December 17, 2024 • 47 mins
Theo returns to the field to continue exploring SELAH, the Los Angeles mutual aid organization working to educate their participants and volunteers on Grants Pass and provide necessary services. He speaks with volunteer coordinator Rachel Sanoff, participant Cindy, and longtime outreach volunteer Suzy to learn more. Also: Theo reflects on the horrific Daniel Penny decision, memorializes Jordan Neely, and looks at how the media covers violence against the unhoused.
Learn more about SELAH here: https://www.selahnhc.org/
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Previously on We the un Housed, What is your feelings
on the new president as well as the Grant's past ruling.
Have you heard of what Grant passes? No, I'm not familiar.
Have you heard of for the Gwen eighteen is No?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I guess I'm hopeful because I see every single day
people that want to make a difference in, people that
want to see the change, changes that we needed to
make sure that every single neighbor is taken care of.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Welcome to weed the in House. I'm your host EO Henderson.
This week, right in time for the holidays, we're heading
back into the field and learning more about an unhoused
mutual aid organization on the east side of Los Angeles, Sila.
But first on House News, I would like to express
(00:57):
my profound frustration and disappointment on the verdict Daniel Penny received.
Before I break down the entire situation and how it
impacts the House community, I would like to take a
moment of silence to remember Jordan Neeli come with me
(01:21):
on this journey to break down the supposed heroism of
Daniel Penney and Luigi Maggione. Luigi Maggione's situation he has
been branded as a folk hero taking a shot at
the corporate health systems abuse of vulnerable people looking for
medical treatment to be covered. Conversely, there was none of
(01:45):
the same sympathy and empathy for another person that healthcare
system failed, and that's Jordan Neely. When Jordan Neely expressed
his frustration because he was hungry and because of the
trauma that he had endured, that the city did not
offer or have a sympathetic or empathetic heart or ear
(02:08):
for his troubles. Jordan Neely should be alive and be
able to have the appropriate health care plan to meet
his needs, same as the elderly grandmother who was denied
that chemotherapy treatment because insurance didn't cover it. Our society
relies on a stationary prism of right and wrong, law
(02:29):
and order, black and white, and it uses it to
meet its own prejudices and views of injustice applied to them.
Based on social media's comments and celebratory actions after Daniel
Penny's not guilty verter, it shows how the narrative was
crafted to justify Jordan Neely's death. Many of the things
(02:55):
Jordan Nearly did in his lifetime could be attributed to
his illness, financial circumstances and his inability to seek sustain
medical treatment because he did not have insurance. What is
also glaringly apparent is the nimbi like responses. Witnesses said
about mister Neely that he seemed dangerous, they were scared,
(03:19):
and because of his verbal outbursts, felt that Daniel Penny's
behavior was justified. Jordan Neely did not touch anyone on
that train, but the trained occupants touched Jordan Neely and
decided his life should be extinguished. New York has had
two separate instiduses where apparently unhoused people have killed house people.
(03:40):
It is not outside the rum of possibility. This vigilanteism
is to serve as a rallying cry to the next
Daniel Pennies of the world. As a final note, whenever
it is mentioned that we need a fair, balance and
equitable healthcare system, many are blamed, accused of being evil
(04:01):
socialists that want to take over the world. How much
better would our society be if we could provide healthcare
treatment for all without the bloodsuckers. And that's in house news.
When we come back more from the field, Welcome back
(04:25):
to Whedian House. When I went to see the services
that SELA offers the young house. I was just as
curious to learn about the participants who came to events
and use their services as I was about the volunteers. First,
during a Wednesday afternoon program, I spoke with a regular participant, Cabayo.
(04:46):
Here's our chack.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Hi wached Cabio. I started out everything great because I
was sixteen, and then he robbed a bottom. I was
from having everything to nothing. I lost my house and
I was just I was just so bad on drugs
and alcohol, and that's all I cared about at the time.
So I ended up sleeping on them because behind the
(05:11):
zampm on Fletcherian Riverside, and then from sixteen to two
thouy seventeen, it was just alcohol, drugs, just recycling just
to get drugs. And I got to a point that I,
I mean, I start smiling. I was thinking from south
into the river. So then I decided one of my
friends told me about SELA and this is uh, this
(05:32):
is late two thousand eighteen when they just first started.
So then I came to this church over the Silvery
Community Church, and from there my life started changing. First,
I got from connected to people's concern. So through them,
I got to Project Rookie in twenty twenty one. But
before that, in December eighteenth, two thousand nineteen, I said
(05:53):
that's it. I stopped drinking doing drugs and I've been
sober and clean since then. But it's funny because I
was recycling after I told God, please help me. God,
I won't drink ever again. I just need help. And
three days after that I said that, I came across
a six pack of beer and I was like, oh,
(06:14):
maybe he didn't hear me, and I said, nope, that's it,
and I gave it to the guys that recycling center.
And since then everything's been going good. I got house, seen,
I live in Koreatown. Now, I give back volunteering every Wednesday.
I've been volunteering another church a manual on Fridays, but
Stila's the one that got me connected. That was the
main thing. And then I come to church every Sunday.
(06:35):
I'm being part of the church. I'm a member of
the church now. So that's my.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Story, very impactful. So have you been having battles with
alcohol for a long time or.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I drink all my life? I mean since I was sixteen,
But I got out of control, and that's all I wanted,
you know. It was it was mainly like partying, but
then I sold drugs. I was selling drugs and from
coke to math. But when I hit the streets, I
just partied more. I mean I didn't. I didn't. I
didn't even want to live. I almost committed suicide, and
some of the sea like people help me. I just
(07:08):
got to the point, I mean, I let myself go.
I didn't care if I died. And then I just
actually I found through the pastor here. I started coming
to church and and I just gave my life to God.
And I said, you know, and I said, I didn't
go to no no twelve steps or anything. I just said,
that's it. And once I the first time, I stopped.
(07:28):
But it was hard. I went through withdrawals and all
kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So what do you see yourself doing in the future.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Well, right now, because I was, I was in them
for mental issues. So eight five, I'm want to be evaluated,
and I'm not I'm going to have to move out
in my apartment and then start working again. So I
used to do convince setups, so I don't I don't
mind working I just you know, I had to get to
Okay to do it, but I see myself giving back more,
(07:58):
you know. And if I had to work to pay,
I'll do that. But I just volunteer everywhere you get back.
If I wasn't homeless, I would have nervo felt this
church that I had new family, new friends here that
wouldn't have had it.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
If he wasn't.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
So I think by hitting rock about him, I felt
my new life.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Is there anything that you would like to offer for
people that are listening to your story or people that
may be going through something similar that you're going through
eating words of advice?
Speaker 3 (08:22):
So I encouragement the main thing I'm saying, because what
I did, it was God's fault. Everything was God's fault.
It wasn't my fault. But just started believing, I mean,
it's not god'swelt, I mean, and there is help out there.
It might take a while because it took me a
year and a half inside the shelter before I got
house seen, but there's people out there that care about you,
(08:43):
and there's a lot of services believing believing that you
could do it.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Thanks so much to Kabaya for his time. On a
second trip. I saw Stela's Saturday program, an all afternoon
event where hot in house people can get a hot meal,
close and connection to services. We heard from operations manager
maybe a Girl last week, and I also got the
chance to speak to their volunteer coordinator, Rachel sent off.
(09:11):
Here's our talk. Oh, thank you very much for taking
the time. When the last time I was here, it
was so busy you was doing everything and I didn't
really get a chance to sit down and talk to
you about what was going on. So I'm happy now
to talk to you about what's going on today. So
(09:33):
tell us what's going on today? That was so different
than the last time I seen.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Yes, so what's going on today is our Saturday dropping program,
and there's a Saturday outreach program that happened simultaneously, and
so all of our programs have very similar features. What
makes them different is in terms of the space that
we're able to occupy. Things can get a little more
hectic or a little more chaotic, there can be more
running around. And what's great about today is Saturday is
(10:00):
the day where we have found in our community that
comes to see us the services are most lacking.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
So we have a really large crowd.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
On Saturdays, and normally the running around that you saw
on Wednesday you'd be saying again, But in the aftermath
of the election, it's really activated and energize people. So
we have so many hands today. It's a mixture of
volunteers who we haven't been able to see for a
few months, who I got emails and it was like,
I'm coming back. I'm really sorry, I've been around for
(10:27):
a few months.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I'm back.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
And then it was also this immediate, beautiful onslaught of
people signing up for the first time. So it is
it's going to be very busy in there. But in
terms of how I feel this is we are so prepared.
We have an incredible group of people. I'm here to
just watch it all happen.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So the Thanksgiving holiday is swiftly reapproaching, and you know
this beautiful aromatic smell that we have here. Can you
talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yes, So what we do at CELA is because we
have so many programs during the week, we decide to
keep all of our programs on the dates they already are,
but we'll just make our programs within a week where
there's a holiday focused on doing whatever we can to
bring that energy into the space for everyone who's coming
to see us. And so what we're doing today is
we are very lucky to have started this organic partnership
(11:16):
with Chef Maurice, who runs a community organization called the
stew and his whole purpose and his work is how
is food and food justice used to create community and
love amongst everyone. So we are so grateful and excited
that he learned about us from an event and decided
that we matched with what he believes, which is an honor.
(11:37):
And so what's going on today is Chef Marie spent
all morning and all yesterday preparing a meal for our participants.
He dropped that meal off this morning. It was real
hot and ready, and of course we've had to spend
time setting up. So my coworker maybe and our volunteers
all spent this morning putting things in our food warmers
that the church here very kindly gives us access to.
