The Dog Food Drive, New Programs, and A Brother on the Road

A Spring Update

Compassion in Kibble Form: Our Spring Dog Food Drive

There’s something tender and holy about the bond between a person and their pet—especially when life is already hard.

Thanks to your generosity, last fall’s dog food drive kept our shelves full all the way until just a few weeks ago. Now, as our spring drive gets underway, we’re once again asking for your help to care for the beloved companion animals of our community.

I can’t emphasize enough how much more than love these animals provide. They teach empathy, patience, and responsibility. For many of our residents at the Cecil Hotel, their dogs and cats are their only constant—unconditional friends who never judge, never leave.

Keeping these companion animals fed and healthy isn’t just charity. It’s compassion in kibble form.

Monetary donations are the most flexible and allow us to purchase exactly what’s needed, but we also gladly accept large bags of dog food (wet or dry). Every gift goes directly to those who need it most.

Healing Starts at Home: Hoarding Prevention & Space Renewal

We’re also continuing our de-cluttering and hoarding-prevention work with residents—quiet, often emotional work that’s rarely talked about but deeply sacred.

Many of our neighbors come from lives shaped by chronic poverty, displacement, and trauma. It makes sense, then, that holding on to things—everything—can feel like safety.

We don’t approach these spaces with judgment. We understand the scarcity mindset. For some, it’s taken years of survival instinct just to make it this far. Our work is about building trust, listening to stories, and helping people reclaim their space as a place of peace, not panic.

Putting a roof over someone’s head isn’t a cure-all—it’s the beginning of a longer journey of healing.

Dignity Through Choice: The Free Boutique

Last week’s Free Boutique was a beautiful success—we helped 41 residents fill shopping bags with new and gently used clothing. Our friend Martin was beaming in a slick new suit and shirt, walking a little taller with each step.

Moments like that remind us that dignity is found not just in receiving, but in choosing.

That’s why we host a monthly Free Boutique where residents can “shop” for clothes, toiletries, and household items—no price tags, no pressure, just choice.

We believe everyone deserves to select what they need and what they like—not just accept whatever’s handed to them. It’s a simple act of empowerment, but it makes a world of difference.

Echoes of Recovery: A Legacy Renewed

Did you know the very first public Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Los Angeles was held at the Hotel Cecil in 1940? It took place on the mezzanine balcony and became known as the “Mother Group” of AA in L.A.—a beacon of hope for those seeking recovery.

That legacy still echoes in the halls of the Cecil today.

To honor this holy memory, we’re laying the groundwork to bring substance use and process groups back to the building. We’ve heard the need loud and clear: residents want support—not just in sobriety, but in making sense of their stories. These upcoming groups will be low-barrier, trauma-informed, and rooted in dignity. We’re still working out the details, but we expect to launch soon.

It feels fitting—sacred, even—to continue this work in a place with such deep roots in recovery.

A Brother on the Road: Welcoming Friar André Maria

And I’m incredibly grateful to be joined in this work by Friar André Maria of the Franciscans of Restored Hope. He’ll be working closely with me, especially as we extend our ministry more deeply into Skid Row.

Friar André brings with him the spirit of Francis: gentleness, joy, and a radical commitment to walk with those on the margins.

The Franciscans of Restored Hope is our religious community, shaped by the belief that hope itself can be an act of resistance. We serve through presence, prayer, and solidarity—believing that the Gospel lives not only in churches, but in alleyways, shelters, and sidewalk conversations.

There is much to do—but we are not doing it alone.

You Make This Work Possible

If you’d like to support this work—whether through prayer, volunteerism, or donation—we welcome you as a Friend of the Cecil.

We receive no federal or state funding and rely entirely on the generosity of those who believe in what we’re doing.

Every gift, every kind word, every can of dog food reminds someone that they are not forgotten.