Recently it was announced that a homeless person who had been helped by a group of neighbors for a year had died. The young man died alone, under a bridge, at the source of the Los Angeles River, north of the city.
The victim was known as Eduardo Enrique, an immigrant from 41 years old, originally from Peru. The sad thing is that the young man, although he lived through difficult times, had the hope of normalizing his life.
Los Angeles River Walkers and Spectators (LA River Walkers and Watchers) is a group of neighbors that performs voluntary work to clean the river at its source and the adjoining cycle path.
This group meets monthly to clean the area , but on each occasion he meets people on the streets. The greatest concern and fear from the moment the group met Eduardo Enrique was that one day he would appear lifeless in the Los Angeles River. And that fear was fulfilled.
Eduardo Enrique suffered from severe incontinence, diabetes and drug addiction, among other afflictions . He could hardly move, he was just suffering, but there was no support system to help him get ahead
Nothing had worked or gone well for him. For a year, Eduardo Enrique had given up his desire to live and said that he was waiting for him to die on the bike path, next to the river. He had said that he would die there and, sadly, he was right.
As the group visited him with some frequency, he had said that he had once been a graphic designer and it was something that he would like to do again. He hoarded the few tools he still had to work with, and displayed a series of beautiful drawings he had made. In addition, he emphasized over and over again that he wanted to see his little daughter, who lived near that place.
Thanks to continuous awareness work, his collective efforts were able to help get into a community hut. The volunteer group had talked about sponsoring him to get him art supplies and whatever he needed.
A few months later the group saw him and he looked fine, however the addiction was stronger than the progress he was making. He left the cabin for personal reasons and returned to the river in miserable conditions and without being able to leave drugs.
A few weeks before his death, the group visited him during the monthly cleaning tasks. By then, the volunteers realized that Eduardo Enrique had lost hope of living. He was consumed, worn out, living in deplorable conditions and in poor health.
Eduardo Enrique mentioned that people went to the river to die.
He also told the group that it was the lowest place that people in his condition could go. He and the group agreed to keep in touch to find a possible solution to their problems, however, what they feared happened.
It is essential to have a system established to provide informed and rapid assistance for traumas such as that of Eduardo Enrique; that way, communities and supportive groups will know what to do and who to turn to in order to avoid further tragedies.
Over the course of five years, continuous concern has been expressed about this area, which in its vast majority are “out of sight and out of mind” of the Los Angeles County Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA), community outreach teams, and all those whom they care about. they have been given the responsibility of caring for the homeless.
The journey of 48 miles of the Los Angeles River passes through various jurisdictions. No community outreach team is specifically assigned to the headwaters of the River in this area. Although the headwater section is home to fewer homeless people than some downstream areas, the need remains urgent.
Locally , the River has been made a priority and each volunteer has cleaned the area and helped the people who are staying there. However, mental health, public health and substance use treatment, as well as the support that people need, are beyond the capacity of residents and city councilors.
Dedicated and trained professionals are needed to address the trauma and unique health needs of the people who call the Los Angeles River home.
Everyone wished the best for Eduardo-Enrique, a safe place where he could live and where he could receive the necessary support to prosper.
The cabin was a start but it was not enough. It takes a dedicated and committed team to provide help to people like Eduardo Enrique.
We believe that as long as Los Angeles County controls funding for health, drug addiction and mental health programs , the problem will be bigger than the County can manage.
In the 2048, a new Multidisciplinary Team from the County and the San Fernando Valley Community and Mental Health Center will begin working in the Third Ward to provide help to people in need. Each of these teams can realistically target a few people simultaneously, since they serve an entire ten-mile-wide area along the river.
Sadly, there are too many Eduardo Enriques out there. The source of the river has become an area where drugs are sold, brought, consumed and where homeless people die. All out of sight and out of mind of the authorities. It is not possible to continue blaming others, avoiding responsibility for what happens at the source of the river. More immediate solutions are required.
May he rest in peace, Eduardo Enrique.
Evelyn Alemán is a community advocate who lives in Reseda and is a member of the Los Angeles River Walkers and Spectators volunteer group.
Bob Blumenfield is a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the western San Fernando Valley communities: Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka and Woodland Hills.