Downtown Los Angeles – Coalesce International

October 10, 2020 on 5th and Alameda St.

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

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Los Angeles, California

The count of unsheltered people conducted from September 2021 to October 2024 in Hollywood, downtown’s Skid Row and Venice found the rise in the number of unhoused people varied by neighborhood.

According to the report, there were 75,312 unhoused people in the county and 45,252 unhoused in the city of L.A. in 2024.

Unsheltered homelessness in the city of L.A. decreased by approximately 10.7%, while the shelter count increased by 17.7%.

Among more than 400 unhoused people surveyed by researchers during the first six months of the project, nearly 80% reported being continuously homeless for over a year, and 57% reported being continuously homeless for more than three years. About half of the sample reported a chronic health and/or mental health condition.

Among this group, 90% indicated interest in receiving housing and 29% reported being on a wait list for housing. (ref: https://phys.org/news/2023-01-homeless-la-high-priority-neighborhoods.html)

Officials and philanthropic groups have been housing more homeless people than ever before. But, Los Angeles, with its severe housing shortage, city and county programs have been slow to start and too limited to absorb the waves of people, and so many are forced onto the streets.

Coalesce International has been assisting the homeless population in downtown Los Angeles by providing essential items such as food, clothing, and personal hygiene products. Every other Saturday, we visit the area near Japantown on 4th Street to distribute lunch bags containing burritos or taquitos (generously donated by food manufacturers), sandwiches, and snacks. In addition to this, we also distribute clothing and hygiene kits (which include items such as soap, shampoo, and hand sanitizer) that have been donated by our generous friends and neighbors.

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October 26, 2024

Today we treated some of our regular homeless to Philippe in downtown LA. Philippe is a stable for Dodger fans! Here’s some pics to show you how they enjoyed. Thank you to our sponsors for this event!

May 2024

We distributed food and clothing and showed the community what an impact our book has towards their donated items. They were all extremely grateful. Thank you all for purchasing my book as this makes a difference, no matter how small in their lives.

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 been on the streets and just got out of prison after 12 years. He had no relations with his father until 2020 when his father caught covid and was diabetic as well. Steven spent the last 5 months of his father’s life taking care of him and his dogs. Unfortunately his father passed quickly and no Steven has the dogs to take care of in his tent on the streets of LA. It is a touching reminder of his father.

–Eduardo

Eduardo went back home to take care of his mother since his father just passed away at 94 years. When he came back unfortunately all of his belongings were stolen. We were able to give Eduardo clothes, shoes, sleeping mat and food. We asked him what else he needed and he said nothing, but what can I get for you? I was very touched by that remark, incredibly broken and living on the streets but still kind enough to have some empathy.

June 2023

We had a fundraiser for yoga mats for the homeless. Our goal was 100 mats.

The idea is to make the homeless more comfortable than sleeping on the cold dirty cement sidewalk.

We tested the idea by handing out some mats to the homeless and it was well received and appreciated. Remember, anything is better than sleeping on a cold dirty cement sidewalk.

These are good quality mats and will last them awhile.

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 is continuing its efforts to provide aid to the homeless by distributing food and clothing. This support is particularly valuable following the recent storms in LA, which damaged or rendered many of the homeless people’s belongings unusable. In preparation for Easter, we have also put together decorated lunch bags that include a turkey sandwich and other treats as a small gesture of goodwill towards them.

November 12, 2022

Over time, downtown LA has undergone significant changes, including the location from which we provide food and clothing to the homeless. While some people we used to help are no longer present, new ones have arrived. The lines for assistance at the Fred Jordan Mission continue to be long, and tents remain scattered on the sidewalks, although they are more spread out than before. Despite these changes, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the area remains high, and with winter approaching, it’s crucial that we continue to support them as best we can. Although there is no immediate solution to this issue, we must take care of 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 serve the homeless community continue, and we do so by distributing sack lunches and clothing donated to us by our kind friends and family. We take necessary precautions to maintain a safe environment by wearing masks and observing social distancing while distributing these items. The homeless people are deeply appreciative of the food and clothing we provide, especially during the recent rains.

Here are some pics from the latest trip to the streets of 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.