So we are going to have a hot meal of
(11:59):
turkey and all of the sides that we associate with
Thanksgiving dinner. So we hope that that gives people a
sense of homing, community feeling, and then throughout the week
because of course, Thanksgiving still approaching, we have our usual
program on Wednesday where another community group called Everyday Action
is going to be bringing food over and Everyday Actions
(12:19):
focus similar to Chef Maurice and Isdew, it's all based
around food justice. The difference is that they're food rescue groups,
so they go to film sets, businesses, grocery stores where
things are being thrown out, and Everyday Action.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I think I've seen something on the Instagram about.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah they're Yeah, they are. I'm amazed. So we connect
with them throughout the week every week and it's so funny.
We'll get phone calls and it's like, there wasn't any
food at this Whole Foods, but I'm driving to Culver City.
They'll just drive around and find things. And a lot
of them have worked previously in films, so they know
kind of the timing of when film sets are, you know.
So it's really cool and this is kind of a
(12:58):
newer partnership and we're really excited because they've always done
this leading up to Thanksgiving where during the week they'll
plan like a really big cooking session and then we'll
deliver it to mutual aid groups and organizations that week.
And because we've had this partnership, they've asked us to
send some volunteers to help cook. So it's really cool
is that throughout the next few days, our volunteers, there, volunteers,
(13:20):
mutual aid groups are all going to meet in this
like industrial kitchen that they've gotten access to and then
deliver it to a bunch of groups across the city.
And we're very grateful that we're one of them. So
they'll be here on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Your exuberants is so contagious that I just was so
interested into the story of it, and so tell us
a little bit about how did you get caught up
into Seila?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Okay, so thank you so much. That's so lovely to hear.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley van I
Sherman Oaks, so I always have been very invested in
what's happening in this area. I live around here now
and so it's been a little bit of a journey.
And how I started getting involved in CILA, I did
a lot of community organized I was a college student
around tuition increases things like that, and that kind of
(14:04):
took me into labor organizing and like a research level,
very like kind of baby in that world and then
so I knew that being in this kind of space
was very important to me, and it led me to
journalism for a while, and which was amazing. I did
gotten to do a lot of cool research for places,
but being a freelance journalist is really hard and I
(14:25):
was burning out. And then a friend of mine, John Dowd,
was the vaunteer program director for one of Sela's programs,
who I'd known about SELA for a while. But I
appreciate the ACMI exuberance, but I can be very shy.
So even though I had like familiarity with things, I
just was like, Cela's really cool. I'll go if someone
goes with me maybe, And it was just I wasn't
making it happen. And I didn't like that because this
(14:47):
kind of work had been so important to me, but
for whatever reason, I'd been kind of away at a
desk for a while.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
I just was nervous.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And then my friend John was like, well, I'm the
program director, now, just come to SELA.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
That was in twenty twenty one when I.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Started volunteering and I started at our services desk, which
was way smaller than it is now. Our services desk
is where folks help with document assistance, phone calls, basically
anything to access public resources because as we know, case
management is a very overburdened and often inefficient system, and
(15:20):
so this was when that.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Had just started.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
So I was learning the ropes just a little bit,
and then I was working multiple jobs.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
It was just kind of hard to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And then the volunteer coordinator was the role at the time,
and it had been individual coordinators for each program on
a volunteer basis, and people were just burning out because
for great reason, it was just getting really big and
it was like people were like, I have a job
I don't have I can't figure this out. So then
my friend John was like, well you can't volunteers often
(15:48):
would you be interested in doing this?
Speaker 5 (15:50):
And so I just.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Started on a really baby level in twenty twenty two,
helping out with one program for a few hours a
week in addition to other work. And then it just
kept growing and growing, and then by the start of
this year it was like, we need someone to do
this full time because this is becoming overwhelming for everyone.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
And so now I'm here, Oh wow, that's such a
wonderful story of wonderful journey into it. What was the
exact thing that drew you to Sela Because you've had
mentioned you did different other capacities of different things, but
what was different about Sela than what you've been doing.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
So I think what pulled me into Sila so deeply
is something that I hope volunteers feel now that I'm
the one welcoming them in, is there was no barrier
to entry. There's no barrier to entry for a participant,
there's no barrier to entry for a volunteer. And what
I feel happened to me is that when I started volunteering,
(16:45):
I had missed when I had this community of people
where we all had the same focus, we all wanted
to work towards helping people experiencing the same type of injustice.
And I had been, you know, tapping into multiple groups,
but there was something about where it was just oh,
I'm immediately in it, like this is my first day,
but I'm on the phone with this participant sister and
(17:06):
I'm trying to help her find where a form is
and I just was immediately in and so that I
just felt a responsibility very quickly where I was like, Okay,
if I'm going to be here, need to be here
because you kind of dive in so quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
That's one of the things too, is that on the
other side of the coin, if people are doing this
haphazard or apathetically, it kind of weeds them out, it seems.
Let me, I was going to ask you, like, suppose
that you met someone like you Rachel, come in and
she's shy and things, what would you do to make
her welcome like you feel?
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Yes, So that happens a lot, and I relate to it.
And so what I makes me really happy about the
fact that my role expanded so I had the time
to do this is if I'm at a program and
I welcome somebody in there new, but I can I
can just tell saying hi, welcome wasn't quite enough.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
I will kind of stick with them throughout the shift
in a way like I won't be overbearing, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
But if I notice that volunteers who know each other
or newer volunteers who are just a little more open,
if everyone's kind of starting to form a circle in
chat because there's a lull or all hanging out with
a participant, we all know, and I see a volunteer
who just doesn't quite have the energy, doesn't feel quite welcome.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
I'm like kind of hone in on them and I'm like, what, so,
what brought you over here? Like like how's it been
so far? Who've gotten a chat with?
Speaker 4 (18:29):
And I'll just kind of move them into the space,
and I think it's been working. I just hope it
is because I have such experience with leaving spaces because
I was.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Like, oh, maybe they don't need me, And I think
it's also it's obviously that's just how I feel as a.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Person, But I do think is an organizing tactic, like
the society we want does not exist. If we're going
to create it, it has to be everywhere. Like it's like,
of course our folks and we're here as we have
a very clear mission. But if somebody's coming here to
join that mission or to learn about it, they've just
seen everything going on and they're like, I can't take
it any morning to do something. Someone has to be
(19:06):
there to educate them and usher them in and be
like you're on the journey now you're going to learn things.
And so it's part just like this is a community space.
If I'm part of that community. I want that to happen,
but it is like.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
We need it to happen, which on that same conversational
point yesterday, which by the time this airs, it's going
to be some time. But the thing of it is
is that I went to UCLA to speak at a class,
and I was an activist in Residents in twenty twenty two,
so I do keep ties with the university in many respects.
But I went and spoke to the mobile clinic, and
(19:39):
I was speaking with the students, and it begs the
question because of the fact that many could elucidate or
very eloquently on the issues of what's going on in Palestine.
They could talk about some of the atrocities in Sudan
and the Congo. And when I asked him about the
(20:00):
issues about Grant's past and the difference between the Grant's
past and forty one eighteen, I was met with complete silence.
They didn't know what happened with the elderly and the
un housed over in Almonte recently. They were at a loss.
So I would like your insight on your take on
what do you feel with the Trump presidency. I hate
(20:23):
to say the name, but as well as the ruling
with Grant's pasts recently from June twenty eighth, What do
you foresee it's going to get much more better for
unhoused people or what is your insight on what do
you think is going to happen.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
So I honestly personally feel like I'm preparing for the worst.
At CILA, we are preparing for people to be more
targeted than they already are. Some already are, but exactly
people are already being targeted, and we see that, like
our outreach volunteers especially see that. And so what I
what I feel like we're trying to do right now
(21:01):
is very similar to what you said. A lot of
people don't know what grants Pass is, or if they've
heard of it, they don't know how deadly it's going
to be. And so for me, a focus has been
the education aspect. Like I think it's amazing that we
have so many new volunteers today. I don't know if
any of them have heard of Grant's Pass, but they're
(21:22):
here now, so they're gonna But so one of the
things we're trying to do is we've started to do
these larger education summits or organized events and so we
just had the first one, and Grant's pass was a focus.
But this is something I was just talking to some
people about. It was that whole day was sort of
an experiment where it was like, how many things can
we fit in one day? We have all these people
(21:43):
in the same place, we just have to get as
much out as we can. And that was great because
now we have a lot of people with like small
amounts of a lot a lot of information, you know.
But now it's like we have to kind of go deep.
And so the next one that I'm starting to think
about what it's going to look like terms time and
all of that, is I think we would only be
focusing on Grant's past and only focusing on resources for
(22:06):
documented participants and or trans participants.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
So I think it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Because we obviously look like I do a lot of
learning about what's going to happen in January, because we
already see what's happening under our current administration, you know,
So it's like we're going to be entering even a
different time. And so yeah, it's going to be a
lot of education on our end. With the goal of
that education that has to turn into Okay, services volunteers.
(22:33):
This is what a lawyer from this organization who very
kindly came to speak to us says, we need to
be prepared for. We need to start learning about this,
We need to start having these kinds of connections ready
to go. We need to have phone numbers of certain people.
So we just have to start figuring out what that's
going to look like.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
The difficulty the equal footing that house and unhoused people
have is that it's not widely known, and it's the
nuances and the details are not widely dispersed enough. For example, recently,
we've had a couple of climate change events cataclysmic where
there was a flooding and disasters over in North Carolina
(23:10):
and people's houses were devastated, And I asked the question,
are those residents fall under to the Grants Pass ruling?
