Santa Monica Nonprofit Offers One-Way Tickets to Help Homeless Return Home

Family Reunification Program

• 🤝 A Santa Monica-based nonprofit, the Santa Monica Coalition, is running a family reunification program to help homeless individuals return to their hometowns.
• ✈️ The program provides one-way plane and bus tickets to help people leave Los Angeles and reconnect with their families.
• 🎯 This initiative is funded by private donors and is not affiliated with any government entity.

Program Reach and Impact

• 📈 In the past few weeks, the program has assisted approximately 8 individuals in their journey home.
• ⚠️ Participants are often individuals who have been in the greater Los Angeles area for less than a year and find it too difficult to survive on the streets.
• 📞 The organization has also received inquiries from individuals in MacArthur Park seeking assistance to return south of the border, though the program cannot assist with self-deportation.

Challenges Faced by the Homeless

• 🏘️ The founder, John Alley, suggests that existing county and city programs for the homeless, such as multi-million dollar housing units, are not entirely effective.
• 🚶 Many homeless individuals prefer to roam the streets due to perceived safety concerns and challenges with accessing food.
• 🔒 A common reason cited for the difficulty of survival is the theft of essential belongings, such as food and clothing, at night.

Personal Testimonials

• 🏠 Michael, who has been homeless for an extended period, expressed a strong desire to return home to Idaho, where he feels people are more self-sufficient with activities like fishing and hunting.
• 😟 Many individuals assisted by the program state they do not feel safe in Santa Monica or Los Angeles.