"HEY!"

You've got to hide your love away by watching Paul and Las Americas resident and avid writer, Richard Joyce, perform this classic Beatles song in honor of Erin's birthday!

Enjoy--just ignore the fact that the tambourine is messing with the camera microphone. :)

(Having trouble viewing it, watch on You Tube).

Read Richard's Skid Row story, recently composed for the SRHT newsletter, below (and ignore the shameless case management praising near the end--it is all lies):

I've been asked to make a short statement about my relationship with Skid Row
Housing Trust. It's a long story, but I will attempt to be succinct.

In 2001 I came to Skid Row having absolutely nowhere else to go. I was, and am to this day an alcoholic, or addict if you prefer, addicted to anything that would get me out of myself. Over the years it became a big problem, because ultimately alcoholism is an exceptionally selfish disease, and it took all of my time to maintain my addiction, which left little else for employers, family, friends, or wives. They soon would have no more of my nonsense, and I found myself alone.

And without resources. I had no money, no job, or hope of things turning around anytime soon, so I needed some help. After I came to that
realization my path was relatively clear.

I'd lived in Los Angeles since I was three years old, but I rarely came to the "Downtown" area. None of my friends did either. It was a place to avoid. It was dirty, unkempt, with homeless people ruling the streets... not a nice place to be.

But I became a homeless person. In late December I exited a showing of "The Lord of the Rings" half sloshed on vodka, and discovered I had nowhere to go. I'd been
kicked out of the Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center program many
times, but I knew that the downtown Harbor Light facility would probably accept
me, as they were an independent entity. By the time I made it there it was near
midnight. Still, they took me in.

I graduated from their alcohol and drug program, stayed there a year, spent another year at the Weingart Center, but still had no place I could call a home.

I'm a veteran of the United States Navy, and one day at the ASAP clinic (a drug and alcohol program) at the Veteran's Administration, I met my old friend Ron, who I've written about many times on my blog (joycestake.blogspot.com). He had a nice apartment, was independent, and living quite well here downtown. It was he who got me set up with Skid Row Housing Trust, and after a short time being on a waiting list, I received permission to move in to the Las Americas Hotel, just
on the outskirts of skid row. That was January of 2003, and I've lived there
very happily ever since.

I was eligible for the Shelter Plus Care program due to my close relationship with depression and addiction. The program requires that I participate in activities that are beneficial to me. I don't mind. I like things that are beneficial to me. I go to 12 Step meetings, depression groups at the V.A., and interact with my case managers from Skid Row Housing Trust, regularly attending their various support groups.

After the 2004 general election I finally found an interest that I became obsessed with ever since. You might say I found my life's mission, and now I devote most of my time to writing political and social commentary and satire, rather than being on the streets and wandering through life aimlessly. This was made possible in a large part by SRHT.

Skid Row Housing Trust has given me the opportunity to have my life back. I pay my rent, and now have a place I can call home. It's just a small room, but it's mine, and it's all I need. With the depression and all, what can I say, I take the medication, and some days are better than others, but I always know that I have a great place to stay, nice neighbors, and a truly wonderful and motivated support staff that I can come to whenever I feel the need.

My current case managers, Erin and Paul, (two young kids, compared to my fifty-threeish nature) are just the nicest people you'd ever hope to meet or work with. They are truly invested in their jobs, enjoy interacting with their clients, and keep inventing interesting things for us to do. We have a weekly Garden Club (where magic tomatoes, peppers, and oranges appear somewhat, well magically), a Cooking Club (Lemon Chicken over pasta this week), Yoga Class, "Drama Free" support groups, and field trips (I once almost killed myself trying to ice skate in Pasadena). They are not only a reliant source of support and consistency, they have also become my true friends. And one can't have too many of those. (I have to say these nice things as Erin is editing this piece for me).

I've been told that the newsletter this testimonial is appearing in goes out to many
possible donors to the Skid Row Housing Trust organization. In this day and age
a viable answer to the problem of homelessness in the country couldn't be a
better investment.

As usual I've gone over my allotted amount of words. So Thank you, and have peace in your life.

-Richard Joyce

Check out more of Richard’s writing on his blog, Joyce’s Take.