In the United States, there are over half a million people without a roof over their head. According to Statista, after a period of progress and decline, the U.S. homeless population has increased slightly by two percent according to a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More than a half of these people are based in California, with around 42,000 homeless people living in L.A.
As the problem with these people was expected to get even worse in 2022, the city agreed to spend around $3 billion to help as many homeless people find a permanent place to stay.
For this purpose, a beautiful village with tiny homes was built. This village is unlike any other out there. Why, you may wonder. Well, it is like that because a number of “artists and locals have taken it upon themselves to make an impact in their own unique ways,” by painting each house in different color, making Alexandria Park Tiny Home Village a cosy and pleasant place to start your life over.
This village, which is designed and implemented by Lehrer Architects in conjunction with the Bureau of Engineering, is the second of its kind.
“The home consists of 103 single and double-occupancy units, along with community structures and outdoor spaces.”
The number of homes it fits is around 200.
The tiny houses are fully fitted with a fold-down bed, heat, air conditioning, electrical outlets and locks.
The residents of the village are offered three meals each day as well as given access to community showers, restrooms, storage areas, dining areas, and support services.
“It is thrilling to be here using our medium to give, develop and invent form and processes to transform LA into a fully housed city,” said Michael B. Lehrer, founding partner of Lehrer Architects.
“Making a difference is a joy of citizenship.”
We are totally in love with this highly creative solution which allows homeless people a place to stay until they find a permanent home.
The place has a no-alcohol policy and evening curfew, but its residents enjoy many benefits.
For more on the project and this village which is built on an unused section of land near the freeway check out the video below.
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Life is unpredictable. The truth is that we can never know what awaits us in the future. What we know is that we need to be the best version of ourselves and things would simply fall into place.
Nathan, a bus driver, noticed something strange one day. A boy on the bus didn’t get off the last bus stop so Nathan approached him and asked where his parents were.
The boy said that his mother was supposed to wait for him at a certain bus stop but she was nowhere to be seen and he had no idea what to do. The little one explained that he and his mom had just recently moved to town and he couldn’t say where exactly their home was. He then asked Nathan if he could let him spend the night inside the bus.
Nathan explained that he couldn’t possibly let him sleep there and offered to take him home instead until they learn where his mother was.
The boy said his mom’s name was Melissa G, and that was a good start.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Once home, Nathan prepared some dinner which the boy, who introduced himself as Carlson, ate very quickly. It was obvious he hadn’t eaten all day.
Nathan took his phone out and called the police, asking if a boy named Carlson was reported missing. The answer was no. He then asked about Melissa G, but there wasn’t anything they could tell him about her because her name was the only thing he knew about that woman.
Confused and uncertain of what to do next, Nathan thought of calling social services, but he then changed his mind because he didn’t want to involve them for what could be a simple error. He really didn’t want the kid to end up in the system before learning what prevented his mother from meeting him as arranged.
Before calling every hospital in the area, Nathan made the bed for Carlson and told him to feel like home.
“I know this is highly unusual. But I’m looking for this person. Her kid was on my bus all day yesterday, waiting for her to get on. Please, if there’s any Melissa G. interned right now, please, tell me so we can check,” he begged the lady who answered the phone.
Ok, I’ll help. But don’t tell anyone,” the lady replied, and Nathan could hear the sounds of her clicking a computer keyboard. “There’s someone with that name. But there’s no emergency contact. They must have gotten her details from an I.D. in her pocket or purse.”
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Unfortunately, Melissa got involved in an accident earlier that day and was in medically induced come. Nathan took Carlson to the hospital first thing in the morning, but the hospital staff wouldn’t let them see her. They asked Nathan whether he was her husband, and just as he wanted to say no, Carlson put his arm around his leg and Nathan said he was Melissa’s husband.
After answering some questions he was forced to lie about, Nathan and Carlson were taken to see Melissa.
She was still in coma and remained in such state in the few days that followed. Eventually, doctors believed she was ready to be waken up as she started feeling better.
When she opened her eyes, Melissa saw her son and gave him a hug.
Carlson then told her about Nathan and Melissa was very grateful. She couldn’t believe that a total stranger could step in for her and her son.
“Thank you,” she breathed sincerely, not letting go of her son. “You’re welcome. But I did lie to these people, so if anyone asks, I’m your husband,” Nathan joked.