For example, there's been brushfires recently and there's people's homes
has been deemed not habitable. Are they under the same
auspices of grants Pass ruling because they're on housed or
(23:31):
displays and some of the monies that we've been hearing
is not adequate enough to resurrect their housing and their
way of life. That they had before, so what are
they going to do? And as predictably, people are going
to migrate in different areas, and we have shown as
a country that we're not the most welcoming of people
that coming from different places inwardly and definitely externally. So
(23:54):
I think that one of the conversation points that understand
how poorly thought out Grant's pass is, but also how
it affects people who had not contemplated that this issue
was going to apply to them.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
I just want to second everything you said. I feel
like what's been going on, like with Hurricane Heleen and
all of that, it's just like an intersection like every
evil of this country, like climate, like capitalism, housing justice.
I read something how obviously these folks are still sheltered,
but when yeah, yeah, but even like tenants, people who
(24:29):
live in apartment buildings there. I was just reading about
how when there's these environmental disasters, the first people to
not have any protection are renters, and so then of
course it's going to lead to more people who are
in house and so it is just like so psychlical
and scary, and so I think I disagree with everything
you said, and I think what we're thinking about in
(24:53):
Los Angeles and in the neighborhoods we go to specifically
are like one of our outreach leads lest who I
think you may have met. She is really focused on
supporting folks along the river. And one of those issues
that is trying to be figured out is that so
many people have had to go to the river because
there's areas where they can seek more privacy and they're
(25:15):
may be less likely to be harassed. Yes there's park
rangers all that, but people just being able to figure
it out to be able to escape that.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
Kind of harassment. And now there's two things.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
It's like, well, there's real, real interested people trying to
find them now because of Grant's pass. So if you
have that, but then you also have what's going with
the climate where some people are not able to move
their things because there's less time between.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
It used to be like sorry, feel going in circles.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
But it used to be that if we had knew
a storm was coming, our volunteers would maybe feel like
they had Okay, this Saturday or this Sunday, we can
warn people that there might be a storm in a
few days.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
And now it's been you wake up this.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Morning and a storm is happening and the city isn't
warning them, you know so, And on.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
A smaller scale, I want to point out, and I
always do this, It's not an accident. If you ever
watch my twitters or my Instagram postings, I make it
a point to when I go to places. But also
here is that because most unhoused people that die are
dying from hypothermic depths here and there has been no
posting that I have seen yet from their baths. That's
(26:23):
just talk about there are any warming stations anybody being
driven to anywhere. There is no conversation whatsoever. They have
conversation of removing people and put them in insights starving,
but they don't show and they don't make it an
effort that is a continuing effort. Particularly because we're dealing
with climate change, we should be vigilant in talking about
(26:44):
these environmental disasters because the first people that deal with
them are not house people. It's unhoused people. And they
have to deal with smoke from the brush fires, They
have to deal with the high temperature index in the
small they have to deal with the colder climbs, they
have to deal with the heat. Wait, they have to
deal with anything that's environmentally that's going to impact their
(27:04):
survival on top of the antipathy of society as well.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
So absolutely, I just heard somebody says, I can't remember now,
but talking about how unhoused folks are literally on the
front lines of the climate crisis because production just isn't
there for obviously reasons we are all very aware of,
and so yeah, it's just we are really saying how
all of this is intersecting to create a really bad situation.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
And I think just for us.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
On like the hyperlocal level, I really feel like the
La River is such an example of what's going to
happen or what is happening.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
It's not going to happen, it is happening.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
When I went out there. Yeah, that's basically part of
the Yeah. Well so yeah, I could tell you it's
not voting. Well, but here's a humdinger that I want
you to to contemplate on. Did you see and I
noticed I saw all of the notices and awareness of things,
But did you see any notice about getting the in
(28:00):
house out of the places in North Carolina the safety
did you see? I didn't know, And I know they
can't believe it can be so utopia. They didn't have
they didn't know anybody that lived on the street or
a house person. I find out how to believe as
much as houselessness is everywhere I've gone, and I've seen
so where you know, they didn't you didn't see it,
(28:20):
and I didn't see it, And I dare say that
this is going to be something that's going to be
calamitous because of the fact that this is going to
be a new normal and there's going to be a
lot of people displaced and they're not going to understand
the nuances of displacement and how they fit into the
whole wheelhouse of houselessness.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Yeah, I'm just thinking about what you just said. Like,
I know that there are local papers and so I
never want to say like it didn't, but I'm thinking
about I don't. I don't think I've seen an article
about like how the unhoused folks are doing.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
You know, a lot of people were not fortunate that
had houses. So I cannot believe that that the unhoused
people just magically floated on the water, Yeah, balked on
the water and floated to safety somewhere else they had,
you know, because then I know there's a housing unhoused
crisis there as well as just like everyone else, so
that conversation always get overlooked into mainstream society. And I
(29:16):
was just walk more Worth keeping median house, going having
these questions and pushing people to look at the larger
implications of what this, what it means to be displaced
and unhoused, and it is not a personal failing. You know,
no one said that they were wrong. And the storms
were there with God's john judgment to wash out you know,
you know, uh, you know Jay Walkers or people that
(29:38):
didn't pay their taxes, you know, they definitely are. We're
undergoing a whole cataclysmic and environmental push to reduce our chances.
I think I covered everything. I just want to make
sure that if you had anything you wanted.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
To say, I'm so excited to be able to talk
to you. I think one thing I would just like
to say is that I like to think of CELA
as a place where obviously we're taking action, but it's
also a community and it's a place to learn about
why these things are happening. So I just hope anybody
listening feels welcome to visit our website to sign up.
You will get an email from me if you do.
(30:17):
We're a very very small place, so we're Cela NHC
dot org.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
So yeah. So one of the things that is so.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Great about this community and really feels restorative when everything
is really horrible, is that this organization is volunteer run,
started by volunteers. Like there's three of us on staff now,
but it is fully following the direction of the people
who are out what our participants need and what our
participants tell our volunteers they need. And so what's great
is volunteers just start doing things and they just let
(30:47):
they just let you know and we'll just post about it.
So one of our volunteers, Lauren Girral, is a stand
up comedian and she has trying to organize a monthly
mutual aid comedy show where because of connection she has
in the work she does trying to bring audiences and
all of the ticket sales just go to Cela and
our ability to purchase supplies. So that is the third
Wiel Comedy in East Hollywood, eight pm.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
But it's on Cela's Instagram, so you can check out.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Thanks so much to Rachel. And when we come back
more from our field reporting at CELA. Welcome back. This
is theil Henderson with Weedy and House. My next interview
is with one of the hundreds of volunteers that keeps
SELA going, Susie. Susie is a long time volunteer who
(31:39):
does outreach and builds connection in the Young House community
to help connect people with services. I called her right
before heading out to catch up with folks on a Saturday.
Here's our talk. Thank you for taking the time to
talk with me, and I want to get some just
a general idea. I noticed you're having a kind of orientation,
(32:01):
so can you give us in a thumbnail sketch on
what are the things that you look for when you
go out to help the unhouse and where the supplies
that you supply.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
This is just one of the programs that SEALA provides
on Saturdays and outreach volunteers go out on four or
potentially five different routes and we bring with us water
snacks which can mean like granola bars and tunicns and
things like that, and we hand out hygiene kits which
are all donated and are built by people who are
(32:33):
donating them. So that includes shampoo conditioners, soap, hand sanitizer sometimes,
toilet paper sometimes and are very very sought after by
people who are living on the street. Also we hand
out sometimes cat and dog food. We have certain seasonal
products that we hand out so like cooling cloths during
the summer, sunscreen and during the winter.
Speaker 8 (32:55):
We sometimes have hats and gloves.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
And then yes, we hand out harm reduction kits which
include safe, clean needles.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Why is this so necessary in this.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
You know a number of percentage of unhoused people are
using drugs and we are trying to destigmatize drug use.
And I think a big, you know problem with why
drug overdoses and you know, drug use in general has
kind of gone awry is because it is stigmatized and
(33:29):
not dealt with as you know, social pandemic of sorts.
And so we provide the clean needles and clean smoking
kits because we know that these are people who are
going to use these drugs no matter what, and if
they don't get clean supplies, they're going to use supplies
that are not clean and they could be more dangerous.
(33:51):
We also provide testing kits for fentanyl and trenk and
other things that can make the drug use done more safely.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Two things are you worried about the outrage of because
I know there are nimbies which is acromen for not
in my backyard or in Layman's terms to Karen's for
against the un House that they have always complained about
the needles or the apparatuses that are used in it.
And what would you say to your listeners in order
(34:20):
for them to have compassion. One of the things that
I know, I've had family members that were suffering with alcohol,
and the thing of it is that we had such
a just say no to drugs. But that's the most
dangerous thing to do to tell to someone that's an
alcoholic because they cannot just detox off of drugs clean,
because there's the whole host of health the things that
(34:41):
they have to do before that. And I don't think
people realize when we make blanket statements those things are
not taking in consideration. But what's your insight on this?
