Downtown Los Angeles – Be a hero and change lives

October 10, 2020 on 5th and Alameda St.

Helping the Homeless in Los Angeles, Newark, and Denver.

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Los Angeles, California

A count of unsheltered individuals conducted from September 2021 to October 2024 in Hollywood, downtown’s Skid Row, and Venice revealed that the rise in the unhoused varied by neighborhood.

The report shows that in 2024, there were 75,312 unhoused people in Los Angeles County, with 45,252 of them in the city of L.A. The number of unsheltered individuals in the city decreased by about 10.7%, while the shelter count increased by 17.7%.

Among more than 400 unhoused people surveyed during the first six months of the project, nearly 80% reported being continuously homeless for over a year, and 57% had been without a home for more than three years. Around half of those surveyed also reported chronic health or mental health conditions. Despite these challenges, 90% expressed interest in receiving housing, and 29% were already on a waitlist for housing. (Ref: https://phys.org/news/2023-01-homeless-la-high-priority-neighborhoods.html)

While officials and philanthropic groups have managed to house more homeless individuals than ever before, Los Angeles’ severe housing shortage, along with slow and limited city and county programs, has left many people still living on the streets.

Coalesce International continues to support the unhoused and impoverished population in downtown Los Angeles by providing essential items like food, clothing, and personal hygiene products. Every other Saturday, we visit the area near Japantown on 4th Street to distribute lunch bags filled with burritos or sandwiches, and snacks. Additionally, we provide clothing and hygiene kits (which include soap, shampoo, and hand sanitizer) donated by our generous friends and neighbors.

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Jan – Feb 2025

We remained committed to our mission of supporting the unhoused community in downtown Los Angeles by providing essential resources, warm meals, and compassionate care. Through outreach efforts, partnerships with local organizations, and the dedication of our volunteers, we worked to offer assistance and hope to those in need.

Every act of kindness brings us closer to a future where no one is left without support and dignity.

October 26, 2024

Today, we treated some of our regular guests to a meal at Philippe’s in downtown LA, a beloved spot for Dodger fans! Here are some pictures to show how much they enjoyed it. A big thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

May 2024

We distributed food and clothing, and demonstrated to the community how much of an impact their donated items have through the proceeds from our book. They were all deeply grateful. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased my book—it truly makes a difference in their lives, no matter how small.

April 2024

Continued to serve the homeless with clothes and food. In March we had a pupusa lady come and cook fresh pupusas for our homeless community. It was a major hit as they really appreciated the hot freshly cooked food and caring our team brought.

In addition, we continue to bring clothes, food, tents, blankets, and hygiene kits to the needy. Every tent is well received and adds protection from the weather and rainfall that LA has received this year.

Coalesce International has had many exciting opportunities presented to it recently. Good360 invited us to join their organization in able to be eligible to receive donations or purchase items with only an admin fee. Redondo Beach Center for Spiritual Living was kind to donate whatever we needed from their yard sale which enabled us to gather lots of mens and womens clothes, shoes, and bedding. Bombas Sock company has approved us to receive donations after 2 years on the wait list!

This is 6th Street downtown LA in October 14, 2024. The streets are literally the walking dead with people crossing the streets at random. They are oblivious to traffic lights and most are on drugs.

DTLA

Stories from the Streets

— Steven

Steven has spent time on the streets and recently got out of prison after 12 years. He didn’t have a relationship with his father until 2020, when his father, who was diabetic, contracted COVID. Steven spent the last five months of his father’s life caring for him and his father’s dogs. Sadly, his father passed away quickly, and now Steven is left caring for the dogs in his tent on the streets of LA. They serve as a poignant reminder of his father’s memory.

–Eduardo

Eduardo returned home to care for his mother after his father passed away at 94. Unfortunately, upon his return, all of his belongings were stolen. We were able to provide him with clothes, shoes, a sleeping mat, and food. When we asked him if he needed anything else, he simply replied, “Nothing, but what can I get for you?” I was deeply moved by his response—despite being broken and living on the streets, he still had the kindness and empathy to think of others.

June 2023

We hosted a fundraiser to provide yoga mats for the homeless, aiming to collect 100 mats.

The goal was to offer them a more comfortable alternative to sleeping on cold, dirty cement sidewalks.

We tested the idea by distributing some mats to people on the streets, and the response was overwhelmingly positive and appreciative. After all, anything is better than sleeping on a harsh, uncomfortable surface.

These mats are high-quality and durable, ensuring they’ll last for a while and provide much-needed comfort.

Due to the overwhelming response, we have already hit our goal of 100 mats for the homeless. The mats will be distributed on July 8, 2023.

Thank you to all our generous donors!!! We appreciate your kindness.

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Coalesce International continues its mission to support the homeless by distributing food and clothing. This aid has been especially important after the recent storms in LA, which damaged or destroyed many of the belongings of those living on the streets. In preparation for Easter, we’ve also prepared decorated lunch bags filled with turkey sandwiches and other treats as a small gesture of kindness.

November 12, 2022

Over time, downtown LA has seen many changes, including the locations where we distribute food and clothing to the homeless. While some individuals we used to serve are no longer present, others have come in their place. The lines for assistance at the Fred Jordan Mission remain long, and tents still line the sidewalks, though they are more spread out than before. Despite these shifts, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the area is still high. As winter approaches, it’s more important than ever to continue supporting them in any way we can. While there may not be an immediate solution to this crisis, we must continue to care for one another and do what we can to help those in need.