Nathan stayed for a while and then said goodbye, not planning to see the mother and her son again.
But in the evening, just as his shift was over, he felt the urge to go to the hospital and check on them one last time.
“Why are you back?” Melissa asked him a few hours later when Carlson had fallen asleep on the couch.
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I kept thinking about you and him the entire day. I can’t explain it. But I guess I wanted to see this through. I’ll help you return home and watch him whenever I can so you can recover.”
“That’s so kind,” Melissa replied, as she struggled to keep her tears falling down her eyes. “Other people would’ve called 911 or CPS, and they could’ve taken my son forever.”
“I almost called them, but then I thought, what if something happened to you? There had to be a reason why you didn’t appear, so I had to try to find you first,” he said. The two then looked straight at each other’s eyes.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Once Melissa was discharged from the hospital, Nathan visited her and Carlson in their home. The visits became more frequent and the two tied the knot around to years later.
Nathan adopted Carlson. Who could have thought that the scared boy from the bus would become her son one day.
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Brian, a young boy, had a hard time making friends. His father Gary, a police officer, tried helping his son bond with his peers, but Brian had his own things. In fact, Gary did a lot in order to help his son build his self-confidence, but the more he insisted, the more Brian pulled away.
As Brian was way too insecure to go to and from school all by himself, although it wasn’t that far from home, Gary would always drive him. During the winter, while waiting for his dad, Brian was reading at the library, and when the weather was hot, he would wait outside the school.
Over time, Brian made friends with a homeless man named Carl and his dog Goblin. He would see them every day while waiting so he decided to bond with the animal.
One day, when Gary went to pick up his son, Brian was all smiles. He told his father to come closer so that he could see all the tricks that the Golden Retriever could do. He knew how to give a high-five and how to dance.
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Gary was surprised to see that his boy made friends with a furry animal. But then, Brian explained that the dog belonged to Carl, the man begging on the street near the school, and Gary got mad. He certainly didn’t want his boy to be around the homeless man.
“Come on, now, it’s time to go,” Gary told Brian and added, “Listen, Brian, I want you to stay away from that man and his dog, OK?”
“Carl’s OK and I love Goblin!” Brian protested.
“Well, I’m sure Goblins’ a good dog, but I don’t want you befriending vagrants, Brian. Do you understand?” the father said. When Brian tried to defend Carl, his dad simply said, “Not another word.”
Despite his father’s warnings, Brian continued being around his newly-made friends, and Gary learned that when his wife told him that food went missing from the house. It was very obvious that Brian was stealing it so that he could give it to Carl and Goblin.
Gary loved the idea of his son being around the dog. What he wasn’t happy about was that the animal belonged to a vagrant.
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Two days later, Gary got off work early and when he arrived at the school, he caught Brian outside the gates. He had a bag in his hand and he was saying: “Hey guys, I have your favorite spaghetti, Carl. And for you boy, your favorite sausages!”
“BRIAN!” he thundered. “What are you doing?”
“Get away from that man,” Gary shouted. “Get into the car!”
That night, Gary and his wife talked to Brian of the dangers of befriending a man like Carl. “Dad, I know about stranger danger and bad touching. Carl is NOT like that, he’s nice. You can tell he’s a good person because Goblin loves him so much, and Goblin’s the BEST, smartest dog,” Brian answered back.
“Brian,” Gary said quietly. “I’m sure Goblin’s a great dog, but you know what? Hitler had a great dog and he loved him, and I’m sure the dog loved him back. A good dog does NOT make this vagrant a good person. Please stay away from him, Brian!”
“NO!” shouted Brian, and he pushed back his chair. “Carl is my friend and I love Goblin! Why do you always have to spoil everything? I HATE YOU!”
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A few days later, Brian was woken up by loud barking. When he took a look out of the window, he saw Goblin outside. He rushed towards him and could see that the dog was in distress. He kept asking where Carl was. Afraid that something could have happened to him, Brian did something he had never done before. He took Goblin and the two went straight to the station where his dad worked. This was the first time Brian walked that much all by himself.
Gary was stunned when he saw Brian at the precinct with the dog by his side. “Brian!” he gasped. “What are you doing here? How did you get here?”
“Dad!” he cried. “I think something bad happened to Carl. Goblin came looking for me and he’s very scared…” But Goblin wasn’t looking scared, he was looking up at Brian’s dad and growling.
