Homeless Man Shares the Harsh Reality of Skid Row
9,215,401
Published 2018-08-10
Luke story of living homeless on Los Angeles's Skid Row is powerful and heartbreaking. No one should have to live like this. No one should have to fight just to survive for food and shelter and live in constant in fear!
Luke came to LA with his wife. Her family invited them to come to live with them, so they jumped on a Greyhound bus. They started calling, and their family never answered. When they arrived in Los Angeles the couple was forced to go to Skid Row where they are now stuck!
Skid Row was created by intentional urban design. The decision was made to place most all of the city's homeless services in that one area. The theory was that by having all of the resources in one location that it would contain Los Angeles's homeless crisis.
"Skid Row is by the bus station. It's where all the shelters are. It's where all the food is. It's where all the resources are located. But Skid Row is a very nasty place" Luke shares in this interview. He goes on to say "[Skid Row] will make it so you are just constantly worried about what you need to survive because everything is being taken from you."
Luke talks about how gangs tax homeless people in Skid Row for living on the sidewalk or in a certain area. If you don't pay, they beat you up or burn down your tent with all of your belongings in it.
For those of you that are going to judge Luke for being on drugs, you need to understand that people use drugs to escape pain. It's nearly impossible to stay sober while homeless and if you're stuck in a place like Skid Row, drugs become a way to cope with life. Luke's wife had to resort to prostitution and ended up pregnant. Near the end of her pregnancy, she started having seizures and was diagnosed with brain cancer. Luke was beaten 13 times since living homeless on Skid Row.
I pray Luke's story messes you up like it did me. We cannot continue to look the other way and ignore the growing homeless crisis in America. Please watch and share this video with everyone you know and then take real tangible action to fight homelessness in your community.
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Since its launch in November 2008, Invisible People has leveraged the power of video and the massive reach of social media to share the compelling, gritty, and unfiltered stories of homeless people from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. The vlog (video blog) gets up close and personal with veterans, mothers, children, layoff victims and others who have been forced onto the streets by a variety of circumstances. Each week, they’re on InvisiblePeople.tv, and high traffic sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, proving to a global audience that while they may often be ignored, they are far from invisible.
Invisible People goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages can understand, and can’t ignore. The vlog puts into context one of our nation’s most troubling and prevalent issues through personal stories captured by the lens of Mark Horvath – its founder – and brings into focus the pain, hardship and hopelessness that millions face each day. One story at a time, videos posted on InvisiblePeople.tv shatter the stereotypes of America’s homeless, force shifts in perception and deliver a call to action that is being answered by national brands, nonprofit organizations and everyday citizens now committed to opening their eyes and their hearts to those too often forgotten.
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#homeless #losangeles #skidrow
All Comments (21)
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His three wishes were health for his wife, a family, and he'd give the last one away. That shit hurt so bad. Such a kind heart
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u realise there's something wrong with the society when homeless people make more sense than politicians.
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He was asked if he had 3 wishes what would he wish for? He said 1. Wish for his wife to be better (health). 2. He wished he had family. 3. He’d give the 3rd wish away. Not once did he ask for money. I pray this guy has a spot reserved in Heaven. His level of compassion exceeds anything I’ve ever seen. I’m humbled by his outlook and attitude. God Bless him and other like him. They are people and deserve a good life.
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I became homeless at 14 when my mother died. Made it out and had a family then became homeless again in my 30s pulled myself out twice but none of its easy. I deal with cPTSD and trying to keep life simple. Homelessness is just a step away for those of us that have none to turn to... help each other
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The most insightful thing he said is, “most people are two missed paychecks and family away from being right here.” He is absolutely right.
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"I feel like I'm falling but never hitting bottom". Heavy.
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He is someone's baby boy; makes me imagine my son in his place. It's heartbreaking
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He has kind, humble eyes. It says a great deal about his true self. I pray blessings over him.
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This man has an enormous amount of pain in his face!
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Why are people calling him an addict? I just saw a tired, defeated, and overwhelmed man. I'm praying for you and your wife, Luke.🙏🏼
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This man’s answer to the three wishes at the end says it all, we have to help people like this…
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"You can't break me, you can't break my faith". This almost made me tear up, I feel proud of him saying that under those harsh curcomstances
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"And don't judge because a lot of these people are two missed paychecks and their family away from being right here" That's real talk.
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"I wish I had family." Man.. that one sentence hit me like a truck..
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Dude is so kind, he gives away his third wish, damn
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My heart broke when he said help for his wife and that he wished for a family and that he'd give the third one away ❣️
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He didn’t wish for anything materialistic or selfish. And he gave away his 3rd wish. This man deserves a new start.
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3 wishes... "I wish for my wife to be better, I wish I had family, I dont know what I'd do with the third one probably give it away" What an amazing man
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I never understood when people said “the eyes tell a story”, but he makes me understand that phrase. His eyes alone say so much, I hope his pain heals throughout his journey.
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People are always so quick to judge. It’s difficult to get hired at a job when you can’t provide an address. It’s even harder to keep a job when there’s nowhere to wash your clothes or shower regularly.
