Help Bryant get Housing, Clothes, Phone and a Job

Some of you may recognize Bryant. He’s been living on First Street near Elm for about three months now. In that time he hasn’t bothered anybody and has been pleasant to most people. Bryant is a victim of our affordable housing crisis and lack of livable wage jobs. Houselessness is a community problem, a failure of government and requires a community solution. So we are asking the community to help. 

I noticed the other day that Bryant had a blackeye. After speaking with him he told me that it’s a result of the third time he has been beat up and had his stuff stolen, including his interview clothes and phone, living on the streets. 

Bryant is also actively looking for a job. In fact he used my phone to call a place he had interviewed to follow up. So if you know anyone hiring and willing to take a chance on someone he is definitively interested. But to be honest it’s very hard to find gainful employment without a phone to contact people, and without decent interview clothes. And it’s hard to maintain those things without a secure place to sleep. 

My name is Clay, and I own clay pottery studio on first street near where Bryant is living.  In the past I have called lbpd or the “clean team” to ask the houseless population in downtown Long Beach to move along. But tbh I regret it. Bryant is not to blame for his situation. Bryant is struggling just like the rest of do from time totime.  Unfortunately Bryant does not have the familial support or other privilege that many of us have. The lack of affordable housing and livable wage jobs render it near impossible for someone like Bryant to find his way out. This is a community problem. This could be any of us and it’s on all of us to find solutions until our government can do better. 

So I’m asking the Clay Pottery Studio Community, the First Street Community, the East Village Arts District Community, the Long Beach Community and the entire Internet to help Bryant get a bed, a phone, some clothes and a job. 

You might question whether helping one person here is really gonna make any difference. If we all come together to help one person what about all of the other people struggling??? One person is better than none. And Tbh if you read this far I challenge you to go talk to your houseless neighbor, ask them what they need. You don’t need to give them anything you don’t have but you can listen, you can make a gofund me, you can try. And if u put in the effort to help them I will match your effort, and I believe a lot of members of this community will as well. I believe in the community and hope that you do as well.