Pacific BMW and PATH Team up to Help the Homeless

May 2010

By Danielle Moriarty

I am the first to admit I held a very large prejudice against homeless people. I thought they were all lazy, ungrateful, and couldn’t save for a rainy day. It was hard for me to identify with the chronic problem of homelessness as anyone who knows me would never use those words to describe me. I am determined, dedicated, and have always saved for the future.

Then I started volunteering at PATH (People Assisting The Homeless). At first it was just a small project at PATH Glendale Achieve. I was helping redesign and decorate the children’s tutor room / therapist room. During the trips to IKEA and such, the program director Natalie Komuro and I started talking about the clients at Glendale Achieve. I also started talking to the staff and hearing first-hand about the hows and whys people become homeless.

Slowly, the layers surrounding the issue of homelessness began to peel away. The blurred image begging at the freeway ramp started to come into focus, revealing a face. These are people who are often dealing with severe mental health problems, drug / substance abuse, or just a dose of bad luck and unfortunate timing. Having wrestled with my own bout of depression and knowing close friends who have struggled with substance abuse, I began to think about what made our stories and outcomes different from those who ended up on the streets. It boils down to having a family and a support system that can only be described as unconditional love and forgiveness. I have a family who will never give up on me, never turn their backs on me, and never shut the door on me. I began to see what could have become of me, and realized that each and every homeless individual is just that, a person.

PATH is the advocate for those individuals who have no one. PATH began 25 years ago in the basement of a church and has grown into a multifacility association whose pioneering approaches to chronic homelessness are familiar across the country. PATH is an extremely interactive organization which provides the full continuum of services for the homeless in the greater Los Angeles and beyond. It is a stepping stone for homeless men, women, and children to regain their independence by providing interim housing, job search, training and placement, drug / alcohol treatment, and legal assistance and various other facets rather than just providing hot food and shelter.

Unfortunately, tragedy often goes ignored unless it’s occurring in your backyard. Pacific BMW has chosen to take the opposite stance and is acknowledging chronic homeless as a corporation and as the Pacific BMW family. Pacific BMW has gone beyond just recognizing the fact that chronic homelessness is a problem in the greater Los Angeles. Our Vice President, Nicholas Lam, takes an active role as Board Chairman of PATH Achieve Glendale. Our President and Owner, David Ho, is an Advisory Board Member of PATH Achieve Glendale. David not only contributes from his own pockets but also insures that his employees take an active part in local community efforts. This means volunteering their time and giving generously and to make a positive difference where it is most needed.

To get involved and contribute to PATH please visit www.epath.org/donate and friend PATH on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pathLA.