Rev. Sandy Liddell of the Malibu United Methodist Church is spearheading an effort to create a new task force to help the homeless and those in need. Even after conducting a count, no one is really sure how many homeless are in Malibu at any given time.
Liddell said the impetus for a community plan to help the homeless was due to two things. One was a letter she received from local activist Carol Moss asking her, “What are the Methodists doing about the homeless people?” Second, she said, “People come here [to the Methodist Church] all the time asking for help, and all we can do is give them a can of beans … I’d like to have services that I could refer someone to — someplace clean and safe.”
At its second meeting, which took place last week, a new community task force to help the homeless and others in need was dubbed the Community Assistance Resource Team (CART). At least 12 Malibu residents from all parts of the community have participated in the start-up group so far.
The invitation to the first meeting, which took place last month, was by word-of-mouth. Several locals who participated in Malibu’s homeless count in January, including Bianca Torrence and Jay Scott, came forward. Former City Councilmember Pamela Conley-Ulich joined the team, as did Tabitha Di Leo, the ministries director at Malibu Methodist, along with Kay Gabbard, Mitchell Williams, Ann Buxie, Sandy Peich-Selig and Dr. Renee Kaswan.
Various places of worship, educational institutions and other nonprofit organizations in Malibu do what they can to help those in need, but there’s no coordinated community effort to bring in grant money or services. That’s where CART hopes to make a difference.
“There’s a huge community of people in Malibu who care about this [issue],” Moss said in a phone interview. “I think we’re all very encouraged, and it’s going to get much bigger.”
Several participants reported on homeless programs in other communities or states that seem to be working well — programs that could perhaps be adapted to Malibu.
Gabbard described a program in the Mission District of San Francisco, where the Mayor got private funds to turn an unused high school’s fenced-off outdoor space into a homeless encampment.
Torrence mentioned the PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) organization, and will look into whether it could be customized to fit Malibu.
Some attendees felt that a good start might be getting a special mobile van equipped with medical services, bathrooms and showers to make scheduled stops in Malibu for the homeless.
After a discussion about the county-operated series of cold outdoor showers at all restroom facilities along Zuma Beach, it was observed those facilities could offer warm showers by installing solar panels — warm showers that could be used by the homeless, as well as a grateful public.
“Let’s do the showers first — smaller victories on your way to achieving the bigger picture,” Conley-Ulich said. “The infrastructure is already there, and if we get support from three County Supervisors, it’ll get the ball rolling.”
In a recent interview, Martha Templeton, manager of the Artifac Tree, a local secondhand store that uses its profits to help the homeless directly, said, “I probably see about 50 homeless people a week here. We have an unofficial program to help people who are stuck in Malibu. We buy lots of bus tickets and gas cards, and I try to encourage them to move on. We give them clothes and shoes if needed.”
Oscar Mondragon of the Malibu Community Labor Exchange said about 10 homeless people per day come by looking for work. He has observed that most come to Malibu from Santa Monica by bus or foot and camp along Malibu Creek or the bluff next to Ralphs. Malibu is the end of the line for Los Angeles public bus routes.
At its meeting last week, the CART task force identified fears and concerns about helping the homeless in Malibu as: the safety of children living nearby, staffing, public health, NIMBY-ism, drugs and mental health issues. These will be taken into account as a community program takes shape.
The next CART meeting will feature local guest speakers on social services and homeless organizations, a summary of homeless services being offered by adjacent communities and whether it’s possible to pool resources with them.
The public is invited to attend the next meeting on Wed., Apr. 8 at 2 p.m. at Malibu United Methodist Church, 30128 Morning View Dr.