Los Angeles Homelessness: Chronicle Project Tells 3 Inspiring Stories (VIDEO)

"There's so many different types of situations that can cause homelessness. You really can't stereotype it. You really can't." These are the words of 17-year-old Michelle, who lives in Skid Row with her mother and four younger siblings.

In the video above, Chronicle Project tells three stories of homelessness in Los Angeles. First, there's Michelle, who lives with her family at the Union Rescue Mission in Skid Row.

"How did this happen? To us! My mom isn’t abusive. She's not an alcoholic. She's never done drugs," Michelle said.

Next, there's Pops, who walked into the Union Rescue Mission two years ago, after spending over fifty years of his life as a heroin addict. Now, Pops is the man who restores dignity to LA's homeless, providing toothbrushes, deodorant and the like at the mission's men's hygiene department. Pops explains what helped him become sober at the mission: "They gave me a lot of love. And I've never experienced that before. Never."

Last, we meet Maurice, 14, who lives with his mother and two younger siblings at Hope Gardens Family Center. Maurice shows off his own room, noting with a smile that he's never had a backyard before. He said, "Life before here was basically miserable for me."

Maurice is studying at a science academy and gets to learn about flying and even fly in a helicopter. His dream is to become a pilot.

With an estimated homeless population of 82,000, Los Angeles has more homeless individuals and families than any other city in the country. Click to donate to the Union Rescue Mission or Hope Gardens Family Center.

Comments

[Holly Smoke]

08:09 AM on 02/22/2012

Wow!! We are talking luxury here ,comparing to the other part of the world !!

[leorangerie]

09:05 PM on 02/21/2012

I donate to the Union Rescue Mission. But I donate more to Planned Parenthood.

[stjoshy]

09:02 PM on 02/21/2012

good to see human empathy in action. *spits in disgust*

[skraeling]

05:54 PM on 02/21/2012

Poor choices in life have consequences, and it sad, to say the least, that more people are making such awful life decisions upon a moment of self gratification. We have the tools to better our lot but the money is in distraction....Computer games, ball games, sex, drugs, clothes, high tech gadgets, tatoos and the "in" culture have developed because there is money in instant feel good but schools only show success over a life time....america's future is bleak..thank God we are open to Asian and other immigrants who know that education and occasional sacrifice will pay off in life...

[ltieler]

06:42 PM on 02/21/2012

Seriously?! You think that 82,000 people made poor choices? Keep blinding yourself and someday it may be you.

[skraeling]

03:11 AM on 02/22/2012

It has been me, and now I volunteer at a non profit to help others. I refused to be a victim...and, i admit I made poor choices and so have they....but they don't have to accept it...

[OhmNaMaNaRa]

09:48 PM on 02/29/2012

As the young lady in the first segment said, there are so many ways people can find themselves homeless; you can't stereotype them. You have to take into account, also, that many suffer from some form of illness, physical or mental, which is most certainly not a choice. Homeless children don't choose homelessness. These people deserve our help, and a safe place to stay until their circumstances improve and they can live independently again.