LA’s Fight Against Homelessness

Homeless in Los Angeless*

If you haven't lived in or worked in the City of Angels or if you haven’t physically walked the streets of LA, you probably wouldn't know or believe that Los Angeles is arguably the Homeless Capital of America.

Homeless Lady at Skid Row, Downtown Los Angeles

Statistically though in recent years, other U.S. metropolitan areas have more homeless people than in LA. The number of homeless people in the City of Angels is nonetheless still growing and homelessness is still a big challenge.

LA County is still “home” to over 58,000 homeless people. Most of them are within the City of Los Angeles alone. Sadly, it is estimated that about a fourth of these individuals are mentally ill, a fourth are physically disabled, there is a big number of unaccompanied children, most of the homeless were physically or sexually abused and a few are U.S. veterans of various wars.

Source: Poverty Insights

Homelessness Growing

To make matters worse, we see no respite to the creeping number of people being forced to become homeless every single day, due to various reasons such unemployment, home foreclosures, divorce, suicide, violent crimes, various problems at home and at school, gambling, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and other addictions.

Ending Homelessness

Every year, on one Saturday of November, United Way of Greater Los Angeles organizes HomeWalk, a 5K (Run/Walk) to end homelessness in LA. 

And each year, HomeWalk is asking people to get involved and help in the fight against this growing giant and menace.

For this year, check the details and the schedule on the United Way website.

#TeamKobe @ HomeWalk

If you don’t know anything about HomeWalk then you at least should probably know Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. For years, Kobe’s been partnering with various organizations such as the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and United Way. In fact since 2011, he has been Honorary Chair of HomeWalk.

#HomeWalk

Normally HomeWalk starts early at the Exposition Park, at 700 Exposition Park Blvd, in front of the Los Angeles Country Natural History Museum.

If you cannot join, you can always give a donation to United Way, or you can donate to sponsor a runner or a group of runners. Find out how you can help at the website of United Way of LA and join hands with Kobe Bryant to solicit funds to help shelters and other institutions assisting the ever growing number of homeless people in LA.

See you there.

Like this at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UWGLA

HomeWalk: http://www.homewalkLA.org

Source: LAHSA.org

*Homeless in Los Angeless
(Living without a home and without an angel in the cash-strapped City of Angels)