By Dianne Anderson All the backs of buildings and hidden places of Santa Ana became familiar territory for Pennie Mack, which was just like home for ten years until she got sick and tired of being sick and tired. She slept around the flags of the Civic Center for years, living on the walkway where ...

By Dianne Anderson Those that have it to give will dig deep in their closets and pantries this weekend in support of the city’s fifth big donation drive-through to help the homeless, and the nonprofits who serve them. On Saturday, July 29, the drive-through runs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Main Facilities ...

By Dianne Anderson Everyone that is anyone doing big things in the community usually has one special internal motivator in common – they can’t stop until they right the wrongs to balance the scales. So it is with Shakoya Green, executive director of Thomas House Shelter in Garden Grove. Born and raised in Compton, both ...

Rep. Pete Aguilar announced a total of $4,000,000 in federal funding he secured to support sustainable affordable housing and supportive services in San Bernardino. Aguilar secured $1,000,000 for the Sustainable Communities Catalyst Project—a program designed to create and preserve affordable housing while revitalizing local neighborhoods. This funding will help transform vacant lots into energy efficient ...

By Dianne Anderson As the city of Long Beach tries to deal with soaring homelessness, new projects are in the works, including safe parking space for those living in cars, an increase in the police department’s Quality of Leadership team, and a call out for new community partnerships, with funding, to serve the unhoused. On ...

By Dianne Anderson Word on the street is that the homeless may not be able to afford an apartment, but they might be able to afford a self-storage unit to live in. It’s not so far-fetched, but unlikely safe and hard to get at the real numbers. The homeless are stealthy. As hot as it’s ...

By Dianne Anderson Renter protections ended last Thursday in California, leaving community advocates worried that if it’s not already on the radar of local leadership, it will be soon. Felicia Jones with Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement is bracing for the inevitable fallout of the end of the eviction moratorium with countless thousands of renters ...

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Gov. Gavin Newsom says his administration is emphasizing combating drug addiction and mental illness as part of the state’s multi-year plan to solve California’s homelessness crisis – the worst in the country. Newsom says focusing on those health needs of unhoused people is a component of his ongoing ...

By Dianne Anderson It’s that time of year again when Love in the Mirror ramps up efforts for more volunteers, calling for the very young to the seniors, to come out and give in the form of socks, socks, and more socks. Socks are the most in-demand item for the homeless. “Our goal every year ...

By Dianne Anderson When Tamara Lincoln first saw the statistics on the high level of homeless students at Long Beach City College, she was shocked, but she was not surprised. She had been there and done that, but even worse, she had to go through it alone with her kids. At the time, she was ...