Speaker 7 (34:52):
Like I said, I feel like if we don't hand
out clean supplies, they're going to find supplies. There's still
going to be needles on the ground. It's just going
to be You know that that that's something that's just
inevitable in this climate. We do hand out sharps, containers
and things like that, so there is a way for
it to be you know, done more sanitarily. But you know,
(35:13):
just because someone is not giving them needles or smoking
kids doesn't mean it's going to stop. And now there
all won't be needles on the ground. I also think
very strongly, and this goes for all the things we
do at SILA, is we're building trust with these people
and when they see that we're not judging them for
what they do, and we're providing them with things they
need and things to keep them safe, that if the
(35:36):
time comes when they want to go into rehab or
when they want to talk to somebody about their drug use,
or they want to have us connect them with a
rehab or something like that, or a case manager, then
they'll trust us because they won't be like, oh, this
person judges me for my drug use, or this person
has been preaching.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
To me about something or other.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
You know, these are people who are very wary of
the system for good reason. And you know, a cop
comes up to them every day and is trying to
be their best friend and then throws them at jail
or takes away all their belongings. You know, they're not
going to go to a cop and you know, ask
for help. So we're that sort of in between of
people who are not being paid to do this. We
(36:17):
are doing this out of our own heart. We're just
trying to humanize these people. We are their neighbors and
we just want them to know that there are some
people out there who do care about them, who see
them as humans, and they're not just trying to get
them arrested thrown off the street.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
So so singly and well put, I also wanted to
ask one last thing, and I know you have to go,
is that do you see an improvement with the new
presidency as well as the Grant's past ruling? How do
you see these two coinciding events are big on the
boat well for the unheuse community or not?
Speaker 7 (36:50):
No hands down the you know, there was a motion
that was passed in LA to prevent people from camping
on the streets a couple of yeah, and.
Speaker 8 (37:04):
It has completely failed. They've admitted that it's failed.
Speaker 7 (37:06):
And you know, sweeping people off an area, it just
means they go to another area.
Speaker 8 (37:10):
People don't seem to understand that.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
So the Grants pass is just a greater version of that,
and it is just there are not.
Speaker 8 (37:17):
Enough places for these people to go. People are very selfish.
Speaker 7 (37:20):
They just want don't want to see them on their street,
but they're going to end up on someone else's street.
And until we have enough places to put people, enough
places that can give them care, these kinds of rulings
are completely useless.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
I wanted to point out two different differences. Are always
trying to do this now Footing with eighteen had basically
had giving some kind of rain in order for not
the beast to be unleashed. And I say, if there's
a better metaphor of grants past is unleash the beast,
particularly if you listen to the Elmante episode on the
effects of places like in Oregon where they are just
(37:55):
coming out and sweeping on house people in all hours
of the night and making disappear and there's no really
stop gap to prevent the complete beasts to come out.
You know, there was forty one or eighteen was a beast,
but the beasts had arranged. Yeah, you know, there was
to some limits, there were some things that they couldn't
just go away with. But the Supreme Court just said
that that's not an uncruel and unusual punishment to unleash
(38:19):
and hunt down unhouse people at all hours of the night,
any time of the day, to criminalize him or make
fell in need in Tennessee. Against being in house in
public spaces, it's much more, it has much more tease.
So I want to always elucidate that difference.
Speaker 7 (38:35):
Sure, and I mean, I want to believe in mayorbas
who has said that she will not be implementing it.
But Newsom came down here and did it firsthand. He
did it on his own, and it broke my heart.
Like I look, I Mayorbas, I do give her credit
for getting people into interim housing.
Speaker 8 (38:55):
She has definitely upped that ante.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
But it's a bottleneck, I mean, and we're going to
end up in a situation where you know, people are
going to be sick of being an interim housing and
they'll be back on the street where it's more comfortable,
or they're not getting their stuff stolen, or it's you know,
they have more freedom. So until we have more permanent
support of housing, you know, this is just going to
(39:17):
be a vicious cycle no matter where you sweet people to.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Unfortunately, it's already a vicious cycle because of the food quality,
the castle rules, the non existent or harsh case management
that they have going on. And unfortunately in other episodes,
I've talked about inside Starving and the residents that are
living under her rule. And most recently and in my
area in Little Tokyo on New York City Hall where
(39:42):
they were in house community members that they supposedly put
it inside Starving, then they put a fence that back
over theirs that they can't return. So these kind of
measures gives me pause because it's like it's they don't
want you to see them. And they say that there's
a success, and then they put the fence back because
they know it's not. Because if it was a success,
then why would you need to put this elaborate fence
(40:04):
all around city Hall and all around across the street
where they work. So you're sending the message that don't
come back.
Speaker 8 (40:10):
Or go back or like another place.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
And with grants passed with a lot of the people
in elmani is they had got together and says we're
just going to go deeper into the woods. But that
didn't solve anything. Now they got sheriffs on horseback hunting
them down in the middle of the night. Get you know,
so it's that's the reality of what's going on when
you see these fences or when you see these new
constructions like out in Chatsworth, when you see these new
(40:35):
obstacles are on the streets where our v's are, it's
it's this is like I said, I just was curious
on their perspective, and I thank you for your time
and I really appreciate you giving me your insight on
what's going on. And how long have you been doing this?
This type of.
Speaker 7 (40:52):
Outreach work I started like during pandemic basically when they
when CILA didn't have volunteers for a while during pandemic,
but when they started letting people back, started going out
and learned from a couple amazing outreach leads who were
just so fantastic. And I would go out and see
these people that they had been seeing for a long time,
who were just so excited to see them, and we
(41:14):
would sit and chat with them, and sometimes you know,
people are just like, oh, but you can't give them
housing because sila's we're a nonprofit, we're not a case,
we're not a service provider.
Speaker 8 (41:23):
We can't give people housing.
Speaker 7 (41:25):
But people the joy that they get of someone just
coming by and acknowledging them and handing them water, even
if it's nothing else, is worth the three hours that
I spend on a Saturday doing this. I mean you'll
see as you when you go to our on site program.
Speaker 8 (41:41):
It's a lot of joy. It's a great.
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Community, and you know, a lot of these people don't
talk to anybody all day, and so Cela really provides
this kind of just baseline, consistent group of amazing people
that go out and just really acknowledge our neighbors as
human beings.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Thanks so much to Susie. And finally I spoke with
long time Selia participants Cindy during a program. Cindy tell
us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 6 (42:17):
Well, my name is Cindy McAllister, and I listed transgender
man to a woman. I've been coming to Seilia for
about a year and a half now, and Celia people
are so welcoming and so friendly. I donate my time
here and I try to be a friend to everybody
who I know who comes here. I try to be
a positive attitude and I make lots of friends just
(42:38):
because I'm a nice person. I don't know what to say.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
How long have you been coming to Ceila.
Speaker 6 (42:44):
We think probably about sixteen months or eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
What made you come to Seila? What was that?
Speaker 3 (42:50):
Well?
Speaker 6 (42:51):
I used to live like two blocks down and one
day I went by on a Wednesday and I saw
these times outside and I was like, what is that
going on there? So next week I wandered on and
saw that Ondnesday afternoon thing, and then they invited me
to Saturday, and I fell in love with the people
and everything, so I started coming every week. People are
so friendly and they're so helpful to you. Today I
(43:12):
went for clothing. They brought me like a dozen things
to choose from. Very very friendly and very helpful.
Speaker 1 (43:17):
It sounds like they give you choices to be able
to make. Have you experienced other places that have not
been that friendly?
Speaker 6 (43:24):
Yes, I sure have. I won't mention any names, but
those places who like they'll give you one piece of
clothing and you don't have any options?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Wow? Yeah? And how does that make you feel?
Speaker 4 (43:36):
Well?
Speaker 6 (43:37):
You feel appreciative they're giving you something, but you feel like,
why didn't you give me more choices? So it's I
like it. Hear better where they give you options?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Excellent? Are you are utilizing any other services by accept
the clothing.
Speaker 6 (43:51):
Yeah, they helped me with tap card, my Metro tap card,
and they helped me with food. Of course those are
the main things.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Ooh. So, like I said, you know, Stila has been
been a very big help for you, very very much.
Speaker 6 (44:06):
So, yes, they've been so supportive. When I was moving,
they helped me move. I use the transport, public transportation.
They helped me with their van to move things when
I was moving, and they've been very very very supportive.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
You were living on the streets when you were at
one point, yes, it was.
Speaker 6 (44:22):
And then I lived for twenty two months in somebody's
living room and then they helped me move into where
I'm living in now.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Oh wonderful. So they offer a variety of services for
you and they definitely seem to be a big proponent.
So what's next for you with are you staying continuing
to come to you?
Speaker 6 (44:39):
Oh yeah, I come here on Wednesday and Saturday, usually
right now because of day night taming, saving the time,
I try to leave early so i'm home before dark.
But i'd like to I'll sit at the desk and
I'll sign people in, I'll help, you know, donate my time,
and sometimes I come here like today just to hang
out with my friends.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Excellent. Do you know anything about the grants past ruing? No, Well,
that's one of the issues. Well, fortunately you're not going
to have to deal with recently, but it's that deals
with people that are living on the street and how
the police can now criminalize on house people violently without
any restrictions or any ramifications.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (45:19):
Well, is there anything else that I missed that you
want to talk about?
Speaker 6 (45:23):
No, I think I've got it covered. I'm very appreciative
that you're here and you're asking your opinions. Thank you,
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Thanks so much to Cindy for her time. A round
of applause for Sela for welcoming Whedian House and learning
more about their work. You can follow them to learn
more or contribute over on their website at www dot CELA,
NHC dot org. And a big hearty thank you to
(45:56):
Whedian House fans that showed support at our producer Jamie
show on December fourth. And here's a personal thank you
from Jamie.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
Hi, guys, it's Jamie.
Speaker 9 (46:06):
Thank you so much for coming out and thank you
for not mobbing THEEO after the show with all the fans.
He's just like us everyone.
Speaker 8 (46:16):
It's always feels.
Speaker 9 (46:16):
Nice to have a celebrity at the show. So thank
you for being there. Guys, this is really fun.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Thank you again, Jamie. If there's any other shows, just
let us know. We'll get the word out. Awesome and
as always, please like and subscribe and if you would
like to share your story on widion House, please reach
out to me at median House on Instagram or email
me at Wiedianhouse at gmail dot com. Whedian House is
(46:43):
the production of iHeartRadio. It is written, posted, and created
by me Theo Henderson, our producers Jbie Loftus Hayley Fager,
Katie Fischel, and Lyra Smith. Our editor is Adam Wand
and our local art is also by Katie Fischer. Thanks
for listening.
