
Local Ministries Share with Less Fortunate for Christmas
Local churches spread the Christmas spirit in spite of the pandemic, giving back to those that need help.
Local churches spread the Christmas spirit in spite of the pandemic, giving back to those that need help.
The Los Angeles Police Department could be removed from enforcing traffic rules under a new proposal that addresses one of the most problematic and racially charged elements of police interaction with people of color — traffic stops.
When 22-year-old Los Angeles rapper Blueface posted a video of himself on Christmas Eve standing on a car parked on a street in the middle of the homeless capital of America throwing money with the caption “season of giving”–I thought good for him.
Here’s a staggering number – 553,000. Imagine what you would do if 553,000 dollars were deposited into your bank account today. Imagine what you can see if you travel 553,000 miles around the world? That is a significant number. The truth is that’s the number of homeless people recorded in the United States in 2018. Yes, the most developed country in the world allows a whopping 17 percent of its population to live on the streets. California holds a total of 113,952 abandoned homeless individuals; this represents 20 percent of all homeless people in the United States. Approximately 15,179 are veterans. People in this country are turning a blind eye as if this is some “new normal.” We have abandoned our neighbors, and homelessness is a clear symptom.
Just blocks away from the Microsoft Theatre, where the awards show took place, is Skid Row, an area in Downtown Los Angeles where an estimated 2,000 peopleare living and experiencing homelessness, mental illness and other traumas. The ailing symptoms of L.A.’s homeless crisis create the essence of the neighborhood, with a majority of its residents being Black. One BET Weekend event acknowledged this community at the 2ndAnnual “Who I Am: Homeless but Human Pop-Up Festival.”
Homelessness in Los Angeles County spiked by 12% over the past year to reach an estimated 58,936 people, according to figures released today, with the region’s housing costs outpacing wages and forcing people onto the streets faster than authorities can find them shelter. According to data released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, nearly three-quarters of homeless people are living in cars, tents, makeshift shelters or on the streets without any apparent cover from the elements. “We have the largest unsheltered population in the nation and one of the largest homeless counts across America. Only New York
The visitors were transported by bus from various shelters and streets in South L.A. and Skid Row.
The city has long struggled with how to clean up and regulate homeless encampments, and in 2016 passed a law that would limit the amount of belongings a homeless person could store on the sidewalk to 60 gallons. But not long after, in response to a lawsuit, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring Los Angeles police and sanitation officers from seizing and destroying homeless people’s property in and near Skid Row.
Election Jan. 12 in Boyle Heights
For the 11th consecutive year, the Homeless Ministry of Trinity Baptist Church conducted a successful Blanket Drive to aid homeless men, women and children living on L.A.’s skid row. According to Pastor Alvin Tunstill, Jr., and homeless activist Brian Ferguson, Trinity congregants and community members donated more than 400 new blankets and pillows during the annual event held on Dec. 15. Following the collection, the Trinity team immediately traveled to skid row to distribute the items along with hygiene bags, hand warmers, socks, tarps, rain ponchos, water and prayer. “Our theme was ‘Be a Blessing to Others’ based on Genesis
The Midnight Mission (TMM) is thrilled to welcome Mission to Midnight (M2M) back for their 2nd visit. M2M is a homegrown Midnight Mission band. Comprised of residents of Skid Row, including participants in TMM’s Crisis and Bridge and Recovery Programs, M2M formed in June 2018. Each member of this eclectic rhythm & blues group brings their own flavor to this unique ensemble. The band is inspired by the daily struggles that people encounter in and out of the streets of Skid Row. Their goal is to spread a message of hope to the community that they call home with their uplifting music. Since their last visit, they have been practicing tirelessly on new material for this special performance.
For movies opening October 19, 2018.
The “Bridge Home” program was first announced by Garcetti during his State of the City speech in April as a new front in the fight against homelessness, which has grown by about 75 percent over the last six years. The 2018 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found that more than 31,000 people are homeless in the city, including more than 23,000 living without shelter, which were both slight drops from the previous year.
Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer and Faithful Central Bible Church, also known as the Family of Champions, has joined forces with Rev. Andy Bales and the Union Rescue Mission (URM) to help meet the spiritual needs of the residents in the Skid Row Community and beyond with the launch of its downtown L.A. Campus on Sunday, July 8. Preaching at a special worship service at 9:30 a.m. inside the Union Rescue Mission, Ulmer and the Family of Champions will transform its 400-seat Chapel from an emergency shelter to an immersive, spirit filled place of worship. The Union Rescue Mission will
A settlement of $1.9 million was reached Thursday in a civil lawsuit stemming from the fatal police shooting of a homeless black man on Skid Row in Los Angeles three years ago, attorneys said.