Visions of Homeless People in LA (by Janet Rothstein)

   My first attempt at making a video is a slide show: "Homeless in LA. " I really should have said Homeless People in LA, because each person here has value, character, personality, a story and a name.  Most of these people are still homeless. Some remember and acknowledge me, some are in their own worlds. 
   Johnny "Uh-Oh" has now gone into rehab, is living in an apartment, and now directs driveway-traffic to stop for all of us pedestrians on Hill Street. He greets me and others every day with a fabulously healthy attitude! 
   These red shopping carts are provided by a Catholic Organization, specially for the homeless people for their belongings and also for their income-producing can/bottle -recycling!
   I hope the music keeps you watching these scenes and compells you to find someone to help out, as I have.

   By being involved in helping the homeless people here I have met some admirable people:
   Rev. Andy Bales is the CEO of the Union Rescue Mission in the Skid Row area of LA.  He walked around at 3 am to take a census of all the homeless people: in makeshift cardboard shelters, tents, or just laying on the sidewalks. You can volunteer via their website http://www.urm.org/
   Mark Horvath travels across the USA bringing names and faces to the word "Homeless." You can see his videos on InvisiblePeople.tv. 
His friend Dan Cho got me 3 huge bages of socks, which has kept me sorting for months!
   You can follow more good people (some have been homeless) in my twitter list.

"Homeless Has a Name" - InvisiblePeople.tv

InvisiblePeople.tv Road Trip U.S.A. This summer, InvisiblePeople.tv is traveling across America to capture the stories of people without a home. By visiting tent cities, motels, and other modern-day accommodations for people without a home, this tour will unearth the modern-day realities of homelessness while providing a venue for “invisible” people to tell their story, raw and unedited.

Rothstein Jewelers of BeverlyHills is Finding More Homeless People in L.A.

(This is Johhny "Uh-Oh".)

In my daily treks to the Jewelry district of Los Angeles, I encounter more and more homeless people. I recognize the ones that have staked out their territories, as I see them each day. I even get to know their names and a little about them. Most lug all their belongings with them, and some have a place to store them while they beg for money or hang out. I am trying to promote a desire within my community to give to these people more than what is provided by the existing "Services" in Los Angeles. I encourage my friends and customers of Rothstein Jewelers of Beverly Hills, to give us their unwanted clothing, food or "extra" money. I bring it to the actual people who really need things. Here are some of the homeless people that I have met last week:
(Gregory)

Please call me for more info or how you can help: (310)858-3800 or (800)544-7440
Visit our websites at MerchantCircle and rothsteinjewelers.com

Rothstein Jewelers of Beverly Hills Donates to the Homeless

Give to Our Local Homeless and Receive Discount on Jewelry

Janet Rothstein, owner of J. Rothstein Jewelers of Beverly Hills, encounters many homeless people every day in downtown Los Angeles - right in the Jewelry District. She even knows some of the "regulars" by name. They live on the sidewalks and behind alley dumpsters. They dig through the trash for food and recyclable bottles and cans. Some are currently going to rehab programs for alcohol dependence. Many have medical problems or injuries, and no doctor.

This woman "Angel" has had leg injuries, and very few teeth left. She always has something to tell me: Her boyfriend threw her cat out the window.... Someone stole all her money.... She would like to have some underwear & pants.... It's her birthday!

They all need food and clothing, and for some, money specifically for a room to stay in overnight during these cold and rainy nights. Many don't have a place to shower, so they look and smell dirty. One has said that there she won't go to a shelter because of the "contagious sick people coughing" in there, as well as a long waiting line for the shortage of beds and food.

There are countless more homeless people including children, living in cardboard lean-to's, stretching down entire blocks around Main Street.

J. Rothstein Jewelers of Beverly Hills is doing Ear Piercing for $20 (including 24K surgical steel earrings) and will donate 10% of all the sales towards food and clothing for the homeless.

We hope you will come on our special Valentine's Day, but we will continue this offer all year.

If you prefer to contribute to our cause of helping these unfortunate homeless people, you may bring in donations of food or clothing yourself. In turn, we will give you a 10% discount on your ear piercing, gold or silver jewelry, or jewelry repairs.

We will also donate 10% of all internet, email, or phone-in orders thru July 2009. We continually search through our own cupboards and closets all year long for items to donate.

Thank you so much,
~Janet Rothstein
J. Rothstein Jewelers
8950 W. Olympic Blvd. #209 (at LaPeer)
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 858-3805
www.rothsteinjewelers.com

Please also visit our other wonderful independent mall stores and restaurants while you wait.

Look up Mac Productions, Inc. For every website hosting sign-up, they will donate money to help the homeless in the USA.
We also feel that choosing Mac Productions as your hosting partner makes good business sense as well as good community sense. ~Janet

Jewelry Business Surviving in This Horrible Economy

2008 has been the most horrible year of our lives, as I can remember. Our business is down, our profits have shrunk to accommodate our customers' budgets and our expenses have skyrocketed. The Gold Market follows the oil price, both of which go up when our dollar is down. Investors seem to want the security of Gold Bullion when the Stock Market is uncertain, so that raises our costs. We Jewelers have to live our lives by the news reports each day. And world politics create spikes in the Gold Market as well. So our Jewelry products & parts actually cost us more or less depending on the news! Plus, the gasoline costs double now, when I drive to buy those parts!

I wish we could simply raise prices like the oil companies & credit card companies, but we can't! What's important to most people is food, rent, mortgage, gas, clothing, health care, school supplies, etc. Since 2001, things have been getting worse. Not just in the banking industry, but our air travel has been affected greatly. Not just the cost of tickets, and inconvenient lines & carry-on rules, but now we can't check as much luggage - so our Jewelry displays and equipment have been pared down, too - so we can't possibly sell as much at our shows as we used to.

But we are surviving in the Jewelry Business, unlike many of our other Jeweler friends - we provide many services (repairs, appraisals, restringing, re-designing, ear piercing...) and we are buying more old Gold Jewelry from customers in this economy than selling Gold Chains like we used to, although Gold Coins have been selling well! We are still hanging in there, because of the loyalty of many of our wonderful customers, and their referrals. We get great reviews and comments, because of how we treat our customers. We are compassionate, we are funny, and we are good! Sometimes things take longer than planned, but we take great pride in our work.

I pray that this election we will have someone in the White House who cares about "Main Street" instead of "Wall Street" & their friends in their pockets. We need money back in our pockets! Does the Bailout help small businesses like ours? How about bailing out WE THE PEOPLE of the United States instead of just the few BIG ones, (where probably the CEOs knew in advance of the failing & took all their millions out early??) Small businesses are what made this country great, and seem to get hit the hardest. Look at how many people there are on our Merchant Circle, just trying to improve their own lives, networking, promoting, sharing, surviving... without getting any relief in handouts. Best of luck to all of us! ~Janet

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