Homelessness is a national problem but, locally, there are many individuals and groups that work directly with people in need, providing them with the basic necessities for survival. Steve Richardson recently launched Feed Long Beach, which is a division of United Outreach Alliance, a faith based non profit human services organization. I asked him about the specific services they provide.
“We help the homeless and hurting,” said Steve, “in order to see progressive change over time, through our efforts to feed, clothe, and provide immediate basic needs. After assessing and building rapport, we make referrals to agencies that can assist the individual with housing, employment, psychiatric help, drug and alcohol help, contact governmental agencies such as the DMV for identification or license cards, and SSI for disability advocacy. We fight for and advocate on behalf of those who have virtually no voice.
“We have a 7 part system which we are bringing to the community in phases. Right now we are focusing on simply raising awareness, building a footprint in Long Beach, and feeding as many homeless and families as possible while assisting many to make the transition from living in the park to a clean bed in a permanent living facility.”
I asked Steve what assessment process United Outreach Alliance used to determine that Long Beach was an appropriate market for these services.
“I began working in this region many years ago,” he said, “however I recently moved back to this area, and began to feed in the downtown areas with a group of friends. On any given day we would feed from 50 to 75 people in a 30 minute time interval.
“UOA simply began to survey the area by sending representatives to talk with the homeless, City officials at the Multi Service Center, and the Homeless Coalition, to begin to develop a view of what is needed for Long Beach.
“Statistically,” Steve explained, “there are between 4000 and 5000 homeless in the City on any given day, however they do not congregate in large numbers and their presence is deliberately suppressed by the powers that be. It was a challenge to begin to find where the people sleep.
“We learned that many of the people that are on the streets today have began their plight within the last 4 years, which links directly to the economic downturn and housing crisis which has effected our city. We have met former pro athletes, persons with high degrees, former business owners, pacific maritime workers, former engineers, and Class A drivers, all living outdoors.
“Drugs and alcohol do often play a factor in the process that started the downward slide in our clients lives however, more and more, we are seeing it is no longer a factor that keeps them homeless. Most often it seems to be access to services, and financial reasons. The biggest reason is loss of personal confidence and hope.”
The homeless population is about 1% of the total population of Long Beach. I asked if this was similar to other cities of similar size.
“It is in line with the U.S. national percentage,” Steve said. “As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people in any given week.”
I asked why he decided to open a physical brick and mortar facility to provide services, rather than continuing to work where the demand was.
“It is a challenge,” said Steve, “to comply with the demands of the City with serving food to the needy. Also, we need to build out the organization in order to perform these services in a systematic fashion. The need is greater than the capacity of services to perform the necessary outreach, assessment, referral and follow up that is needed in order to make an impact in the amount of people who are remaining homeless.
“So, we have opened the Holy Grill every Thursday, and provide groceries to families every Wednesday, in order to get face time with the community to see who we can help in a more permanent fashion. We can not move the teams of volunteers without a home base.”
I asked if he’d been able to develop strategic partnerships with other local organizations.
“We are,” Steve explained, “in alliance with many of the other human services agencies in the area. We currently refer men to the Straight and Narrow Ministries, we work with the Long Beach Rescue Mission, the Food Bank of Southern California, Gospel Memorial Outreach Ministry. Babette’s Bakery, and the City of Long Beach MSC. We are also in talks with the Department of Corrections for reentry service,s and with the V.A. for homeless veteran services. We are also speaking with a nurse who will provide free medical assessments during planned outreach.”
I asked Steve what he had been doing prior to his current efforts in Long Beach.
“We were working sporadically as a unit in Long Beach and L.A., however I spent more time with the Dream Centers’ outreach than UOA. We would feed and assess in the Korea Town, Downtown, Echo Park and Skid Row areas. UOA is young as an organization, however I have been a human services professional for over a decade.”
I asked Steve how he became a human services professional.
“By accident,” he said. “As a young man, I needed a job, and started working in a group home in Los Angeles in the mid 90s. I worked my way up and throughout the systems, became a case manager, and manager, then went to Hope International University to obtain a bachelors in Human Development. I am yet to complete the final courses for this degree. I have a second career as a real estate professional and investor, which I still do to this day in order to fund my life. I also went to seminary to become a pastor in this same period of time.”
I asked Steve what inspired him to strike out on his own, and start UOA.
“My inspiration,” he recalled, “came from prayer time with God. I had a change of heart at the beginning of this year. I began to see and feel the tremendous need, and the pressure on my heart was great until I did something about it. One of the things that triggered this was that I fed one of my professional friends, a guy who I had worked with in real estate. He was living in the park. We were able to help him to get placed in a home quickly after seeing him there. Now, he is working again. Meeting him in the park, in the line with 70 other people, shook me. I went through the loss and sale of my personal home and many investment properties in the last cycle. Without God’s grace, it could have been me.”
I asked him about the practical challenges of opening the Grill.
“The location is far from the mass of our clientele,” Steve said, “and most do not have transportation, so we have been working with our own vehicles and the MSC to get people there that need a good, hot meal. After serving in the Grill we then take food and supplies to the people that are sleeping under the bridges, and in the parks.
“The City has ordinances against feeding in the park, and Downtown in particular. You can have a BBQ for 20, no permit needed but, when you reach 21 people, you are in violation. The City never enforces that law unless your group looks to be 20 or more homeless people. So we have to feed in the building, but our heart is the street.”
I asked why he focuses on one or two areas where homeless people congregate, when clearly there are thousands spread throughout the entire City.
“The challenge is to find each person. The larger numbers we see are either at the Mission, at the MSC, in Lincoln Park, or canals. We are raising awareness, and focusing our energy Downtown. Now we have homeless that guide us to where others are living, so that we can begin to serve each group progressively.”
I asked Steve how many shelter beds there are in the City.
“There were 1450 beds in Long Beach in a 2003 survey,” he said. “I do not believe this number remains accurate. Still, the issue remains programming, outreach and getting people past the barriers, and separating the drug users and mentally ill from the non drug users. They require separate skill sets in order to efficiently help them.
“We need addiction counseling and prevention, job retraining and development, and permanent and single room occupancy housing for families and people who are disabled or participating in the employment training program.”
I asked him if he has any practical guidelines for people who feel challenged by encounters with pan handlers, and the homeless.
“Follow your heart,” Steve advised. “If you desire to help, take a minute and buy him the hamburger he is asking for. If you don’t want to give, don’t do it. The man who comes to you to ask for change often has asked others for change as well. Your dollar is not going to make or break him.
“If the person is threatening you, disengage from them. Many remain unstable in many ways and have learned, by being on the streets, that it is survival of the most cunning. If you have the desire to help, volunteer with an outreach organization.”
I asked Steve how people can get involved.
“They can volunteer with us on any day that we are working,” he said. “They can simply visit our Facebook page to find our email address and phone number. They’re welcome to write, call, and come out and help. They can also donate time and resources. We are looking for experts in any field to build our Round Table to help those we serve. We need attorneys, doctors, human services professionals, land lords, business owners, artists, grant writers.”
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For more information about Feed Long Beach, visit facebook.com/FeedLB.