Ups, Downs, Ins and Outs

The discordant rhythm of the Hotel Cecil

The only consistent thing at the Hotel Cecil these days is the chaos. Its been a rough few weeks and I don’t even know where to begin.

I’ll jump right in with new life springing forth from the Cecil. A couple of weeks ago, a tenant who I will call J gave birth to a boy, Isaac. Unfortunately for J and Isaac, he was born with drugs in his system. The Department of Children and Family Services removed Isaac from his mother’s care even before Isaac left the hospital.

J is estranged from her family but Isaac might have the privilege to heal the rift. Under California Child Welfare law, family is given preferential consideration when placing a child away from the birth parents. J’s sister is working on preparing her home to welcome young Isaac after hearing of her nephew’s predicament. J and her sister have spoken for the first time in several years.

The challenge for J’s sister was not anticipating a baby entering her life. Already struggling a bit financially, it is a huge (but welcome) burden. They say it takes a village — and the village is starting to come through. Last week, we obtained an amazing donation from Kid to Kid in Pasadena of clothes, diapers and formula.

Isaac and his family will need a lot of support. J has been off hard drugs since a few weeks before Isaac was born and is in the process of finding a treatment program, though as deep as her addiction runs, its not a simple decision. The addicted mind is complicated. To you and me, its a common-sense decision. To an addict, its nuanced, intricate and perplexing. J can get Isaac back, but it will take a lot of work and hard decisions to get to that point.

Supporting newborn Isaac's care and his caregiver aunt is crucial for ensuring his healthy development and well-being. Your financial support will help his caregiver provide much-needed stability and ensure a nurturing home environment which is so critical to Isaac’s growth and future.

A different kind of foster

I’ve written about Jacob before, about his drug-induced tantrums. On Jacob’s 31st birthday, it was the worst one yet. He raged through the Cecil, assaulting and battering staff and destroying doors, security monitors and more. He was finally taken into custody, currently housed at Twin Towers Correctional Facility awaiting arraignment. I will be advocating for Jacob as he matriculates through the justice system, helping get the help that he truly needs.

Before I get to the lift, staff that faced Jacob’s drug-fueled wrath are physically OK. There are some wounds to their psyches that will be long to heal and I’ll be available and present for them as they process through this trauma.

What I haven’t written about Jacob is that he has a dog. She’s a sweetheart, and guessing that she’s a husky/shepherd mix. At the moment, Azrael is with another tenant who is a ‘dog-person’ but she can’t keep Azrael for reasons too numerous to list.

Azrael needs a foster. At this point, no one has any idea how long Jacob will be in custody. It could be a few days, weeks, months or even years. And there’s no telling if Jacob will have the desire or ability to care for Azrael when he gets released.

If you are interested in fostering this poor pup, please reach out. Azrael is about a year old, unaltered, about 35-40 lbs. She’s housebroken and has some basic obedience. She was very bonded to Jacob, but is also super-friendly to dogs and humans.

If you can’t foster, please pledge whatever support you can to keep Azrael safe and fed.

Our work is made possible by generous friends like you. Please consider making a monthly or one-time gift to support Isaac, Jacob, and other tenants at the Cecil. Your contribution will help us provide basic needs with love and dignity, and create opportunities for our tenants to become more self-supporting through life skills education and supportive programs.