Jackets for Jesus began as a ministry to men on the streets. 20 years ago the women who worked alongside me stood out in the night... not even prostitutes bothered with skid row... the danger in poverty, unchecked, pushed all but the most desperate away. It didn't seem possible that society accepted men living on the streets of skid row... not in America... Across the last decade women have become such a large part of the social fabric of skid row that many of the missions have transitioned their work away from men and now target women and their children first. When we started working with children in Mexico, people would often say that the way the culture treated cast off children was her measure. Now, on Wednesday afternoons, looking at dogs that are living in misery, without food, fighting for life on the dusty streets around Siempre, I've heard people say how we treat our pets is a measure of our compassion. I can't help but think of the women who now crowd the streets of our cities. In just 20 years of service, they're the second wave of those fighting poverty we serve week in and week out. With major bank failures, home foreclosures and family's facing their greatest financial battles since the great depression, I can't help but wonder about the who, when and where of the third wave of those we'll serve on the streets. The early indicators are all pointing towards senior citizens as their numbers swell in our line. Sunday night, with a small crowd of maybe 125- 150 people, I'd say 30% of them were 55 or older. Hard to say if this is a trend yet- the way the first women felt forced into darkness to stand in our line - most of the services for young people on the streets are in the Hollywood area -and maybe some of the folks in line have just gotten older with us across the years. Even still, it's disturbing that we accept so many women and men living in open poverty. Over 100 people waiting in the middle of the night and that's on a small night... still waiting for one of the presidential candidates to visit skid row and to speak up on behalf of those it seems too many of us would rather forget. Their struggle for survival is a measure of who we are as a society... as a church... as individuals. They're who Jesus was talking about when He taught about judgement and "the least of these." We overlook them at our own peril.

Too many nights this is what I see of most of the men and women waiting for a jacket, a sandwich, a drink, a meal... just the side of their head. Standing at the head of the line- making a break every 10 guys or so, hoping to give a little order -I'll shake hands, put my hand on a friends shoulder, quickly say hello... but for the most part... I just send folks forward to the main event... last night... chili worth fighting over. This guy stopped in front of me and I took a shot of the side of his head- cigarette neatly tucked behind his ear -hat protecting his head from the cool night air. We briefly talked about Friday's tragedy on the Metro-Link tracks. While we were chatting, large buses rolled past us down Main St on their way to Union Station and points beyond to build a bus bridge to fill the gap until track repairs can be completed. Too many good people lost in an instant. Dozens and dozens more hospitalized and facing weeks, months and years of healing. The city bus system is a lifeline for those on the streets. Any disruption in service is feared as much as we might dread our cars breaking down. Poverty doesn't mean that people no longer care about their financial well being, making it to a job interview or getting to a doctor's appointment at county or VA hospital- poverty just makes each of these actions more difficult and their success all the more important. Mass transit in the city is an essential part of life. One of the most popular reasons to panhandle is for bus fare. I've often considered keeping a separate fund just to purchase bus passes to hand out from time to time. My view of the streets may be a little closer up than most- but it's still just a profile shot at best -catching a moment... usually a good one... in the middle of the night. Our view of the Metro Link tragedy forces us to face all the "what if" questions we long to avoid: "What if I'd been on the train?" "What if it'd been my dad, mom, sister, brother?" "Would I ever ride in the front car again?" On the streets those questions hit home... but so many haven't seen the news coverage... they hear the stories, hearts go out and people begin to ask: "What if my bus doesn't run this week?" "What if I can't catch my train?" Our view impacts our perception of all we do. Keep those who lost loved ones and all those still healing in your prayers. Pray also for those who depend on our rapid transit system to make it back and forth to work each day. It was a hard weekend on the heart of LA.

Thanks... I think... If you donated that t- shirt. It sure got me in hot water last night! Ed, one of our regulars and a guy with way too much brain power, received that lovely article when he went through line. It'd already been a big night for him: Jaime, who uses our phone to call his niece in Ecuador each week to check on her health had tried to hook her up with Ed. Jakamina was on the phone when Jaime handed it to me. She wanted to thank us for praying for her surgery- all went well and she's recovering wonderfully -a little busy with the line, I handed her off to Ed and said: "Here- talk to someone in Ecuador." Never at a loss for words, Ed jumped on the line and started talking and that got Uncle Jaime thinking and he started yelling in the phone: "Jakamina, Ed's single! Good looking! An American!" Not quite eharmony online... but Uncle Jaime was doing his best to get the two hooked up! Apparently she caught on, changed her manner to a much more friendly and direct approach with Ed and within a matter of a minute, he was handing the phone back to me to end the call. Looking at me with eyes that said: "Thanks a lot!" He held up the t-shirt in the photo and said "What's this supposed to be... your new logo?" "Who do you guys work for anyway!?!" No clue where the t-shirt with the flaming skull in the middle of a complex pentagram came from but I know Ed's planning on working it for all it's worth. We circled for prayer, Ed with the t-shirt over his shoulder and just as we held hands he threw me a sly look and said: "I don't know if I can pray to your God anymore... satan might not let me into hell - he can be pretty jealous!" Someone who just needed a new t-shirt couldn't get it... it had to be Ed. I'm sure he's already looking forward to wearing it this Sunday night. Whether it's Marsha waiting at the door for a hug, long distance "hook-ups" to Ecuador or the sarcasm of the streets- it's always something on Sunday nights. Through tragedy, heartbreak, hunger and a growing need for compassion and love... Jesus speaks, regardless the graphic on the t-shirt, His presence is real and is making us ready for the next wave of those forced to the heart of our city by poverty. The opportunity to serve in the middle of the darkness is a miracle in and of itself... and You're Invited! You're Needed! Now, more than ever. We're going this Sunday night. We'll do our best to save a place for you in the van.

for changing lives,

Eric M. Denton

email: eric@centralcommunity.com

phone: 951-689-5806

web: http://www.centralcommunity.com