Brian had never heard Goblin growl before. “Dad!” he asked. “What have you done?”
Gary flushed. “Carl was loitering near a school and he was warned off twice, so we arrested him!”
“But dad!” Brain cried. “He did nothing wrong! He’s not well, he needs help…You don’t know anything about him! He’s a veteran and he was in the bomb squad and he worked with sniffer dogs to find explosives. That’s why Goblin’s so well trained. He’s a good man and you arrested him because he’s sick!”
“He’s not SICK!” Gary cried angrily. “He’s a bum!”
Brian had tears in his eyes. “No, dad,” he said softly. “He doesn’t drink or anything, and most of the time he talks to people who aren’t there. He needs help.”
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Realizing the mistake he did, Gary felt ashamed of himself. It was then that he decided to do what his son begged him to.
Gary tracked down Carl’s sister and learned that she was desperately looking for him. He made sure they reunite and she helped him get the medical help he desperately needed.
Carl was sent to a mental health clinic and Goblin went with him to keep him company.
One day, Gary came home with a huge smile on his face and a strange lump under his jacket. He lifted out a wriggling puppy and presented it to Brian. “There you go,” he said. “You have to name him!”
Brian started crying tears of joy. “Goblin,” he gasped. “His name is Goblin Two!”
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Do we ever take the time to ponder over the thought that what goes around, comes around? Very often, we undertake certain actions without being completely aware of the impact they have on other people. Luckily, life finds a way to remind us that we should be a bit more considerate.
After the passing of his father, one man decided he couldn’t take care of his mom any longer so he made the decision to take her to a nursing home. She wasn’t happy there and he didn’t visit very often, just occassionally.
One day, he got a call that his mom’s health deteriorated. She didn’t feel at all. In fact, it looked like she was living the last days of her life.
The son was quick to arrive to the nursing home. He went straight to his mother’s room and asked her if there was something he could do for her.
The mother looked straight into his eyes and said that she had few requests. Hearing that, he said he was more than willing to make her final wish come true.
The mom then explained that she wanted the fans changed because they didn’t work properly and she used to suffocate at times. “If you could change the refrigerator too… There were days when I fell asleep hungry because the food had expired…,” she added.
The son was surprised. He thought that his mother wasn’t aware that she was dying. He then asked her why she didn’t tell him all about that before. Now it was too late.
The mother then looked in his eyes and said, “I know I will die, but I think of you when your children won’t want you next to them either… And they will bring you here…Then, you will find better conditions… What you offer is what you get… Don’t forget that.”
These words broke the son’s heart into a million pieces. He knew he made a mistake when he left his mother at the nursing home against her will.
We should never forget that it is our responsibility to make sure our parents spend their golden years in a way that makes them happy.
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NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel shared the heart-breaking news of his young son’s passing. The six-year-old boy battled Rett Syndrome, a genetic brain disorder which doesn’t have a treatment and is not curable.
Engel announced the devastating news on Twitter and wrote, “Our beloved son Henry passed away. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more.” He signed the tweet, “Mary and Richard.”
The tweet included a link to the Texas Children’s Hospital, which directed visitors of the page to a beautiful memorial written in Henry’s honor. “Henry Engel – a beautiful child and a true hero for fighting Rett syndrome and inspiring researchers to find a treatment – sadly passed away on August 9, 2022.”
The syndrome Henry suffered from can affect “nearly every aspect of a child’s life,” including the “ability to speak, walk, eat, and breathe easily.”
According to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, this condition affects about 1 in 10,000 females and is even rarer in males.
Our beloved son Henry passed away. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more. Mary and Richard. https://t.co/M8LV8SHv6rpic.twitter.com/21Ja6TOtjH
“Henry was special in so many ways. His loving and endearing smile, and the way he connected with his eyes, stole my heart from the time I met him. His quiet fight against this terrible disease was incredible. We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. This is how we will honor his life.”
Engel and his wife, Mary Forrest, have been candid about Henry’s medical journey following his diagnosis of Rett Syndrome in 2017. In 2018, Engel opened up about his son’s health condition in an op-ed for Today. He explained how Henry brought so much joy into their lives and described just how special he was.
Researchers are making amazing progress using Henry’s cells to help cure RETT Syndrome so others don’t have to endure this terrible disease. To support the research: https://t.co/M8LV8SHv6rpic.twitter.com/UNnDONMtR1
“None of this means we don’t enjoy our time with Henry. I can’t imagine a child who is shored with more love.”
