A small group of compassionate activists has been doing on a weekly basis at Garfield Park in South Pasadena. Anne Bagasao and Fahren James — who are cofounders and members of the South Pasadena Tenants Union and Black Lives Matter South Pasadena respectively — conceived the idea in early January, after successfully hosting large-scale food & donation drives last year during the holidays. “When I saw how grateful and how happy the folks that we were serving (were), it just occurred to me that I could do more,” Bagasao tells the South Pasadenan News.
She reflects that when she started, it was worth it “to cook a hot meal for several of the guys or make sandwiches and take (it) to them once a week.” It wasn’t just enough, she says, to show up on Thanksgiving and Christmas and tell them “you’re own your own for another 12 months.” Bagasao then conferred with local unhoused residents to agree on Mondays to meet at the park.
Marina Ella Rodriguez, Union Station Homeless Services housing navigator.
Also present was Marina Ella Rodriguez, a housing navigator for Union Station Homeless Services who oversees both South Pasadena and Arcadia. “I do outreach in those two cities, case management & referrals, and housing plans for individuals who are experiencing homelessness,” Rodriguez explained. Performing outreach weekly through conduits like Shower of Hope and programs at Holy Family Church, her relationship with many of the citizens in attendance preceded the lunches in the park.
Establishing trust is essential and Rodriguez hopes to build a rapport and continue to fortify those relationships, her end goal being getting them closer to housing. Gathering vital information from those in attendance, she expressed gratitude to the organizers, “I think it really helps individuals who are experiencing homelessness feel like a part of the community, it makes them feel welcome and accepted… that makes a huge change in terms of their motivation.”