EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Niama Leslie J. Williams holds her Ph.D. in African-American Literature from Temple University — and she just recently lifted herself out of homelessness. Her voice is not only fascinating, but comes with an eloquence about addressing things many of us are uncomfortable with, particularly homelessness and poverty; her honesty, paired with such a down-to-earth happiness at the things we often take for granted (such as the appearance of a tube of toothpaste accompanied by its ability to travel well without leaking), makes her truly a unique advocate for the less fortunate and educator for those who perhaps know little of the trials of those that are disenfranchised. In this article as well as her future pieces, she hopes to create a connection for those experiencing homelessness or poverty, discussing the political, social, and practical levels on which these two phenomenons operate within Long Beach.
Her inaugural piece below talks about the practical side of this issue, showing how our city can provide those less fortunate with avenues and accessibility that can make their life a bit better on a small coin count. For some, this piece may not make appeal to them; it may not even make sense (“Why would I care about what I can get at WalMart for $1.46?”). However, we feel it is obligatory to not only provide such information — particularly from such a gifted voice — but permit access to it, as the Post believes it will only benefit our community and continue Long Beach’s tradition of keeping all doors open and welcoming.
The Long Beach Post proudly welcomes Dr. Ni, as she likes to be called.
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You may wonder what a Ph.D. in African American literature from Temple University is doing writing a column on Downtown Long Beach refuges and bargain-hunting for the Vanderbilt homeless, yet I ask: whom on your growing/narrowing list of friends now carries an EBT card and watches the WalMart sale paper?
Perusal of the latest bargains at the wonderland for the recently poverty-stricken, CityPlace near 5th Street and Long Beach Boulevard, can yield one a month’s worth of toiletries for less than $40.00.
My rather African/Jewish thick hair has been described as “cottony” by that erstwhile natural hair expert Betty “BJ” Stanley of Twist ‘n’ Shout fame. Encouraging me to “do my best not to touch it” between visits to her salon for loc maintenance, I find the endless variety of Suave shampoos intoxicating to the nose and the imagination — especially at WalMart’s unbelievable and unstoppable $1.46 for 15 ounces. Mango, lavender, sea breeze; the scents and their variety seems endless, and I dream of stocking up for three months instead of the one my budget can at the moment afford.
I simply wash, rinse, wash, rinse then liberally apply Organic Root Stimulator/Olive Oil “Smooth-n-Hold” Pudding, massaging it powerfully into my scalp with fingertips, palms, and thumbs loving the light feel of the ungent and the absence of stiffness, flake, or whitish tinge to my hair that typical conditioners can evidence.
Now when it comes to toenail clippers, however, I’m afraid one must part with the bucks even at WalMart. I was happy as a clam with the power and strength of my $1.08 toenail clipper until I noticed that it had no appendage for scraping under the nail. I had rather come to rely upon that fixture on other toenail clippers purchased at Rite Aid, CVS, and the like.
Moving from toe to mouth, perhaps irreverently, I find Colgate Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste an amazing find under $3.00 for a hulking 7.6 ounces. The tube itself is a highly satisfying silver with dark blue overtones and a solid, leak-impossible flat head that guarantees you won’t find paste on your other unmentionables if forced to carry everything in one bag as many homeless Long Beach residents do, day in, day out. I am especially thrilled that this paste works on my three worst problems/fears when it comes to my rarely-brushed teeth: cavities, plaque, and gingivitis.
The most expensive item in my toiletry repertoire is the Aveeno Skin Relief moisture repair cream at almost $8.00 per jar. I prefer my skin lotions in a jar so that I am able to use every ounce instead of throwing a portion away in something that must be pumped or squeezed — every little bit counts! I find this oatmeal Aveeno concoction a friend to my diabetic dry skin. One application while still damp from the shower and I am ash-free until the next time hot water cascades down my neck and finds a long, winding path across the terrain of my back and flees to the tile floor of my preferred shower facility at the MultiService Center.
One can shower for free there (1301 W. 12th Street) and the beautiful thing is the water stays hot all morning long. The showers are routinely cleaned at 11:30am, Monday through Friday, but you can shower at any point of the morning or afternoon and not be rushed or harried through the process as one might be at The Village of Long Beach, which has only one shower for both men and women. It is a toss up; I like taking my time and the comraderie of the MSC, but I love the privacy, quiet, and absence of others’ embarrassing nakedness at The Village.