“We gather on our bed several times a day for what we call ‘cuddle parties,’ where we kid him, rub him, praise him (he loves to hear his name and be praised) and curl his think, gorgeous hair in our fingers,” Engel wrote.
He recalled the special moment when his boy uttered the word “dada” for the very first time.
“For me it was validation, an acknowledgment that he’s in there, knows me, knows that his mother and I are forces for good in his life, and above all, that he loves us.”
The most recent tweet regarding Henry’s health prior to his passing was posted in March, 2022, when Engel wrote that his son’s condition progressed.
As reported by Yahoo! the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute is already using Henry Engel’s cells to try and combat the disorder.
Rest in peace, little one.
Our thoughts and prayers go to the Engel family.
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Actress Anne Heche lost her life after she suffered severe brain injury following a car crash. She had spent six days at a hospital where she was declared brain dead, but her family made the heart-breaking decision to take her off life support only after a suitable recipient for her organs was found. It was Anne’s wish her organs to be donated in case she passes away and her sons decided to grant her wish.
Anne left behind her two sons, her mother, and her sister.
The relationship between Anne and her mother Nancy Heche hadn’t been picture perfect. In fact, the two didn’t get along, especially when Anne started dating comedian Ellen DeGeneres during the period when same-sex couples weren’t well accepted by the society.
“I didn’t do a studio picture for 10 years. I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture,” the actress recalled in later interviews.
After Ellen, Anne went on to date other people and she even became a mom of two boys. She married Coleman “Coley” Laffoon, a cameraman, and the two stayed together for eight years. After her divorce, she got romantically involved with Canadian actor and her co-star in “Men in Trees,” James Tupper, with whom she had her second son.
Her latest relationship was that with Hung co-star Thomas Jane, but they called it quits in 2021. Following her passing, Thomas took to social media to offer his condolences. “While Anne and I are no longer an item, today’s tragic news was devastating to me and to all who love her. My heart goes out to Anne and her two sons. As of right now Anne is stable and expected to pull through. My thoughts and prayers are with Anne, one of the true talents of her generation. Thank God no one else was hurt,” he wrote.
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Despite she moved on and dated other people since Ellen, Anne’s mom was furious when she learned her daughter was dating a woman because homosexuality was something she condemned as a Christian. On top of it, Nancy’s late husband, who died of AIDS, was secretly gay.
Anne’s father wasn’t only unfaithful, but he also abused his own daughter for many years, something Anne opened up about in her book Call me Crazy. She accused her mother of not doing anything about it, claiming that she couldn’t be unaware of the sexual abuse that was taking place under her roof.
Further, Anne wrote in her book that her mom was a “good Christian” who never questioned her husband. “She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t scream. She didn’t yell.”
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Nancy denied Anne’s accusations and said “no place among the lies and blasphemies in the pages of this book.” Further, she added, “I am trying to find a place for myself in this writing, a place where I as Anne’s mother do not feel violated or scandalized.”
Nancy has had her fair share of heartbreaks and tragedies in her life. This 85-year-old woman lost four of her five children. Her daughter Cynthia died when she was just two months old of heart failure.
Mere months after husband’s passing in 1983, Nancy lost her 18-year-old son Brandon who suffered in a car accident. In 2008, Anne’s sister, Susan Bergman, who was a professor of literature and a writer, lost her life because of brain cancer in 2006 when she was 48 years old.
No matter how rough things were between these mother and daughter, it looks like the two got on the same page as Nancy shared a photo of herself and her two daughters in 2013. Judging from the photo, many assumed that Nancy and Anne were finally able to mend their relationship.
Today, Nancy has only one daughter.
Our hearts go out to Nancy Heche and Anne Heche’s family for all that they are going through with her sudden passing.
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From the moment she took over Hollywood with her performance as Donna Hayward on the ground-breaking television show Twin Peaks, beautiful Lara Flynn Boyle has become many people’s favorite. Dubbed the “It Girl” of the ’90s, Boyle could brag with her lavish lifestyle and the enormous popularity she enjoyed over the years.
Boyle’s personal life has been a tumultuous one. Love and adored by many, she has dated celebs and has been married twice. From 1990 to 1992, Boyle was romantically involved with her Twin Peaks co-star Kyle MacLachlan. Having in mind that the cult series was an enormous hit back in the day, and is still popular even today, it didn’t come as a surprise that their relationship caused quite a stir and attracted the attention of millions.