Previously on We the un Housed, What is your feelings
on the new president as well as the Grant's past ruling.
Have you heard of what Grant passes? No, I'm not familiar.
Have you heard of for the Gwen eighteen is No?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I guess I'm hopeful because I see every single day
people that want to make a difference in, people that
want to see the change, changes that we needed to
make sure that every single neighbor is taken care of.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Welcome to weed the in House. I'm your host EO Henderson.
This week, right in time for the holidays, we're heading
back into the field and learning more about an unhoused
mutual aid organization on the east side of Los Angeles, Sila.
But first on House News, I would like to express
(00:57):
my profound frustration and disappointment on the verdict Daniel Penny received.
Before I break down the entire situation and how it
impacts the House community, I would like to take a
moment of silence to remember Jordan Neeli come with me
(01:21):
on this journey to break down the supposed heroism of
Daniel Penney and Luigi Maggione. Luigi Maggione's situation he has
been branded as a folk hero taking a shot at
the corporate health systems abuse of vulnerable people looking for
medical treatment to be covered. Conversely, there was none of
(01:45):
the same sympathy and empathy for another person that healthcare
system failed, and that's Jordan Neely. When Jordan Neely expressed
his frustration because he was hungry and because of the
trauma that he had endured, that the city did not
offer or have a sympathetic or empathetic heart or ear
(02:08):
for his troubles. Jordan Neely should be alive and be
able to have the appropriate health care plan to meet
his needs, same as the elderly grandmother who was denied
that chemotherapy treatment because insurance didn't cover it. Our society
relies on a stationary prism of right and wrong, law
(02:29):
and order, black and white, and it uses it to
meet its own prejudices and views of injustice applied to them.
Based on social media's comments and celebratory actions after Daniel
Penny's not guilty verter, it shows how the narrative was
crafted to justify Jordan Neely's death. Many of the things
(02:55):
Jordan Nearly did in his lifetime could be attributed to
his illness, financial circumstances and his inability to seek sustain
medical treatment because he did not have insurance. What is
also glaringly apparent is the nimbi like responses. Witnesses said
about mister Neely that he seemed dangerous, they were scared,
(03:19):
and because of his verbal outbursts, felt that Daniel Penny's
behavior was justified. Jordan Neely did not touch anyone on
that train, but the trained occupants touched Jordan Neely and
decided his life should be extinguished. New York has had
two separate instiduses where apparently unhoused people have killed house people.
(03:40):
It is not outside the rum of possibility. This vigilanteism
is to serve as a rallying cry to the next
Daniel Pennies of the world. As a final note, whenever
it is mentioned that we need a fair, balance and
equitable healthcare system, many are blamed, accused of being evil
(04:01):
socialists that want to take over the world. How much
better would our society be if we could provide healthcare
treatment for all without the bloodsuckers. And that's in house news.
When we come back more from the field, Welcome back
(04:25):
to Whedian House. When I went to see the services
that SELA offers the young house. I was just as
curious to learn about the participants who came to events
and use their services as I was about the volunteers. First,
during a Wednesday afternoon program, I spoke with a regular participant, Cabayo.
(04:46):
Here's our chack.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Hi wached Cabio. I started out everything great because I
was sixteen, and then he robbed a bottom. I was
from having everything to nothing. I lost my house and
I was just I was just so bad on drugs
and alcohol, and that's all I cared about at the time.
So I ended up sleeping on them because behind the
(05:11):
zampm on Fletcherian Riverside, and then from sixteen to two
thouy seventeen, it was just alcohol, drugs, just recycling just
to get drugs. And I got to a point that I,
I mean, I start smiling. I was thinking from south
into the river. So then I decided one of my
friends told me about SELA and this is uh, this
(05:32):
is late two thousand eighteen when they just first started.
So then I came to this church over the Silvery
Community Church, and from there my life started changing. First,
I got from connected to people's concern. So through them,
I got to Project Rookie in twenty twenty one. But
before that, in December eighteenth, two thousand nineteen, I said
(05:53):
that's it. I stopped drinking doing drugs and I've been
sober and clean since then. But it's funny because I
was recycling after I told God, please help me. God,
I won't drink ever again. I just need help. And
three days after that I said that, I came across
a six pack of beer and I was like, oh,
(06:14):
maybe he didn't hear me, and I said, nope, that's it,
and I gave it to the guys that recycling center.
And since then everything's been going good. I got house, seen,
I live in Koreatown. Now, I give back volunteering every Wednesday.
I've been volunteering another church a manual on Fridays, but
Stila's the one that got me connected. That was the
main thing. And then I come to church every Sunday.
(06:35):
I'm being part of the church. I'm a member of
the church now. So that's my.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Story, very impactful. So have you been having battles with
alcohol for a long time or.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I drink all my life? I mean since I was sixteen,
But I got out of control, and that's all I wanted,
you know. It was it was mainly like partying, but
then I sold drugs. I was selling drugs and from
coke to math. But when I hit the streets, I
just partied more. I mean I didn't. I didn't. I
didn't even want to live. I almost committed suicide, and
some of the sea like people help me. I just
(07:08):
got to the point, I mean, I let myself go.
I didn't care if I died. And then I just
actually I found through the pastor here. I started coming
to church and and I just gave my life to God.
And I said, you know, and I said, I didn't
go to no no twelve steps or anything. I just said,
that's it. And once I the first time, I stopped.
(07:28):
But it was hard. I went through withdrawals and all
kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So what do you see yourself doing in the future.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Well, right now, because I was, I was in them
for mental issues. So eight five, I'm want to be evaluated,
and I'm not I'm going to have to move out
in my apartment and then start working again. So I
used to do convince setups, so I don't I don't
mind working I just you know, I had to get to
Okay to do it, but I see myself giving back more,
(07:58):
you know. And if I had to work to pay,
I'll do that. But I just volunteer everywhere you get back.
If I wasn't homeless, I would have nervo felt this
church that I had new family, new friends here that
wouldn't have had it.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
If he wasn't.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
So I think by hitting rock about him, I felt
my new life.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Is there anything that you would like to offer for
people that are listening to your story or people that
may be going through something similar that you're going through
eating words of advice?
Speaker 3 (08:22):
So I encouragement the main thing I'm saying, because what
I did, it was God's fault. Everything was God's fault.
It wasn't my fault. But just started believing, I mean,
it's not god'swelt, I mean, and there is help out there.
It might take a while because it took me a
year and a half inside the shelter before I got
house seen, but there's people out there that care about you,
(08:43):
and there's a lot of services believing believing that you
could do it.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Thanks so much to Kabaya for his time. On a
second trip. I saw Stela's Saturday program, an all afternoon
event where hot in house people can get a hot meal,
close and connection to services. We heard from operations manager
maybe a Girl last week, and I also got the
chance to speak to their volunteer coordinator, Rachel sent off.
(09:11):
Here's our talk. Oh, thank you very much for taking
the time. When the last time I was here, it
was so busy you was doing everything and I didn't
really get a chance to sit down and talk to
you about what was going on. So I'm happy now
to talk to you about what's going on today. So
(09:33):
tell us what's going on today? That was so different
than the last time I seen.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Yes, so what's going on today is our Saturday dropping program,
and there's a Saturday outreach program that happened simultaneously, and
so all of our programs have very similar features. What
makes them different is in terms of the space that
we're able to occupy. Things can get a little more
hectic or a little more chaotic, there can be more
running around. And what's great about today is Saturday is
(10:00):
the day where we have found in our community that
comes to see us the services are most lacking.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
So we have a really large crowd.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
On Saturdays, and normally the running around that you saw
on Wednesday you'd be saying again, But in the aftermath
of the election, it's really activated and energize people. So
we have so many hands today. It's a mixture of
volunteers who we haven't been able to see for a
few months, who I got emails and it was like,
I'm coming back. I'm really sorry, I've been around for
(10:27):
a few months.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I'm back.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
And then it was also this immediate, beautiful onslaught of
people signing up for the first time. So it is
it's going to be very busy in there. But in
terms of how I feel this is we are so prepared.
We have an incredible group of people. I'm here to
just watch it all happen.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So the Thanksgiving holiday is swiftly reapproaching, and you know
this beautiful aromatic smell that we have here. Can you
talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yes, So what we do at CELA is because we
have so many programs during the week, we decide to
keep all of our programs on the dates they already are,
but we'll just make our programs within a week where
there's a holiday focused on doing whatever we can to
bring that energy into the space for everyone who's coming
to see us. And so what we're doing today is
we are very lucky to have started this organic partnership
(11:16):
with Chef Maurice, who runs a community organization called the
stew and his whole purpose and his work is how
is food and food justice used to create community and
love amongst everyone. So we are so grateful and excited
that he learned about us from an event and decided
that we matched with what he believes, which is an honor.
(11:37):
And so what's going on today is Chef Marie spent
all morning and all yesterday preparing a meal for our participants.
He dropped that meal off this morning. It was real
hot and ready, and of course we've had to spend
time setting up. So my coworker maybe and our volunteers
all spent this morning putting things in our food warmers
that the church here very kindly gives us access to.
