6 Ways to Help The Homeless in Los Angeles

Always thinking about ways to improve the situation and how to make things better, our contributor, Cheryl Farrell, discusses Homeless in Los Angeles and how to step up to serve the un-housed community. 

Thank you, Cheryl!

The World Is Better When I Think Of Hope

A few weeks ago, I awoke from a rare nightmare. It was terrifying and vivid. The dream was so realistic that tears streaming down my face dampened my pillow. I recently learned that nightmares may come from the stress of uncertain times such as COVID-19—even if the disease hasn’t affected you personally. It took several minutes for me to realize (and believe) that I was safe in my bed in a warm home. Yet, the fear from that sleep experience lingered for many days.

6 Ways to Help Homeless in Los Angeles

In the dream, I was a homeless person.

In my “dream”, I was pushing a shopping cart along busy Los Angeles streets. At certain points in my imagined travels, my cart tipped over and my belongings fell into traffic. People stared at me and some jeered. No one helped me.

My toddler daughter was dressed in a dirty pink jacket and she looked up at me from the shopping cart. Surprisingly, her eyes comforted me as if saying, “As long as you’re here Mommy, I’m okay.” She was doing fine as long as I forged on.

My real daughter is 23 years old and employed in the arts in New York City. My 29-year old son works at a law firm in San Francisco. My husband and I live comfortably in Thousand Oaks, CA.

My personal exposure to Los Angeles homelessness occurred in fall 2018.

An older cousin was living in his minivan due to poor choices caused by mental illness. After a desperate 10-day search, my family found my cousin dead, slumped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. His death certificate states he died of natural causes.

However, it doesn’t seem “natural” to die alone while homeless. My life mission is to make good of bad experiences. I believe I’m here to improve the world in some way. Prompted by my nightmare and in honor of my cousin, I recently made a financial contribution to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.* Their vision is “…that no one goes without hope … a message of love, support and freedom for a better tomorrow.”

My dark dream also inspired me to post a theme song I wrote and performed for a non-profit agency a few years ago. I hope you are encouraged by hearing “When I Think of Hope.” Listen Here.

Ralph Waldo Emerson defined success as improving the place we inhabit.

“To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
— that is to have succeeded”

*Editor’s Note: When Cheryl Farrell submitted her story idea, she was not aware that Hope of the Valley was to be featured this month at insidewink. We call that “being plugged in” to share the good.

Read about co-founder Jean Trebek and her husband Alex who generously donated to help individuals in need of Hope of the Valley’s services in our Charity Section.