West Coast Care: Getting The Homeless Home

SANTA MONICA, CA — A homeless man handed over a box of his "last worldly possessions" to Ron Hooks for safe keeping, with the promise that he would retrieve it the next day. Weeks went by with no sign of the homeless man, and Hooks was curious. Opening the box, he was taken aback by what was inside: a doctorate degree from UCLA.

After tracking down the man's mother, Hooks found out that the man had "lost everything" after taking a hit of crack cocaine at a party — his doctor's office, his license to practice, his family, and everything he owned. One of the many times Hooks has connected with the homeless, this instance helped him "become more of a real person."

"I get emotional every time I think about it," Hooks said. "Whatever they look like, whatever they smell like at the time, they’re still a real person. You just can't disrespect them because every one of them is somebody’s loved one."

Hooks founded the non-profit West Coast Care, a group dedicated to bettering the lives of the homeless in Santa Monica, in 2006. After working in a rehabilitation center, he decided he wanted to spend less time in an office, and get more face-to-face interaction with the people that needed help.

Every morning, Hook drives his Polaris Ranger (a utility task vehicle) on an 8 mile beach course while his son takes a 10 mile bike ride through downtown to do outreach. Offering water bottles and granola bars to the homeless they meet, they try to strike up a conversation to see what they can do to help.

Often times, reconnecting the homeless with their loved ones is all it takes. If that's not possible, West Coast Care then begins finding other resources: rehabilitation facilities, jobs, and housing, among others. Their recovery model includes steps to build trust, define needs, reconnect the homeless with their families if possible, and then follow through with support and counseling.

"I feel like this is my calling, like this is what I was supposed to do," Hook said. "It seemed like I had a gift to redirect people and talk with them one-on-one, and they'd actually listen to me and it made sense."

Although Santa Monica has approximately 3,000 newly arriving homeless yearly, West Coast Care has helped decrease homelessness in Santa Monica from 2,800 people in 2006, to 728 people in 2016, according to the West Coast Care website. They have helped over 25,000 homeless people since they started, including daily contact, interviews with homeless in jail, visits to homeless in hospitals, and more.

West Coast Care partners with Santa Monica Police and Fire Departments, lifeguards, homeless service providers, hospitals, churches, businesses, and residents to make the most impact possible. If you would like to donate to West Coast Care or get more information on their work, visit their website.

Photo provided by West Coast Care, which shows before and after photos of David. On the streets of Santa Monica for many years, West Coast Care helped David get into the Salvation Army Adult Recovery Center in Pasadena, CA. When he graduated, West Coast Care helped him reconnect with family in San Antonio, TX. He is now working as the head chef in a nice restaurant.