Profile: People Assisting the Homeless

People Make A Difference

It started off with a letter. A simple invitation to the West Los Angeles community printed on Westwood Presbyterian Church stationery, asking people to get together to discuss the growing problem of homelessness. There were no grandiose visions of a large social service agency, no thoughts of developing a model for services, not even the dream of ending homelessness. This group of conscientious and compassionate individuals just wanted to help the homeless people they saw in their neighborhoods.

“We realized that something had to be done because so many people were 'falling through the cracks,’” said Claire West Orr, the founder of PATH, and the wife of Rev. Charles Orr, pastor of Westwood Presbyterian Church. “From the very beginning we made two decisions--that people would truly be able to help themselves if we offered ‘A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out,” and we committed to being multi-denominational and community-based.”

And so, in 1984, PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) started with humble beginnings in a basement of a local Westwood church. The Westwood United Methodist Church donated a small office space, and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church hosted PATH’s emergency food and clothing program.

The 1980’s: A Decade of Birthing New Agencies

When the popular fads of the 1980’s stormed the country—things like friendship bracelets, break dancing, boom boxes, and Rubik’s cubes—no one took notice of the many groups of community people who met together to discover solutions to homelessness. The result of this quiet fad in the 1980’s was the birthing of numerous reputable homeless services and housing providers in Southern California, including PATH. The homeless population was growing by leaps and bounds, and the community compassionately responded in various and creative ways.

Many of these new agencies concentrated on unique aspects of serving the homeless population, including homeless families, affordable housing, people with HIV/AIDS, healthcare, and research. As years went by, their expertise grew in prominence. PATH is one of the agencies that has contributed greatly to a new approach to homeless services. PATH has created a unique national model of integrated social services through a “mall” approach.

“There was obviously something going on in the 1980’s that was more than just the sad state of increasing homelessness in Southern California,” states Joel John Roberts, Executive Director of PATH since 1996. “I see it as a generation of people who turned their frustration with a social inequity into positive and future-driven social programs. The people who started PATH two decades ago have deeply inspired me to build upon their drive and passion for helping people in need. Today, more then ever, we desperately need more of these community heroes to fight injustice and promote a better and safer environment for all.”

In 1985, PATH opened its first permanent facility, a drop-in center on Overland Avenue in Culver City, California. Many at PATH saw that providing food and clothing was just not enough. So, in 1986, PATH found a building in the Wilshire/Fairfax neighborhood to house its first 21-bed residential program. At the same time, a 10-bed emergency program for men in the Overland center was started.

By the end of the 1980’s, PATH had become a full-service homeless agency with a drop-in center, an emergency and transitional housing program, and a new employment program.

The 1990’s: Consolidation

In response to the growing demand for services, PATH decided to consolidate both the Culver City and Fairfax programs into one larger facility. The year 1992 was a major milestone for PATH. The new PATH Westside Center was purchased, remodeled, and became PATH’s first permanent “home”. The facility was named after the founders of PATH—The Claire and Charles Orr Center.

The PATH Westside Center houses a contemporary 32-bed transitional housing program for both men and women, a full-service employment center, and serves as a hub for supportive services.

The 1990’s was also a time when PATH developed a more formal employment program called the PATHFinders Job Center. This comprehensive job assistance program includes employment case management, job skills training, job-readiness workshops, resume development, and interviewing preparation. This program was so successful that other agencies in the community invited PATHFinders to begin in their facilities, which led to the creation of 2 additional PATHFinder sites.

In 1999, PATH reached another major milestone in its merger with Foundation House Transition Group, a successful homeless agency based in West Hollywood. The merger solidified what was already a long history of friendship and collaboration between PATH and Foundation House, bringing Foundation House’s 55-bed transitional center, Street Outreach Team, and Hollywood Access Center into PATH’s continuum of services.

Foundation House had also purchased a 40,000 square foot building, with the hopes of consolidating its programs at a single location. Several years later, this building would become the award-winning PATH Regional Homeless Center.

Building A National Model

In early 2002, PATH completed construction on the Regional Homeless Center (RHC), a three-story, 40,000 square foot facility which houses nearly two dozen social service agencies in the PATH Mall, and a 98-bed transitional housing program.

The RHC represents an effective approach to responding to the needs of the homeless through collaboration and coordination of community services. The Los Angeles Times, ABC’s “World News Tonight,” National Public Radio, and the British Broadcasting Corporation have all highlighted the center. ABC stated it is the only social service facility of its kind in the country. Over 100 communities throughout the country and from around the world have visited PATH in order to replicate this national model.

Changing Ways of Serving

In 2004, PATH reached its twentieth year of existence. From a small program operating out of a church basement, PATH has now become a large regional agency serving over 1,800 people each month. The agency has developed a model of integrated services that communities from all over the state, the nation, and even internationally have looked to for replication.

“PATH’s colorful, eye-catching center, designed by renowned architect Jeffrey Kalban, is a great symbol of its transformation,” states Allan Kingston, CEO of Century Housing Corporation, and a trend-setting leader among L.A.’s non-profits. “The move from its old offices into the new PATH Regional Homeless Center was a metamorphosis from a small agency into a new, largest-in-the-state, active center that meets the needs of even more homeless individuals and families than ever with a comprehensive array of services. It's a great model for the community—and for the nation!”

States Joel John Roberts, “Imagine if more letters like the ones sent out by Claire West Orr over 20 years ago could be sent out to our community, encouragi