So we are going to have a hot meal of
(11:59):
turkey and all of the sides that we associate with
Thanksgiving dinner. So we hope that that gives people a
sense of homing, community feeling, and then throughout the week
because of course, Thanksgiving still approaching, we have our usual
program on Wednesday where another community group called Everyday Action
is going to be bringing food over and Everyday Actions
(12:19):
focus similar to Chef Maurice and Isdew, it's all based
around food justice. The difference is that they're food rescue groups,
so they go to film sets, businesses, grocery stores where
things are being thrown out, and Everyday Action.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I think I've seen something on the Instagram about.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah they're Yeah, they are. I'm amazed. So we connect
with them throughout the week every week and it's so funny.
We'll get phone calls and it's like, there wasn't any
food at this Whole Foods, but I'm driving to Culver City.
They'll just drive around and find things. And a lot
of them have worked previously in films, so they know
kind of the timing of when film sets are, you know.
So it's really cool and this is kind of a
(12:58):
newer partnership and we're really excited because they've always done
this leading up to Thanksgiving where during the week they'll
plan like a really big cooking session and then we'll
deliver it to mutual aid groups and organizations that week.
And because we've had this partnership, they've asked us to
send some volunteers to help cook. So it's really cool
is that throughout the next few days, our volunteers, there, volunteers,
(13:20):
mutual aid groups are all going to meet in this
like industrial kitchen that they've gotten access to and then
deliver it to a bunch of groups across the city.
And we're very grateful that we're one of them. So
they'll be here on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Your exuberants is so contagious that I just was so
interested into the story of it, and so tell us
a little bit about how did you get caught up
into Seila?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Okay, so thank you so much. That's so lovely to hear.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley van I
Sherman Oaks, so I always have been very invested in
what's happening in this area. I live around here now
and so it's been a little bit of a journey.
And how I started getting involved in CILA, I did
a lot of community organized I was a college student
around tuition increases things like that, and that kind of
(14:04):
took me into labor organizing and like a research level,
very like kind of baby in that world and then
so I knew that being in this kind of space
was very important to me, and it led me to
journalism for a while, and which was amazing. I did
gotten to do a lot of cool research for places,
but being a freelance journalist is really hard and I
(14:25):
was burning out. And then a friend of mine, John Dowd,
was the vaunteer program director for one of Sela's programs,
who I'd known about SELA for a while. But I
appreciate the ACMI exuberance, but I can be very shy.
So even though I had like familiarity with things, I
just was like, Cela's really cool. I'll go if someone
goes with me maybe, And it was just I wasn't
making it happen. And I didn't like that because this
(14:47):
kind of work had been so important to me, but
for whatever reason, I'd been kind of away at a
desk for a while.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
I just was nervous.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And then my friend John was like, well, I'm the
program director, now, just come to SELA.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
That was in twenty twenty one when I.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Started volunteering and I started at our services desk, which
was way smaller than it is now. Our services desk
is where folks help with document assistance, phone calls, basically
anything to access public resources because as we know, case
management is a very overburdened and often inefficient system, and
(15:20):
so this was when that.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Had just started.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
So I was learning the ropes just a little bit,
and then I was working multiple jobs.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
It was just kind of hard to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And then the volunteer coordinator was the role at the time,
and it had been individual coordinators for each program on
a volunteer basis, and people were just burning out because
for great reason, it was just getting really big and
it was like people were like, I have a job
I don't have I can't figure this out. So then
my friend John was like, well you can't volunteers often
(15:48):
would you be interested in doing this?
Speaker 5 (15:50):
And so I just.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Started on a really baby level in twenty twenty two,
helping out with one program for a few hours a
week in addition to other work. And then it just
kept growing and growing, and then by the start of
this year it was like, we need someone to do
this full time because this is becoming overwhelming for everyone.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
And so now I'm here, Oh wow, that's such a
wonderful story of wonderful journey into it. What was the
exact thing that drew you to Sela Because you've had
mentioned you did different other capacities of different things, but
what was different about Sela than what you've been doing.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
So I think what pulled me into Sila so deeply
is something that I hope volunteers feel now that I'm
the one welcoming them in, is there was no barrier
to entry. There's no barrier to entry for a participant,
there's no barrier to entry for a volunteer. And what
I feel happened to me is that when I started volunteering,
(16:45):
I had missed when I had this community of people
where we all had the same focus, we all wanted
to work towards helping people experiencing the same type of injustice.
And I had been, you know, tapping into multiple groups,
but there was something about where it was just oh,
I'm immediately in it, like this is my first day,
but I'm on the phone with this participant sister and
(17:06):
I'm trying to help her find where a form is
and I just was immediately in and so that I
just felt a responsibility very quickly where I was like, Okay,
if I'm going to be here, need to be here
because you kind of dive in so quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
That's one of the things too, is that on the
other side of the coin, if people are doing this
haphazard or apathetically, it kind of weeds them out, it seems.
Let me, I was going to ask you, like, suppose
that you met someone like you Rachel, come in and
she's shy and things, what would you do to make
her welcome like you feel?
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Yes, So that happens a lot, and I relate to it.
And so what I makes me really happy about the
fact that my role expanded so I had the time
to do this is if I'm at a program and
I welcome somebody in there new, but I can I
can just tell saying hi, welcome wasn't quite enough.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
I will kind of stick with them throughout the shift
in a way like I won't be overbearing, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
But if I notice that volunteers who know each other
or newer volunteers who are just a little more open,
if everyone's kind of starting to form a circle in
chat because there's a lull or all hanging out with
a participant, we all know, and I see a volunteer
who just doesn't quite have the energy, doesn't feel quite welcome.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
I'm like kind of hone in on them and I'm like, what, so,
what brought you over here? Like like how's it been
so far? Who've gotten a chat with?
Speaker 4 (18:29):
And I'll just kind of move them into the space,
and I think it's been working. I just hope it
is because I have such experience with leaving spaces because
I was.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Like, oh, maybe they don't need me, And I think
it's also it's obviously that's just how I feel as a.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Person, But I do think is an organizing tactic, like
the society we want does not exist. If we're going
to create it, it has to be everywhere. Like it's like,
of course our folks and we're here as we have
a very clear mission. But if somebody's coming here to
join that mission or to learn about it, they've just
seen everything going on and they're like, I can't take
it any morning to do something. Someone has to be
(19:06):
there to educate them and usher them in and be
like you're on the journey now you're going to learn things.
And so it's part just like this is a community space.
If I'm part of that community. I want that to happen,
but it is like.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
We need it to happen, which on that same conversational
point yesterday, which by the time this airs, it's going
to be some time. But the thing of it is
is that I went to UCLA to speak at a class,
and I was an activist in Residents in twenty twenty two,
so I do keep ties with the university in many respects.
But I went and spoke to the mobile clinic, and
(19:39):
I was speaking with the students, and it begs the
question because of the fact that many could elucidate or
very eloquently on the issues of what's going on in Palestine.
They could talk about some of the atrocities in Sudan
and the Congo. And when I asked him about the
(20:00):
issues about Grant's past and the difference between the Grant's
past and forty one eighteen, I was met with complete silence.
They didn't know what happened with the elderly and the
un housed over in Almonte recently. They were at a loss.
So I would like your insight on your take on
what do you feel with the Trump presidency. I hate
(20:23):
to say the name, but as well as the ruling
with Grant's pasts recently from June twenty eighth, What do
you foresee it's going to get much more better for
unhoused people or what is your insight on what do
you think is going to happen.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
So I honestly personally feel like I'm preparing for the worst.
At CILA, we are preparing for people to be more
targeted than they already are. Some already are, but exactly
people are already being targeted, and we see that, like
our outreach volunteers especially see that. And so what I
what I feel like we're trying to do right now
(21:01):
is very similar to what you said. A lot of
people don't know what grants Pass is, or if they've
heard of it, they don't know how deadly it's going
to be. And so for me, a focus has been
the education aspect. Like I think it's amazing that we
have so many new volunteers today. I don't know if
any of them have heard of Grant's Pass, but they're
(21:22):
here now, so they're gonna But so one of the
things we're trying to do is we've started to do
these larger education summits or organized events and so we
just had the first one, and Grant's pass was a focus.
But this is something I was just talking to some
people about. It was that whole day was sort of
an experiment where it was like, how many things can
we fit in one day? We have all these people
(21:43):
in the same place, we just have to get as
much out as we can. And that was great because
now we have a lot of people with like small
amounts of a lot a lot of information, you know.
But now it's like we have to kind of go deep.
And so the next one that I'm starting to think
about what it's going to look like terms time and
all of that, is I think we would only be
focusing on Grant's past and only focusing on resources for
(22:06):
documented participants and or trans participants.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
So I think it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Because we obviously look like I do a lot of
learning about what's going to happen in January, because we
already see what's happening under our current administration, you know,
So it's like we're going to be entering even a
different time. And so yeah, it's going to be a
lot of education on our end. With the goal of
that education that has to turn into Okay, services volunteers.
(22:33):
This is what a lawyer from this organization who very
kindly came to speak to us says, we need to
be prepared for. We need to start learning about this,
We need to start having these kinds of connections ready
to go. We need to have phone numbers of certain people.
So we just have to start figuring out what that's
going to look like.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
The difficulty the equal footing that house and unhoused people
have is that it's not widely known, and it's the
nuances and the details are not widely dispersed enough. For example, recently,
we've had a couple of climate change events cataclysmic where
there was a flooding and disasters over in North Carolina
(23:10):
and people's houses were devastated, And I asked the question,
are those residents fall under to the Grants Pass ruling?
For example, there's been brushfires recently and there's people's homes
has been deemed not habitable. Are they under the same
auspices of grants Pass ruling because they're on housed or
(23:31):
displays and some of the monies that we've been hearing
is not adequate enough to resurrect their housing and their
way of life. That they had before, so what are
they going to do? And as predictably, people are going
to migrate in different areas, and we have shown as
a country that we're not the most welcoming of people
that coming from different places inwardly and definitely externally. So
(23:54):
I think that one of the conversation points that understand
how poorly thought out Grant's pass is, but also how
it affects people who had not contemplated that this issue
was going to apply to them.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
I just want to second everything you said. I feel
like what's been going on, like with Hurricane Heleen and
all of that, it's just like an intersection like every
evil of this country, like climate, like capitalism, housing justice.
