Martin Luther King Recuperative Care Center

Present: Debra Boudreaux, Salya Mohamedy, David Fields, Sabrina Ho, Bob Coppolino, Rev. Jongmae Park, Theresa Clarke, Bhante Chao Chu, Fr. Alexei Smith, Ven. Bampo, Dr. Frederick Chen, Ariel Agmon, Michael Kerze

Salya Mohamedy who works with the health team for Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas welcomed this opportunity to bring together resources for healing. Dr. Chen, director of the Recuperative Care Center presented the background of the Center. It first opened in January and will have a 100 bed capacity when all wings are brought online. Today it is at 50% occupancy. The Center is meant for chronic homeless who have medical issues. We visit them, help then in this transitional facility, address their medical issues, provide them with life skills, and then get them into permanent housing and continue to monitor them and work with local and other services. It takes from 3 to 6 months to transition them into permanent housing. We are service providers. Ariel Agmon is our contact person.

We discussed possibilities for our dialogue to be involved providing meditation, prayer, and other services, including continuing relationships in permanent housing where it is easy to be isolated. At the Center now there is a visiting nun and a Bible study group. Bob Coppolino pointed out that all church parishes have volunteers who are Eucharistic ministers for whom just having relationships with those being visited is often primary.

We decided to prepare a survey of needs and desires to see what is needed. Once we know we can supply volunteers, and then in permanent housing, identify services. Deborah Boudreaux said that they already have a survey developed. Salya will develop it for the Center. We hope to have it ready by Nov. 15, and then start around January 17.

Our next meeting will be on Dec. 2, from 10:30-12:30 at St. Andrew Russian Byzantine Church, 538 Concord St, El Segundo, CA 90245.

RSVP: FrARSmith@la-archdiocese.org 310-322-1892

Peace! Michael Kerze