Prayer in the Noise: Our Patron Day

and a "Save the Date" -- December 3, 2024

There is a lot of noise around the homeless crisis plaguing much of Southern California. Some of the noise is surely intentional, some of it is organic. Regardless, it’s there and loud inside the Cecil. But I, along with many others who authentically care about the people that are victim to the crisis, have learned to hear the humanity obscured by the noise.

Today, through the noise, we quietly remembered our Patron, Saint Cecilia. Our saint was a 2nd Century Roman martyr. Her home was said to be a sanctuary for Christians in need, a commonplace need in Rome of the time. She was courageous in her faith, and through her love of music, was able to create sacred space wherever it was needed.

St. Cecilia’s gifting in music helped her to hear heavenly music in the chaos. From deep within the noise, St. Cecilia could make out the notes, the chords and the rhythm that sings a heaven-sent song.

I am not a musician. I was once told that I sing in the key of “off.” But each day at the Cecil, I hear music — deep, soulful music, with a unique, and ever-changing, rhythm. The changes are not rough, but rather smooth, easing from one pace to another, almost seamlessly. The individual songs are the prayers, spoken and in the silence of trauma-stricken hearts, of the residents at the Hotel Cecil and across Skid Row.

St. Cecilia, pray for us!

The Food Bank

A large part of the rhythm of the Cecil is our twice-monthly food bank. Today, we provided groceries to 45 residents, including 5 mobility impaired residents who can’t always make the 7-block walk to the supermarket. A huge shout out and grazie mille to my friends at the Garibaldina Society for hosting a donation box in the lobby for Unusual Tuesday! Almost 300 cans, along with egg noodles, bread and other shelf-stable items went to those in need.

If you or your organization are interested in hosting a collection box, donating food or you want to volunteer to help distribute, please drop me an email.

Save the Date — Giving Tuesday

Speaking of noise, you are no doubt going to be flooded with #GivingTuesday emails in the next few days. Our work at the Cecil is supported by your kind generosity. From Dishes and Dignity, to feeding dogs and cats in need, to helping newly housed residents organize their rooms, often for the first time in years, to offering a safe, judgment free zone for residents to talk out their problems and share their joys, our work needs your support.

As we enter Advent, we are bringing a new theme for 2025 — Hope, Healing, Home. This initiative is way to continue the transformative work we’ve done so far, giving our residents a roadmap for their lives with a roof and a place to call home. We invite you to be our partners in bringing hope to people who haven’t known hope in a long time. On December 3, 2024, please support Hope in the Hotel Cecil and help us lay out of path to healing.

You don’t have to wait for Giving Tuesday to donate, either. If you want to donate before the noise of Giving Tuesday, you can here. Thank you for supporting the work we do at the Cecil and across Skid Row. May you be abundantly blessed!