Doing Good in the LBC is a weekly newsletter about the nonprofits, causes and people who do good in our city
The jittery video of a fatal shooting Saturday by immigration officers in Minneapolis was hard to watch.
I tuned in just as the Minneapolis police chief was speaking to reporters a few hours after federal officers shot a citizen in the snowy streets of the city, and was immediately alarmed that the head of police didn’t know much more than I, a civilian sitting on a couch in California.
He and other local officers across the country have largely been powerless spectators, like us, to the tactics of immigration officers, including the deadly force on display this weekend.
I’ve been a reporter, editor and now CEO in Long Beach for 18 years, both at the Press-Telegram and the Post. Our reporters are tough on police, and rightly so; the public trusts officers at all levels with enormous power, and our job is to shed light on how they use it.
Police, though, are often powerless, too, confronted with an array of bad choices, and at times saddled with an expectation to solve problems that they can’t or aren’t equipped to solve.
On Thursday I helped canvas city streets to count and assess the city’s homeless population. I was assigned to a group with four volunteers, including a Long Beach police sergeant. We spent hours scouring alleys and peeking into car windows, offering 7-Eleven gift cards worth 10 bucks, which these days buys about a half a Slurpee.
The officer, Sgt. Andrew Fox, shared briefly about his role with a small, specialized team that serves those who need help, not enforcement, as a result of mental illness or homelessness. It was clear the sergeant cares deeply about this work.
The events of the past few days serve as a worthwhile reminder that local police are often grappling in the dark along with the rest of us, doing their best to keep hope and do good in the midst of impossible circumstances.
A humble servant
Rising from warm slumber to volunteer for the city’s annual homeless count made me feel deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize, too — until I walked into a banquet room at The Grand and encountered the 300 other people doing the same.
The mayor isn’t a morning guy — is anyone at 4 a.m.? — but he did a decent job of pepping up the crowd before the annual “point-in-time” homeless count, which is used to address needs and determine funding from federal, state and regional sources.
I mostly stayed in the heated car, pointing the others toward figures that turned out to be bushes, or people going to the gym.
The volunteers who do this work are rarely recognized, so allow me to name two of them: Heather Filbey-McCabe, who I’ve known for years and was part of a group with our reporter, Kate Raphael. Some people are gifted with a heart for the downtrodden, and Heather, who works for Mental Health America Los Angeles, is one of them.
And from my group, Lynn McCormick, a member of St. Vincent de Paul, who has volunteered in this effort for eight years.
Our group encountered one man who was cocooned in a makeshift tent with a bike nearby, so dirty that she couldn’t guess his age. Shortly after, she gently knocked on the window of a car parked in the Los Altos area and found a woman burrowed under blankets in the back seat.
“We care about you,” McCormick said to each person. “We’re here to help with whatever you need.”
She meant it.
We all owe thanks to Filbey-McCabe, McCormick and many others who have the heart and patience to be out in the cold, showing kindness through action.
It’s your turn
As for the rest of you: Instead of complaining about the homeless, consider doing something about it. Here’s a few organizations with lots of opportunities:
Volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store (2750 E. Pacific Coast Highway) or donate to the nonprofit’s broader charitable outreach activities.
Get involved with Mental Health America Los Angeles (which is based in Long Beach).
Other organizations include the Long Beach Rescue Mission, Christian Outreach in Action, the Salvation Army, Casa Youth Shelter, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles and many more.