Central City East/Skid Row Heights : Downtown Los Angeles

Don Garza - Downtown Los Angeles With the likes of Dick Van Dyke and Anthony Hopkins the homeless of skid row were treated like they are every year to a wonderful sit down meal of Turkey , dressing , and all of the trimmings. This year many were thankful for the opportunity to be there as well as get a hot meal on Thanksgiving day. Dick Van Dyke and Senior Lead officer Skid Row Deon Joseph Dick Van Dyke , Anthony Hopkins , Barry Liss , Councilwoman Jan Perry Tim Leiweke , Greg Townsend , and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa "What our guests really get out of this event is to get a chance to see the greater community serving them, caring about them and helping them understand that they may feel forgotten but they're not," said Orlando Ward, Midnight Mission.

DON GARZA- Downtown Los Angeles Skid Row can be a blessng or a curse. This CNN story covers the blessing. It took 10 years for my blessing to happen thanks to the help of the Midnight Mission . This young gentleman stayed at the Union Rescue Mission. He never gave up. We should never give up and never look down and keep our heads held high.

I am always reminded that I am a true Texan and we never give up nor give in when right and freedom are our cause...

The non-profits are getting ready to begin their Holiday Season. As Always the Midnight Mission hosts their Thanksgiving Street fair on the actual Thanksgiving day . The festivities bring out lot's of music, esp the Music of the Midnight Mission all volunteer blues band. The Music fills the streets on 6th Street between San Julian Street and San Pedro. This year will be Thursday November 26Th . The Los Angeles Mission will have their Thanksgiving festival on 5Th street between Wall Street and San Pedro on November 25Th . The Union Rescue Mission will have their Thanksgiving Street Fair on Saturday November 21st . The Fred Jordan Mission will also be having their Thanksgiving on the Street on November 26Th . It will be held between Crocker and Gladys on 5Th street. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!!!

Have I given up my skid row citizenship? I don't know, but it is strange to be living in a part of the community that isn't full of crime and folks sleeping on the streets, no smell of weed intermixed with the smell of crack cocaine. No feeling that the criminals will get me , no one walking by me and saying threatening things only I can hear related to my work with the LAPD and the non-profits. It is also quite interesting to know that I had to put these fears , these thoughts of seeing human beings suffering, into the far recesses of my mind everyday I was in skid row. To think that this is a traumatic experience , I can assure you living in skid row everyday is a traumatic experience , thus, now I dread having to go there and all I have to do is get the rest of my belongings. Skid Row is as raw as it gets. The naked human condition. The predators , both sexual and drug enslavers , are everywhere. I mean , where else can you live and a person goes around showing you a nu...