On Wednesday, May 18th, late in the windy afternoon we received a message from one of our twitter followers about a homeless man that was sleeping in a driveway across from her home near Breeze Ct. She approached him to to assess the situation. He was hungry. He was coming off meth. After two weeks on the Boardwalk in Venice Beach he had had enough. He asked for help.
The direct message we received via twitter was , ” Homeless Iraqui Vet, needs help, who do I call? “.
After eight months of attending meetings, neighborhood watch groups, talking to the police and many of the homeless on the streets of Venice - there is a general understanding that there are not enough beds for the homeless, they have nowhere to turn, and viable options are so few - that is why the streets are so full of sleeping bags and transients. The reality is, options abound - the homeless on the streets of Venice are there by choice. They could have a warm bed and food in a safe environment within 1/2 hour walk from Venice Beach immediately. The condition: they commit to sobriety. Seemingly unwilling to make that choice - a cycle of abuse is seemingly what keeps so many homeless anchored to the Venice Beach Boardwalk, which is great enabler.
Our twitter follower was struck by a simple statement by the homeless man she came across. ” I need help. I am done. ” It was a defining moment in the homeless man’s life. This is the beginning of Antoine’s story.
Because it was so late in the afternoon, around 6:00 p.m., it was too late for The Bible Tabernacle on Washington Way to take him in. He was very hungry, so we got him some food and a local neighbor was kind enough to let us park a truck on their private property for the evening so he would have a safe place to sleep off the street until we could help him further the next day. The Bible Tabernacle will house men for one night, and they will accept individuals into their detox program about one hour north of LA in Canyon Country free of charge. They have a shuttle that will transport people to the detox program which provides housing, food and complete assistance as long as you commit to the program.
Antoine, like many, did not want to be so far away and preferred a program that was closer if possible. We took him over to the Clare Foundation at 911 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. He met with a counselor who told him to be in line Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. at their facility, and based on that day’s availability they will let him know that morning if they can take him into a 30 day detox program which will provide food and housing for him, and transition him back into working, and having a place of his own.
The Salvation Army on 10th & Olympic also has a work program. They do require that applicants “pee clean” in order to be accepted. While we were at the Clare Foundation, one of the assistants there provided us with several references to sober living facilities that could intake individuals immediately… all with the same simple requirement: They have to want to get off of substance abuse, and they have to want to work and transition into stable housing. So, for commitment to a facility that will give you food, shelter, medical detox and transition you back into working and stable housing… we immediately had six or more options that would allow Antoine to walk through the door that way and be on the path to a healthy stable life. The giant difference with Antoine, is he truly wanted it.
After growing up in Louisiana, Antoine spent 8 years in the Navy, 2 of which were spent in Iraq. Honorably discharged, he traveled to Los Angeles two years ago and after picking up the habit of smoking marijuana, one day someone he was with laced the joint with meth… and his spiral began until he wound up homeless in Venice Beach two weeks ago. Polite and articulate, Antoine had also been a user and knew the hustle. When he got to Venice, he befriended a group on the boardwalk to sleep with. He told us you need to sleep with a group or you will be robbed bad and beat up. The general rules for getting along are fairly brutal. When you join a group you are the low person on the totem pole. The group will generally take your stuff, you can’t leave anything unattended for even a moment, and street rules apply. You need a knife to protect yourself, and everyone is using and on the take. There is great money to be made selling. Most sellers are users, and the cycle just perpetuates. There are few leaders and many addicted followers in the spiral on the Boardwalk.
By 9:30 a.m. Antoine was checked in at The Clare Foundation in the 30 day detox program. No longer homeless. Off the street and on his way to recovery. Antoine wanted it. He said the urge to score was really strong, drugs make your body crave them - but he had had enough. He wanted a life. He acknowledged he needed help and was ready to accept it. That was the critical thing that sets him apart from so many others on the street.
In August of 2010, the homeless crisis in Venice gained citywide media attention when a couple living in an RV were caught dumping the human waste tank from their vehicle into the streets of Venice. It was dumped along a sidewalk heavily traveled in a neighborhood by residents, barefoot surfers, children and beach-goers. This event was a catalyst in raising the awareness in Venice to the homeless population, and their impact on this small residential area which is also one of the most traveled-to destinations in California. Since this time, although residents have raised much ire over the amount of social services available in Venice - most are under the impression that the homeless are there because they have nowhere to go or to turn. That all the social services are full up and no space is available. Unfortunately that is far from the case. Beds, shelter, programs, food and recovery are all available. The homeless just need to really want the change… and most don’t.
We will be keeping up with Antoine’s story. Prior to going into Clare, our twitter follower who started this by taking the time to reach out to a homeless person and to us, insisted that Antoine call his grandmother whom was instrumental in raising him and who he had not spoken to in a very long time. It was a very very difficult call to make. Like many of the addicted, they would rather hide from family that disappoint them. In Venice Beach, Antoine’s desire to be clean and live a path to a stable responsible life was met with success in hours of asking for help.
Who’s next?
Just two of the several facilities that men and women can engage in to transition out of addiction and homelessness, and into a stable lifestyle.
Intake at 7:30 a.m.
911 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, Ca 90405
(310) 314-6200 ext. 3152
Toll Free Number (866) 452-5273
Many homeless have pets, both for companionship and protection. It makes it very difficul tfor them to use available services. Do you know of any social services that help those with animals get off the streets?
311 is a great community resource! Thanks!
Thank you Venice311! It is about time people actually did something instead of flapping their lips. Clearly half the people complaining about the homeless issue haven’t even picked up the phone to find out what to do, or what is available. Typical Venice can’t get out of its own way.
What this story does not include is the sheer generosity and kindness of Venice311. This process took hours of time. As does much of what Venice311 does. Those abandoned dumped sofas and mattresses? Venice311 is moving them. Those nasty tags that are not street art but gang symbols and yucky dirty nasty tagging? Venice311 buffs them out.
Venice is very lucky to have Venice311 and the help given to Antoine is not an easy, quick thing to pull off.
Love Venice311.