When most people think of Los Angeles they often think of Hollywood, the glitz and glam of celebrity homes and big movie studios. While all these elements of LA are wonderful, in the shadows of that image is the truth that many of us don’t want to face: the growing numbers of people who are missing and homeless.
Robin Burton Wells struggled to find her mother who suffered from mental illness and assumed to be living homeless and missing for over 20 years. Her friend Mia De La Torre (far left) spent most of her childhood frequenting Skid Row with her mother. These two women, inspired by their own journeys and their exposure to the streets, came together and founded Missing and Homeless Feed The Need Outreach in Los Angeles and Metro St. Louis.
Photo courtesy of @feedtheneedLA on Facebook
Missing and Homeless Feed The Need Outreach is determined to break the homelessness cycle and to be the change. Once a month Mia and the Feed The Need Outreach Los Angeles Team, meet up to do community and street outreach. Their ultimate mission is to feed and clothe the homeless community in Los Angeles. Missing and Homeless Feed The Need Outreach also works as an “agency” where community members can share a missing person’s flier or notice for those assumed to be homeless. Their team is made up of ordinary people coming together to help displaced individuals living on our streets. These volunteers serve hundreds of hungry people at Glady’s Park in Skid Row.
Photo courtesy of @feedtheneedLA on Facebook
Last month they asked for food donations and each volunteer also brought a potluck dish. “This was well received by our homeless community. It was more than just a bagged lunch to them. It was home cooked meals made with love” says Mia.
Photo courtesy of @feedtheneedla on Facebook
Missing and Homeless Feed the Need LA Outreach is a relatively new group that aims to bring awareness to the homeless epidemic in LA while bringing different communities together. What makes the organization special are the volunteers who get acquainted and build authentic relationships with the individuals they serve. Many of the community members who are involved have had some exposure and understanding of the hardships that one encounters when living on the streets. They focus on reuniting families and breaking homelessness myths. They have been posting flyers of missing loved ones at their feeding events and have successfully found over 20 missing people so far. In a short time, they have reunited many people with their families (which is not at all an easy task given that many suffer from mental illness).
Their goals for the upcoming year are to become registered as a 501 (c) non- profit charity. This is a lengthy and costly process, but the outcome will mean more access to resources that can help the missing & homeless. They are also trying to source a legal representative to help with the paperwork; although this task has been daunting they remain hopeful, and they believe will get there in the next 12 months. This organization has been able to accomplish all of this because of the kindness and generosity of others.
Their next serving date is this Sunday, July 31st. They are in need of food donations, hygiene items, clothing donations and as always, volunteers!
Photo courtesy of feedtheneedLA on facebook
I personally will be donating as much food as I possibly can. I invite and encourage you to do the same. In my opinion, no one should have to go hungry. If we all contribute a little bit, we can make a BIG difference to those who don’t have access to food. So help out. Share some of your favorite foods. If nothing else, it’s good Karma.