Please stay safe and thank you for your continued support.

Trish

Our efforts to support the unhoused community are ongoing, as we continue to distribute sack lunches and clothing generously donated by our friends and family. To ensure a safe environment, we take precautions by wearing masks and practicing social distancing while handing out these items. The people we serve are truly grateful for the food and clothing, especially in light of the recent rain.

Here are some photos from our latest outreach in downtown LA.

July – September 2021

We are able to continue our services to the homeless in Downtown Los Angeles thanks to the generosity of our volunteers who assist us every other Saturday with setting up and collecting food and clothing. However, it’s disheartening to see that the situation is not improving, as evidenced by the growing number of tents that are being squeezed together on the streets.

June -July 3, 2021

Our efforts to serve the homeless population in downtown LA continue, and we do so by providing essential items such as clothes, food, and hot fresh burritos. Unfortunately, the number of tents on the streets seems to be increasing. We’ve also noticed other outreach teams offering various services, including haircutting, hair coloring, and even a motorcycle organization that provides BBQ sandwiches.

The individuals who receive our services are tremendously grateful, and although we understand that our efforts are only a temporary solution, we feel that we’re making a positive impact by lifting their spirits and showing empathy. We hope that our efforts inspire them to persevere and find their way out of homelessness.

We’d like to express our gratitude to our donors who generously provide us with clothes, food, and other household items. Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to continue our efforts to help those in need. We could not do it without you!

May 22, 2021

We ensured that all of our team’s volunteers, as well as our regular street volunteers (bodyguards), were fully vaccinated. However, it was disheartening to see an increasing number of people in need of food and clothing. Thanks to our generous donors, we were able to distribute various clothing items, including new t-shirts, underwear, and socks, as well as sack lunches filled with delicious treats. The food and clothing were received with gratitude, and as usual, we provided them with hot, delicious burritos that they loved.

We’re immensely grateful to our donors and volunteers who made this possible. Without their unwavering support, we wouldn’t be able to continue providing essential services to the homeless population in downtown LA. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this noble cause.

February 15, 2021

We have been advised to temporarily suspend our operations in downtown Los Angeles due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Los Angeles. Currently the vaccine is being giving to the homeless who are over 65 years old. As of Feb 8, there was 6000 homeless reported Covid-19 cases. Nearly 700 of those cases were people 65 or over. 156 homeless have died from Covid with 44 people over 65.

November 21, 2020

Thanks to our generous donators from the blanket drive we were able to start distributing blankets filled with knit cap, gloves, scarf, underwear, and t-shirts. We were also giving out needed toilet paper and burritos to the homeless.

October 24, 2020

Provided hot burritos, clothes to the countless homeless. Sadly numbers seem to be increasing.

Pictured is me, Craig and Will, otherwise known as the bodyguards.

October 10, 2020, Los Angeles

During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, our friends and families have been donating lunches, burritos, and clothes, which we distribute to the homeless. Although there are many homeless individuals, we have not observed anyone with COVID-19, possibly because they get tested and live outside. Nevertheless, they have ongoing needs for blankets, pillows, tents, and men’s clothing.

Project Roomkey:

At the onset of the pandemic, hotel rooms were allocated to shelter the most susceptible individuals and get them off the streets. A vast number of motels and hotels were reserved to accommodate the expected surge in demand, but it did not materialize as anticipated. Although a few homeless people got infected, the projected numbers did not occur. Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 uninfected individuals stayed in the designated rooms out of the 10,000 rooms set aside for this purpose. However, many people departed due to the stringent regulations such as the 7 pm curfew and other rules to adhere to, despite being provided with amenities such as meals, water, television, and fresh bedding

Thank you for your support.

October 3, 2020

We were able to provide much needed toilet paper and hygiene kits to the homeless. They were very appreciative of the fresh cooked burritos and lunches provided.

June 27, 2020

Newark, New Jersey

There are approximately 2000 homeless in Newark New Jersey. Most homeless congregate around Penn Station.

The city plans to embark on 2020 the following:

Setting aside $3.3 million to contract beds in more of the city’s 28 shelters, contingent on enhanced case management
An agreement with Integrity House to provide in-patient, out-patient and detox services for drug addiction
Working with Rutgers University to provide professional mental health services
Working with Bridges Outreach to expand its existing services into the nighttime hours, seven days a week.
Creating a database accessible to shelters and agencies to better keep track of people who have interacted with the system. And, determine if that person is a Newark resident.

Newark, New Jersey – University Hospital

Dr Albert Alhatem and Dr Raul Rodriguez distributed sandwiches to around 50 grateful homeless people around the University Hospital while keeping their social distance and wearing masks.

Due to the corona virus we are suspending operations in Los Angeles, CA until we get the all clear. It has been in the news that the government of California will be looking into temporarily housing the homeless and looking into motels, hotels, and apartments for those who need isolation.

Until then.. please keep healthy and safe.

Trish

March 14, 2020

We were able to feed over 100 people with lunches and burritos which went in 15 minutes! It was rainy and the people were cold, wet, and hungry. Clothes, towels, blankets, shoes, and other donated items from friends went fast. It was well appreciated by the homeless people who were so polite and thanked us profusely. They even formed their own lines without us telling them for the food and clothes.

We continue to distribute burritos, taquitos along with bag lunches and clothes to the countless homeless living on the streets near 4th and 5th street.