and that has some very “unique” beliefs. Good people, they just don’t know any better. I was not my (hardly) normal self back then and genuine honesty was discouraged. That said, I may have written it a little different today, but much of the post is still right on. The point I was trying to make is simple: because we are entering into unstable times relationships with good, honest, and loyal people are all that matter, and building mutually beneficial relationships should be our priority – not the accumulation of financial wealth!

What do you think about any of this?

Joel wrote a great post on LA’s Homeless Blog, “Solving Homelessness With $10 Bills?”

I like his post because it tells a much deeper story. If we are going to affect the issue of poverty and homelessness the faith-based community needs to focus more on providing tangible long-term support for people than event driven campaigns.

Handing someone a free turkey on Thanksgiving or a free hotdog in a park on Saturday afternoon DOES NOT change a life. Don’t get me wrong giving to the poor is a good thing, but from my experience most churches (not all) hold outreaches as a marketing tool to promote their Sunday services and reinforce their self-perception as being good people.

Please, before you get mad – it’s OK to feel good about helping other people. The point I am trying to make is the next time you have a “compassion event” ask yourself and your organization if what you are doing is REALLY helping people.

Ya…I can hear you all now saying, “what about the Great Commission, we are changing lives by bringing people to Jesus.”! WAKE UP! The people on skid row and in that trailer park your team visits on Saturday probably knows more scripture then you do. Saying the sinner’s prayer did NOT get me off the streets. The reason my life changed is because people at the Dream Center loved on me and took care of all my needs (even when I didn’t believe) until i could take care of myself.

Everyone knows the economy is in the crapper. It’s going to get far worse before it gets better. When you are planning all those big outreach events this year, and I am sure many of them are great events, look at the dollars and see if all that money could be used to in a better way to help people, and please take an honest look at your events to see if they are being held for all the RIGHT reasons.

The amount of money faith-based organizations spend on events and promoting those events each year is enormous. Echoing Joel – “I’m wondering if this amount of money could be used more effectively.”

hmmmm?

Five nights a week I man the Burbank Winter Shelter‘s bus stop in the city of Glendale. About 50 or so homeless friends gather each night to be transported out of the cold weather and in to a National Guard Armory for the night. There they receive a hot meal, a warm cot, and if they want a warm shower. If you have never experienced this kind of compassion I highly recommend volunteering at a cold weather shelter in your area. Right now homeless services are taxed and we desperately need your help.

If you look real closely at the photo you’ll see a baby in a stroller. The amount of families coming into homeless shelters right now is alarming!

It’s an interesting gig with an interesting bunch of characters. Many have college educations and have just fallen on hard times. There are also a bunch of chronic homeless who for one reason or another continue to live on the streets. All are great people and I am honored to be able to help them.

It’s starting to get cold. I could sit in my car, but I would feel crazy guilty so for two to three hours I stand outside with my new friends. The benches were provided by the city of Glendale and the canopy came from PATH Achieve Glendale were I am temporarily employed as an Outreach Case Manager.

The stories will wreck even the hardest heart. I don’t think I will ever be the same – and that is a very good thing!

In January and February we will see more massive layoffs. The homeless crisis WILL GET WORSE! The government is drastically cutting funds to women and homeless services. For all the latest homeless news visit homeless.alltop.com. Only you can help, PLEASE support your local non-profit homeless services – PLEASE!

Here are a few in Los Angeles that I recommend. They are listed in no order of preference – they all help lots of people – and they all need your help!

PATH Achieve Glendale – 2/8 matching grant so for every $2 donated the grant gives $8. PAG is an awesome organization that provides all kinds of homeless services. One of the very best!

Union Rescue Mission – besides the normal homeless population they help EVERY DAY, as of last night they had 52 new families and over 100 children living at the mission. The family count is growing daily and they need your help.

Los Angeles Dream Center – LADC is the church that helped me get off the streets. Currently they are the ONLY church I know of that is taking in homeless families. Everyday new families are showing up. Words cannot express how great of an organization the Dream Center is. Truly they are a model for other faith-based organizations to follow!

Most of us these days are just one crisis away from losing everything. No one plans on being homeless. Ya never know – someday it might be you and your family at a winter shelter!