I read something how obviously these folks are still sheltered,
but when yeah, yeah, but even like tenants, people who
(24:29):
live in apartment buildings there. I was just reading about
how when there's these environmental disasters, the first people to
not have any protection are renters, and so then of
course it's going to lead to more people who are
in house and so it is just like so psychlical
and scary, and so I think I disagree with everything
you said, and I think what we're thinking about in
(24:53):
Los Angeles and in the neighborhoods we go to specifically
are like one of our outreach leads lest who I
think you may have met. She is really focused on
supporting folks along the river. And one of those issues
that is trying to be figured out is that so
many people have had to go to the river because
there's areas where they can seek more privacy and they're
(25:15):
may be less likely to be harassed. Yes there's park
rangers all that, but people just being able to figure
it out to be able to escape that.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
Kind of harassment. And now there's two things.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
It's like, well, there's real, real interested people trying to
find them now because of Grant's pass. So if you
have that, but then you also have what's going with
the climate where some people are not able to move
their things because there's less time between.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
It used to be like sorry, feel going in circles.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
But it used to be that if we had knew
a storm was coming, our volunteers would maybe feel like
they had Okay, this Saturday or this Sunday, we can
warn people that there might be a storm in a
few days.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
And now it's been you wake up this.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Morning and a storm is happening and the city isn't
warning them, you know so, And on.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
A smaller scale, I want to point out, and I
always do this, It's not an accident. If you ever
watch my twitters or my Instagram postings, I make it
a point to when I go to places. But also
here is that because most unhoused people that die are
dying from hypothermic depths here and there has been no
posting that I have seen yet from their baths. That's
(26:23):
just talk about there are any warming stations anybody being
driven to anywhere. There is no conversation whatsoever. They have
conversation of removing people and put them in insights starving,
but they don't show and they don't make it an
effort that is a continuing effort. Particularly because we're dealing
with climate change, we should be vigilant in talking about
(26:44):
these environmental disasters because the first people that deal with
them are not house people. It's unhoused people. And they
have to deal with smoke from the brush fires, They
have to deal with the high temperature index in the
small they have to deal with the colder climbs, they
have to deal with the heat. Wait, they have to
deal with anything that's environmentally that's going to impact their
(27:04):
survival on top of the antipathy of society as well.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
So absolutely, I just heard somebody says, I can't remember now,
but talking about how unhoused folks are literally on the
front lines of the climate crisis because production just isn't
there for obviously reasons we are all very aware of,
and so yeah, it's just we are really saying how
all of this is intersecting to create a really bad situation.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
And I think just for us.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
On like the hyperlocal level, I really feel like the
La River is such an example of what's going to
happen or what is happening.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
It's not going to happen, it is happening.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
When I went out there. Yeah, that's basically part of
the Yeah. Well so yeah, I could tell you it's
not voting. Well, but here's a humdinger that I want
you to to contemplate on. Did you see and I
noticed I saw all of the notices and awareness of things,
But did you see any notice about getting the in
(28:00):
house out of the places in North Carolina the safety
did you see? I didn't know, And I know they
can't believe it can be so utopia. They didn't have
they didn't know anybody that lived on the street or
a house person. I find out how to believe as
much as houselessness is everywhere I've gone, and I've seen
so where you know, they didn't you didn't see it,
(28:20):
and I didn't see it, And I dare say that
this is going to be something that's going to be
calamitous because of the fact that this is going to
be a new normal and there's going to be a
lot of people displaced and they're not going to understand
the nuances of displacement and how they fit into the
whole wheelhouse of houselessness.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Yeah, I'm just thinking about what you just said. Like,
I know that there are local papers and so I
never want to say like it didn't, but I'm thinking
about I don't. I don't think I've seen an article
about like how the unhoused folks are doing.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
You know, a lot of people were not fortunate that
had houses. So I cannot believe that that the unhoused
people just magically floated on the water, Yeah, balked on
the water and floated to safety somewhere else they had,
you know, because then I know there's a housing unhoused
crisis there as well as just like everyone else, so
that conversation always get overlooked into mainstream society. And I
(29:16):
was just walk more Worth keeping median house, going having
these questions and pushing people to look at the larger
implications of what this, what it means to be displaced
and unhoused, and it is not a personal failing. You know,
no one said that they were wrong. And the storms
were there with God's john judgment to wash out you know,
you know, uh, you know Jay Walkers or people that
(29:38):
didn't pay their taxes, you know, they definitely are. We're
undergoing a whole cataclysmic and environmental push to reduce our chances.
I think I covered everything. I just want to make
sure that if you had anything you wanted.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
To say, I'm so excited to be able to talk
to you. I think one thing I would just like
to say is that I like to think of CELA
as a place where obviously we're taking action, but it's
also a community and it's a place to learn about
why these things are happening. So I just hope anybody
listening feels welcome to visit our website to sign up.
You will get an email from me if you do.
(30:17):
We're a very very small place, so we're Cela NHC
dot org.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
So yeah. So one of the things that is so.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Great about this community and really feels restorative when everything
is really horrible, is that this organization is volunteer run,
started by volunteers. Like there's three of us on staff now,
but it is fully following the direction of the people
who are out what our participants need and what our
participants tell our volunteers they need. And so what's great
is volunteers just start doing things and they just let
(30:47):
they just let you know and we'll just post about it.
So one of our volunteers, Lauren Girral, is a stand
up comedian and she has trying to organize a monthly
mutual aid comedy show where because of connection she has
in the work she does trying to bring audiences and
all of the ticket sales just go to Cela and
our ability to purchase supplies. So that is the third
Wiel Comedy in East Hollywood, eight pm.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
But it's on Cela's Instagram, so you can check out.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Thanks so much to Rachel. And when we come back
more from our field reporting at CELA. Welcome back. This
is theil Henderson with Weedy and House. My next interview
is with one of the hundreds of volunteers that keeps
SELA going, Susie. Susie is a long time volunteer who
(31:39):
does outreach and builds connection in the Young House community
to help connect people with services. I called her right
before heading out to catch up with folks on a Saturday.
Here's our talk. Thank you for taking the time to
talk with me, and I want to get some just
a general idea. I noticed you're having a kind of orientation,
(32:01):
so can you give us in a thumbnail sketch on
what are the things that you look for when you
go out to help the unhouse and where the supplies
that you supply.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
This is just one of the programs that SEALA provides
on Saturdays and outreach volunteers go out on four or
potentially five different routes and we bring with us water
snacks which can mean like granola bars and tunicns and
things like that, and we hand out hygiene kits which
are all donated and are built by people who are
(32:33):
donating them. So that includes shampoo conditioners, soap, hand sanitizer sometimes,
toilet paper sometimes and are very very sought after by
people who are living on the street. Also we hand
out sometimes cat and dog food. We have certain seasonal
products that we hand out so like cooling cloths during
the summer, sunscreen and during the winter.
Speaker 8 (32:55):
We sometimes have hats and gloves.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
And then yes, we hand out harm reduction kits which
include safe, clean needles.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Why is this so necessary in this.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
You know a number of percentage of unhoused people are
using drugs and we are trying to destigmatize drug use.
And I think a big, you know problem with why
drug overdoses and you know, drug use in general has
kind of gone awry is because it is stigmatized and
(33:29):
not dealt with as you know, social pandemic of sorts.
And so we provide the clean needles and clean smoking
kits because we know that these are people who are
going to use these drugs no matter what, and if
they don't get clean supplies, they're going to use supplies
that are not clean and they could be more dangerous.
(33:51):
We also provide testing kits for fentanyl and trenk and
other things that can make the drug use done more safely.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Two things are you worried about the outrage of because
I know there are nimbies which is acromen for not
in my backyard or in Layman's terms to Karen's for
against the un House that they have always complained about
the needles or the apparatuses that are used in it.
And what would you say to your listeners in order
(34:20):
for them to have compassion. One of the things that
I know, I've had family members that were suffering with alcohol,
and the thing of it is that we had such
a just say no to drugs. But that's the most
dangerous thing to do to tell to someone that's an
alcoholic because they cannot just detox off of drugs clean,
because there's the whole host of health the things that
(34:41):
they have to do before that. And I don't think
people realize when we make blanket statements those things are
not taking in consideration. But what's your insight on this?
Speaker 7 (34:52):
Like I said, I feel like if we don't hand
out clean supplies, they're going to find supplies. There's still
going to be needles on the ground. It's just going
to be You know that that that's something that's just
inevitable in this climate. We do hand out sharps, containers
and things like that, so there is a way for
it to be you know, done more sanitarily. But you know,
(35:13):
just because someone is not giving them needles or smoking
kids doesn't mean it's going to stop. And now there
all won't be needles on the ground. I also think
very strongly, and this goes for all the things we
do at SILA, is we're building trust with these people
and when they see that we're not judging them for
what they do, and we're providing them with things they
need and things to keep them safe, that if the
(35:36):
time comes when they want to go into rehab or
when they want to talk to somebody about their drug use,
or they want to have us connect them with a
rehab or something like that, or a case manager, then
they'll trust us because they won't be like, oh, this
person judges me for my drug use, or this person
has been preaching.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
To me about something or other.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
You know, these are people who are very wary of
the system for good reason. And you know, a cop
comes up to them every day and is trying to
be their best friend and then throws them at jail
or takes away all their belongings. You know, they're not
going to go to a cop and you know, ask
for help. So we're that sort of in between of
people who are not being paid to do this. We
(36:17):
are doing this out of our own heart. We're just
trying to humanize these people. We are their neighbors and
we just want them to know that there are some
people out there who do care about them, who see
them as humans, and they're not just trying to get
them arrested thrown off the street.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
So so singly and well put, I also wanted to
ask one last thing, and I know you have to go,
is that do you see an improvement with the new
presidency as well as the Grant's past ruling? How do
you see these two coinciding events are big on the
boat well for the unheuse community or not?
