Situational Initiatives

What are Situational Initiatives

Occasionally, there are major events in Los Angeles that disproportionally affect the unhoused. Although the city of Los Angeles generally responds with help, people on the streets do not have access to aid. Issues like transportation, health issues, work (yes, some of the unhoused have jobs), or the event itself prevents those in need from getting help.

Being mobile, FAAM regularly meets the unhoused where they live- on the streets, in encampments, or off the beaten path. Because of this, we are able to help out all the people the centralized operations of the city misses.

Prior Situational Initiatives

Heat Waves

• Situation: Los Angeles has been getting hotter, and in the past few years we have had several weeks with daily temperatures over 105F. The air temperature is different than temperature on asphalt. Asphalt roadways absorb huge amounts of energy and can be as much as 50F higher. We have repeatedly measured sidewalk air temperature at 130F. For the people that live adjacent to roadways, this is life threatening. 

• Response: FAAM provides water, electrolyte mix, and popsicles. This has been a recurring initiative. Why popsicles? Not only are they are readily consumable ice, they are delicious in the heat. We believe that the unhoused deserve niceties just like everyone else, and that those who are wealthy are not the only ones who deserve pleasant things.

Rain

• Situation: Los Angeles experiences rain in clumps. It doesn't rain for six months and then we get six months of rain in three days. This causes flooding, soaked and destroyed possessions, and hypothermia. Many unhoused are caught off guard, unable to afford proper preparation. This causes severe problems and many lose vital documents, clothes, bedding, supplies, medicine to the water.

• Response: FAAM provides waterproof storage bins and ponchos to help people stay dry and keep their stuff dry.

COVID-19

• Situation: In 2020 we had the COVID-19 pandemic. Lots of people got sick and died. Preventative resources such as masks were scarce.

• Response: FAAM obtained and distributed large quantities of N95 respirators to the unhoused.

Winter

• Situation: In sunny Los Angeles, people regularly freeze to death. This may seem unintuitive, but laying on concrete or dirt chills the body rapidly. The air temperature can be 60F and people will die from hypothermia. Our cold waves usually happen suddenly and the unhoused, having few resources and money often suffer greatly. Yes, there are shelters available, but for multiple reasons, many people are unable to use those services.

• Response: Each winter, FAAM obtains and distributes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, and handwarmers directly to individuals on sidewalks without tents or blankets.