Please Help Get Danny off the Street

I think I noticed Danny because he looks not much older than my daughter, Nola. The first time I saw him, he was sitting out in the sun on a 100+degree day, with his sign, asking for help. I stopped to give him some money, and he was clearly suffering from the heat - dazed, and having a hard time communicating.

Nola and I kept thinking about him, so the next day we went back and took him a backpack that we had filled with supplies. Since then, we've gotten to know him a bit, and I really am convinced that with a little bit of help, this young man's life could be changed.

Danny is 22 years old. His family came here from Mexico, and he was born and raised in California. He has been homeless for nearly 5 years, since just after he graduated from high school. He had been living with his father while he got through school, but his father struggled for years with addiction, and eventually they lost their housing, and his father disappeared. After staying with friends on and off for a while, Danny ended up on the street.

Danny is well spoken and kind hearted. He has not had any difficulty with the law, does not have any serious health conditions, and has a high school diploma. But since he became an adult, he has never had a stable place to live, which prevented him from getting employment -- and he just got stuck in that cycle of homelessness. He has tried various shelters, but the ones that he has gone to locally have not been safe, and for the past 5 months he has been living in a tent under a freeway overpass.

The funds that we raise for Danny will enable him to:

• Get a new California ID;
• Get a cell phone plan;
• Get into subsidized housing;
• And enrolled in a trade school, so that he can fulfill his dream of working with cars as an auto mechanic.

Danny is homeless - but with a little kindness and help, he doesn't have to be. We can help him get to the place where he can stand on his own, and eventually be someone who can help others, too. Any amount helps - Thank you so much!

xo Marieke & Nola