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Helping L.A.'s Homeless Requires Challenging Conventions

Jason Cheng |
April 5, 2014 | 4:23 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Skid Row (The Epoch Times)
Skid Row (The Epoch Times)
Conventional wisdom is not very wise. Its universal appeal, manifested in sappy Nicholas Sparks one-liners or Marilyn Monroe’s adages on a Tumblr post, often sacrifices reality with generic concepts that project the facade of truth. Specifically, conventional wisdom can contain glaring oversights and errors that can result in ineffective action and unintended consequences.

Unfortunately, Skid Row, a downtown Los Angeles area containing one of the largest homeless populations in the United States, is a stark reminder of the dangers of believing in conventional wisdom. I would even go as far to say that some students at University ofSouthern California lack such knowledge of Los Angeles’ center of misery. Furthermore, poverty and homelessness, problems that we often view through articles on a computer screen and describe in the comforts of our classrooms, are often misunderstood and ignored due to our physical and emotional detachment from such issues.

Skid Row, a 54-block area geographically defined by 3rd Street, 7th Street, Alameda and Main, is “home” to many of Los Angeles’ homeless. What once was a casual spot for drifters and the temporarily unemployed gradually became a concentrated area designated for the homeless. In 1975, the development of the nearby fashion and flower district gave rise to redevelopment and “Policy of Confinement” plans to make social services more accessible. Inevitably, the isolation of this socio-economic group has resulted in general ignorance, apathy and negligence by its wealthier neighbors. Furthermore, the district has become a living and breathing symbol of Los Angeles’ gentrification.

It is common for people to approach charity and giving with a mindset that lacks nuance, ignoring the ill repercussions of their altruistic efforts in favor of the satisfaction derived. In light of a comprehensive conversation with a LAPD officer with 14 years experience in Skid Row, I can truthfully say that this concept could not be more detrimental to the ongoing efforts of the police force and mission centers to bring people off the streets. The following information was given to me by the said officer in an online document.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, hunger is virtually non-existent in Skid Row. Currently, there are four major mission centers that serve approximately 9000 meals a day three times a day in order to create an incentive for the homeless to leave the streets. The few people with a malnourished appearance are those suffering from the adverse effects of drug and alcohol addiction and/or mental health sicknesses, which turn out to be the underlying causes of homelessness in the area.

In light of this reality, another must also come to light. Although this comes as a surprise , handing out food or clothing to the homeless in Skid Row is actually completely ineffective and further traps them in a cycle of dependence. Because alcohol and drug addiction is what keeps many of Skid Row’s homeless on the streets, these well-intended gifts will often be sold for narcotics. The excess in food handouts often creates piles of festering waste, while the clothing surplus contributes to physical conflicts over its ideal allocation. Most importantly, the homeless remain shackled to the debilitating notion that their needs can be satisfied in the streets, thus eliminating any inkling of self-driven growth and empowerment needed to escape the deadly cycle.

Where does that leave us students? As Confucius once said (no he didn’t say it), “Give a man a fish, he feeds for a day; teach a man to fish, he feeds for a lifetime”. This maxim may be overly simple, but the essence of the saying remains true. As individuals blessed with vast resources and knowledge, it is our responsibility to turn conventions on their head and find truly effective solutions to relieve burdens that hamper other humans like us. Compassion and pragmatic wisdom should go hand in hand, just as we should do the same with our fellow man. Providing hygiene kits and bottled water, engaging in street cleaning and awareness campaigns and simply working in tandem with the missions in Skid Row (kudos to the world record setting event organized by Zeta Phi Rho and Special Events Committee!) are all practically successful ways to make the area a better place.

When it comes to service, ignorance is not bliss for the people that suffer because of it and harmful actions with good intentions simply prove to be futile and damaging. May we continue to develop a heart and mind for the impoverished of Los Angeles, an unconventional act that will someday become what is expected.

 

Reach Staff Reporter Jason Cheng here; follow him here.



 

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