Recently I met two very nice men. Both CEOs work in the same industry and both I asked out for coffee to share ideas on how to help people.

Both said yes.

Since then one CEO I have almost daily contact with. We have yet to share coffee because of schedule conflicts, but he is very open to new ideas. I have shared coffee with a member of his marketing team and we soon will all be breaking bread together.

The other CEO schlepped me on to someone else and they in turn schlepped me down the food chain to another person until the door was completely closed.  Not one idea was shared! It might not be the CEO himself but the people around him making these decisions. Insecurity breeds fear and fear creates walls of isolation.  Obviously they are not open to any outside thoughts.

Which CEO leads a healthy organization that genuinely wants to be more effective?

Tonight is Christmas Eve. As I drove home from the homeless shelter I passed several churches letting people out from their Christmas Eve service. I thought about all the candlelight services and elaborate productions being held tonight to celebrate baby Jesus. It all seems like tradition and not any kind of an honor to a Jesus who ALWAYS puts others before himself!

In contrast tonight I saw 80 plus homeless people receive a good meal. They were given blankets, pillows, cots, and a safe place to sleep. When I walked into the bathroom several of the homeless men were taking showers. I had to stop for a second because I literally was overwhelmed in the moment. All of my life I was programmed to go to church on Christmas Eve and sing “Silent Night” with a candle in my hand and the lights dim. Although many of those services left me feeling warm and fuzzy, knowing that a few caring people provided homeless services tonight was far more powerful. I will never forgot the real compassion and unconditional love I felt tonight!

Too me, helping the homeless on Christmas Eve was much more of a celebration of Jesus and a far better use of money than any kind of church service – period!

Oops, did I just mess up your tradition?

Merry Christmas – please don’t hate me for being real!

Don’t Give Me Jesus …
… if giving me Jesus means
telling me about your beliefs,
then walking away.
Don’t give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
judging me by appearance,
but never trying to see who I really am.
Don’t give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
you’re right no matter what,
and I’m wrong no matter what.

Do Give Me Jesus …
… if giving me Jesus means
walking beside me just like
Jesus walked beside
lepers and losers.
Do give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
listening more than talking.
Do give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
laughing with me when I need to laugh,
and crying with me when I need to cry.
Do give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
letting me know when
my actions are harmful or destructive.
Do give me Jesus,
if giving me Jesus means
being my friend.

If you give me Jesus
wrapped in your friendship,
I may be more ready to listen
to what you have to say.

—Anonymous

Look at what my brother from another utter did

I’m dreaming of a dry Christmas..

this seems to be a trend this year. people giving me the joy of giving to others. sure wish more would get the REAL spirit

This is Alexandria. She came into the Burbank Winter Shelter last night with her parents. They had NOTHING! Homeless and hopeless!

Here is the deal. Homelessness has a new face and that is 2 parent families with children.

In the richest country in the world families with babies as gorgeous as Alexandria are showing up at homeless shelters.

Unfortunately we are just at the beginning of this crisis. Poverty is increasing yet money to homeless services is being cut.

I was in one city meeting last week were it was flat out stated that money to support women and homeless services will be greatly reduced over the next 18 months. Some will be completely eliminated!

Alexandria you might say lucked out last night. We were able to find hotel vouchers for two nights so they didn’t have to sleep outside, nor stay in the shelter (the shelter is not able to house families), but the hotel room was disgusting and in a bad neighborhood. Besides finding the money for the hotels finding hotels with a reasonable rate that will house homeless families is another issue.

What can you do? I am so glad you asked! Scream REAL LOUD because local, state, and national government officials don’t believe there is an issue, or they don’t WANT to believe there is an issue!

Please write a letter, make some calls, YELL AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!

I accepted a temp job as Outreach Case Manager for PATH Achieve Glendale. It barley pays the rent so I’m still in serious crisis, but I’ll have housing for a few more months.

The cool part is it may be the best and worse job I have ever had

Best… because about a year ago I decided that I wanted to work in homeless services and this is a step in the RIGHT direction. Best…because I am active and outside doing all kinds of cool stuff. Best… because on a daily basis I am directly helping people – lots of people.

Worse…because every single day I am faced with so much pain and hurt I want to quit, but I keep hearing this…

“if not you, who?”