Speaker 7 (36:50):
No hands down the you know, there was a motion
that was passed in LA to prevent people from camping
on the streets a couple of yeah, and.
Speaker 8 (37:04):
It has completely failed. They've admitted that it's failed.
Speaker 7 (37:06):
And you know, sweeping people off an area, it just
means they go to another area.
Speaker 8 (37:10):
People don't seem to understand that.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
So the Grants pass is just a greater version of that,
and it is just there are not.
Speaker 8 (37:17):
Enough places for these people to go. People are very selfish.
Speaker 7 (37:20):
They just want don't want to see them on their street,
but they're going to end up on someone else's street.
And until we have enough places to put people, enough
places that can give them care, these kinds of rulings
are completely useless.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
I wanted to point out two different differences. Are always
trying to do this now Footing with eighteen had basically
had giving some kind of rain in order for not
the beast to be unleashed. And I say, if there's
a better metaphor of grants past is unleash the beast,
particularly if you listen to the Elmante episode on the
effects of places like in Oregon where they are just
(37:55):
coming out and sweeping on house people in all hours
of the night and making disappear and there's no really
stop gap to prevent the complete beasts to come out.
You know, there was forty one or eighteen was a beast,
but the beasts had arranged. Yeah, you know, there was
to some limits, there were some things that they couldn't
just go away with. But the Supreme Court just said
that that's not an uncruel and unusual punishment to unleash
(38:19):
and hunt down unhouse people at all hours of the night,
any time of the day, to criminalize him or make
fell in need in Tennessee. Against being in house in
public spaces, it's much more, it has much more tease.
So I want to always elucidate that difference.
Speaker 7 (38:35):
Sure, and I mean, I want to believe in mayorbas
who has said that she will not be implementing it.
But Newsom came down here and did it firsthand. He
did it on his own, and it broke my heart.
Like I look, I Mayorbas, I do give her credit
for getting people into interim housing.
Speaker 8 (38:55):
She has definitely upped that ante.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
But it's a bottleneck, I mean, and we're going to
end up in a situation where you know, people are
going to be sick of being an interim housing and
they'll be back on the street where it's more comfortable,
or they're not getting their stuff stolen, or it's you know,
they have more freedom. So until we have more permanent
support of housing, you know, this is just going to
(39:17):
be a vicious cycle no matter where you sweet people to.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Unfortunately, it's already a vicious cycle because of the food quality,
the castle rules, the non existent or harsh case management
that they have going on. And unfortunately in other episodes,
I've talked about inside Starving and the residents that are
living under her rule. And most recently and in my
area in Little Tokyo on New York City Hall where
(39:42):
they were in house community members that they supposedly put
it inside Starving, then they put a fence that back
over theirs that they can't return. So these kind of
measures gives me pause because it's like it's they don't
want you to see them. And they say that there's
a success, and then they put the fence back because
they know it's not. Because if it was a success,
then why would you need to put this elaborate fence
(40:04):
all around city Hall and all around across the street
where they work. So you're sending the message that don't
come back.
Speaker 8 (40:10):
Or go back or like another place.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
And with grants passed with a lot of the people
in elmani is they had got together and says we're
just going to go deeper into the woods. But that
didn't solve anything. Now they got sheriffs on horseback hunting
them down in the middle of the night. Get you know,
so it's that's the reality of what's going on when
you see these fences or when you see these new
constructions like out in Chatsworth, when you see these new
(40:35):
obstacles are on the streets where our v's are, it's
it's this is like I said, I just was curious
on their perspective, and I thank you for your time
and I really appreciate you giving me your insight on
what's going on. And how long have you been doing this?
This type of.
Speaker 7 (40:52):
Outreach work I started like during pandemic basically when they
when CILA didn't have volunteers for a while during pandemic,
but when they started letting people back, started going out
and learned from a couple amazing outreach leads who were
just so fantastic. And I would go out and see
these people that they had been seeing for a long time,
who were just so excited to see them, and we
(41:14):
would sit and chat with them, and sometimes you know,
people are just like, oh, but you can't give them
housing because sila's we're a nonprofit, we're not a case,
we're not a service provider.
Speaker 8 (41:23):
We can't give people housing.
Speaker 7 (41:25):
But people the joy that they get of someone just
coming by and acknowledging them and handing them water, even
if it's nothing else, is worth the three hours that
I spend on a Saturday doing this. I mean you'll
see as you when you go to our on site program.
Speaker 8 (41:41):
It's a lot of joy. It's a great.
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Community, and you know, a lot of these people don't
talk to anybody all day, and so Cela really provides
this kind of just baseline, consistent group of amazing people
that go out and just really acknowledge our neighbors as
human beings.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Thanks so much to Susie. And finally I spoke with
long time Selia participants Cindy during a program. Cindy tell
us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 6 (42:17):
Well, my name is Cindy McAllister, and I listed transgender
man to a woman. I've been coming to Seilia for
about a year and a half now, and Celia people
are so welcoming and so friendly. I donate my time
here and I try to be a friend to everybody
who I know who comes here. I try to be
a positive attitude and I make lots of friends just
(42:38):
because I'm a nice person. I don't know what to say.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
How long have you been coming to Ceila.
Speaker 6 (42:44):
We think probably about sixteen months or eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
What made you come to Seila? What was that?
Speaker 3 (42:50):
Well?
Speaker 6 (42:51):
I used to live like two blocks down and one
day I went by on a Wednesday and I saw
these times outside and I was like, what is that
going on there? So next week I wandered on and
saw that Ondnesday afternoon thing, and then they invited me
to Saturday, and I fell in love with the people
and everything, so I started coming every week. People are
so friendly and they're so helpful to you. Today I
(43:12):
went for clothing. They brought me like a dozen things
to choose from. Very very friendly and very helpful.
Speaker 1 (43:17):
It sounds like they give you choices to be able
to make. Have you experienced other places that have not
been that friendly?
Speaker 6 (43:24):
Yes, I sure have. I won't mention any names, but
those places who like they'll give you one piece of
clothing and you don't have any options?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Wow? Yeah? And how does that make you feel?
Speaker 4 (43:36):
Well?
Speaker 6 (43:37):
You feel appreciative they're giving you something, but you feel like,
why didn't you give me more choices? So it's I
like it. Hear better where they give you options?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Excellent? Are you are utilizing any other services by accept
the clothing.
Speaker 6 (43:51):
Yeah, they helped me with tap card, my Metro tap card,
and they helped me with food. Of course those are
the main things.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Ooh. So, like I said, you know, Stila has been
been a very big help for you, very very much.
Speaker 6 (44:06):
So, yes, they've been so supportive. When I was moving,
they helped me move. I use the transport, public transportation.
They helped me with their van to move things when
I was moving, and they've been very very very supportive.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
You were living on the streets when you were at
one point, yes, it was.
Speaker 6 (44:22):
And then I lived for twenty two months in somebody's
living room and then they helped me move into where
I'm living in now.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Oh wonderful. So they offer a variety of services for
you and they definitely seem to be a big proponent.
So what's next for you with are you staying continuing
to come to you?
Speaker 6 (44:39):
Oh yeah, I come here on Wednesday and Saturday, usually
right now because of day night taming, saving the time,
I try to leave early so i'm home before dark.
But i'd like to I'll sit at the desk and
I'll sign people in, I'll help, you know, donate my time,
and sometimes I come here like today just to hang
out with my friends.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Excellent. Do you know anything about the grants past ruing? No, Well,
that's one of the issues. Well, fortunately you're not going
to have to deal with recently, but it's that deals
with people that are living on the street and how
the police can now criminalize on house people violently without
any restrictions or any ramifications.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (45:19):
Well, is there anything else that I missed that you
want to talk about?
Speaker 6 (45:23):
No, I think I've got it covered. I'm very appreciative
that you're here and you're asking your opinions. Thank you,
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Thanks so much to Cindy for her time. A round
of applause for Sela for welcoming Whedian House and learning
more about their work. You can follow them to learn
more or contribute over on their website at www dot CELA,
NHC dot org. And a big hearty thank you to
(45:56):
Whedian House fans that showed support at our producer Jamie
show on December fourth. And here's a personal thank you
from Jamie.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
Hi, guys, it's Jamie.
Speaker 9 (46:06):
Thank you so much for coming out and thank you
for not mobbing THEEO after the show with all the fans.
He's just like us everyone.
Speaker 8 (46:16):
It's always feels.
Speaker 9 (46:16):
Nice to have a celebrity at the show. So thank
you for being there. Guys, this is really fun.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Thank you again, Jamie. If there's any other shows, just
let us know. We'll get the word out. Awesome and
as always, please like and subscribe and if you would
like to share your story on widion House, please reach
out to me at median House on Instagram or email
me at Wiedianhouse at gmail dot com. Whedian House is
(46:43):
the production of iHeartRadio. It is written, posted, and created
by me Theo Henderson, our producers Jbie Loftus Hayley Fager,
Katie Fischel, and Lyra Smith. Our editor is Adam Wand
and our local art is also by Katie Fischer. Thanks
for listening.
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