Some of us, nevertheless — given I am 48, arthritic, and 349 pounds — find The Village’s 12-minute time limit extremely forbidding. Yet if one plans well, one can shower and do laundry on the same morning; both facilities are in the basement drop-in center. Laundry facilities are no longer available at the MSC.
Access to social services abound at The Village, but I have found what I expect to be my Nirvana at Long Beach Mental Health. Now don’t get me wrong; I could listen to Katy Behrens, an exceptional and highly knowledgeable worker at The Village, do intakes and referrals all day long with sheer delight, but there was something newly solid and firm about the help I received at Long Beach Mental Health (1975 Long Beach Blvd.).
From the security search to the nice guard who let me sit down until my turn came to be searched (one must line-up outside the doors by 7:45am on Monday and Thursday mornings, the only days they do intakes), I felt a grounding in those assisting me; a sense that they had been doing their jobs and sharing powerful resources for years and would continue to do so with no hint of want, lack, or anticipated interruption. That firm groundedness was missing at the non-profit The Village.
I look forward with eager anticipation to my first case manager appointment at Long Beach Mental Health; I can already feel the amassing of job, housing, clothing, and other resources as the calendar days race toward July 12th.
What could possibly be missing in this quick review of places and people who can assist the homeless in downtown Long Beach? Why, a discussion of food, of course. I tend to get my shop on at Albertson’s near 5th Street and Long Beach Boulevard (yes, I do confess to loving me some CityPlace!), followed by a sojourn to WalMart for the stuff I know I can get there on the cheap.
Some items, however, are Albertson’s only — and it is there alone that I find my Planter’s peanut butter. Taste is king in this former compulsive overeater’s world and Planter’s seems to make the best peanut butter out there; it simply tastes the most like roasted, ground peanuts.
Our discussion of peanut butter is not accidental, for homelessness automatically encompasses a daily struggle to eat and eat healthily. I am a great lover of peanut butter and crackers (Ritz being my favorite) and, unfortunately, WalMart does not carry the Lance Whole Grain Peanut Butter and Crackers with Real Peanut Butter.
My recommendation of Lance leans upon the fact that you will find the carb and sugar counts to your liking, diabetic or no, a few vitamins present when you read the label, and even iron making an appearance while neither sugar, dextrose, nor high fructose corn syrup show up as major ingredients. The crackers themselves are an adventure in roasted, toasted, had to have been, once upon a time, real wheat bread; nothing else describes the delectable explosion when one bites down on the rather blandly packaged snack.
To make a somewhat complete meal, try rounding out the Lances with a half- or full-size Mocha Cappucino Bolthouse Farms and a banana or a gala apple. Mocha Cappucino Bolthouse Farms is a concoction of coffee, milk, nutrients, and chocolate that even though a fluid will make one forget all about ice cream. Lightly sweet and not too heavy on the stomach, it provides a welcome replacement for protein shakes or meal replacers like Boost, Glucerna, and the like. Plus the ingredients are all natural and soy-free.
When you finally have accommodations and refrigeration, add a simple salad of romaine lettuce and fresh tomatoes with Ken’s Steakhouse Bleu Cheese or Ranch dressing. I find I like the feel of the heavy Ken’s glass bottle, and the dressing is rich, creamy, and flavorful with a thickness that keeps you from drowning your lettuce and tomato. Pierce each forkful and dip, that way 2-3 tablespoons will last forever and a day.
Paper plates and especially Vanity Fair napkins ($1.24/100) are a steal at WalMart; I love the weight and texture of Vanity Fair and enjoy treating myself to the sturdy plasticware one can get for under a buck. Albertson’s had the prettiest bright fire-engine-red plastic cups at 97 cents a piece and they can round out your portable table-setting quite nicely during the summer.
All of the above items can be packed and daily carried in the surprisingly sturdy 54-cent WalMart reusable blue grocery store bags, though I find myself partial to the beige and red Albertson’s variety at 99 cents. You just can’t go wrong with beige and red; add a little pink, and you have my favorite color: peach! I’ve been carrying my Albertson’s and WalMart reusable bags about four weeks now and all three are still going strong.
And remember: why? Because joy is our birthright, homeless, or not.
Dr. Ni is an unpaid columnist, yet she is committed to ending homelessness in Long Beach. If you would like to aid in ending homelessness, please click here. If you work to assist the homeless in Long Beach, please click here and use the email form present there to request to be interviewed.