Nonprofit Offers Free Resources To Help Homeless In Venice

VENICE (CBSLA) — A local nonprofit organization is going all out to help the homeless in Venice with things like medical services, mobile shower units and even pet care.

For Dr. Coley King of Venice Family Clinic, his office this week is a tent outside servicing those who do not have a home.

"There's a difficulty with access to healthcare for all of us, and especially for these folks," King said.

King is the director of homeless services for Venice Family Clinic, and his tent was just one of many offering services to the homeless with dignity and respect during the clinic's Health Center Week.

"That's that perceived unwelcome-ness barrier, and I think that once you've had a negative experience somewhere you don't like to go back to that building or agency, whatever it is," he said.

As part of the event, the nonprofit also provided a number of other services including a mobile shower unit, food and even pet care.

"We're on-call through organizations like the Venice Family Clinic to be here at a homeless connect day and provide pet food and leashes and collars and toys," said one volunteer.

For the homeless people who came out to the event looking for a little help, they're hoping perceptions of people facing homelessness change.

"I think that people forget that homeless folks are other human beings who are less fortunate than they are," one man said. "So, rather than turn their noses up at them, they may want to see if there's a way they can help themselves."

Venice Family Center is hosting another resource fair Friday at the Colen Health Centers in Venice.