Then, in 1996, Boyle married her first husband John Patrick Dee III. Their union lasted for two years.
Later, she got involved with actor David Spade before she started dating Jack Nicholson, who was 33 years her senior. Rumors were that Boyle and Nicholson first met while she was still together with Spade when the Chinatown star asked her out in front of Spade while they were smoking marijuana. Spade only learned the two were dating after they were involved in a car crash, covered by paparazzi.
Today, Boyle is married to husband Donald Ray Thomas II, a real estate investor, whom she tied the knot with on December 18, 2006.
During the last couple of years, Boyle decided to step out of the limelight and has only been seen in public on several occasions.
Recently, she was spotted in Los Angeles walking her dog on a leash while wearing a large coat and had dark hair into a low ponytail, which is her signature look.
However, what many noticed is that the actress didn’t resemble her old self which can be seen from the photographs.
The actress who ruled the silver screen in the 1990s gave the impression that she was not wearing any makeup.
Many claim that she had undergone plastic surgeries to alter her appearance, but she didn’t comment on the rumors.
Some time ago, Boyle was spotted holding a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label while driving as her car window was only half rolled down.
When it comes to what media outlets write about her, Boyle says she doesn’t pay much attention and doesn’t use a computer or a smart phone so she isn’t much familiar with the rumors surrounding her name.
“I am surrounded by enough amazing people who can lead me in the right direction and inform me whether or not people are saying nice things or bad things about me. To be ignorant is to be happy.”
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Having been one of the most critically acclaimed actors there are, with 12 academy award nominations under his belt and a huge number of awards, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award among the rest, Jack Nicholson leaves most others in the duct.
What makes him one of a kind is his ability to play a wide range of starring and supporting roles, including comic characters, romantic leads, anti-heroes and villains.
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When it comes to his personal life, it’s safe to say that The Shining star has led quite a life. Having five children with four different women, Nicholson has always been considered a ladies’ man.
The actor and filmmaker has only been married once, to actress Sandra Knight, with whom he has daughter Jennifer Nicholson, his eldest child.
The marriage ended before even Nicholson reached stardom because Sandra was aware he wouldn’t be faithful to her.
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In 1970, the actor became a father to his second child, son Caleb, whom he has with Susan Anspach. He, however, only fully accepted Caleb as his son years later.
His relationship with Winnie Hollman resulted in the birth of his daughter Honey Nicholson. After this, he began a relationship with Rebecca Broussard and the couple welcomed daughter Lorraine and son Ray.
Speaking of co-parenting all of his children with their moms, the actor once said, “It’s a divided parenthood, with their wonderful [mothers] and myself. We’ve always gotten along. I want to be inspirational, or some kind of good influence on them without overburdening them.”
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Nicholson has spent most of his life believing that his grandmother was actually his birth mother when in fact he was the son of her daughter June whom they presented to Nicholas as his sister. The actor only learned the truth when a journalist asked him for a comment. Nicholson was shocked at first, to say the least. His mother and grandma took the secret to their graves and he didn’t get the chance to confront them.
“It was pretty dramatic event, but it wasn’t what I’d call traumatizing…I was pretty well psychologically formed,” Jack told People of the revelation.
“I didn’t have to deal with it with them. They were dead. I am that kind of person-what do I feel-and had the tools to know what I feel. Gratitude. I’ve often said about them: Show me any women today who could keep a secret, confidence, or an intimacy to that degree, you got my kind of gal.”
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During the last couple of years, the career of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest star has been drawn to a close.
According to people close to him, the actor suffers from memory loss. Media outlets reported in the past that Nicholson was diagnosed with dementia. “There is a simple reason behind his decision — it’s memory loss,” an insider told Radar Online. “Jack has memory issues and can no longer remember the lines being asked of him.”
He “doesn’t leave his house anymore” and his children are reportedly taking care of him, a source shared with Express, “Physically he is fine — but his mind is gone. It’s really sad to see such a super talented actor, like Jack, go out this way.”
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It appears that Jack Nicholson’s latest public appearance was at the Kobe Bryant’s memorial, who was his close friend.
It truly is a sad, sad thing to see someone as talented and as successful as Jack Nicholson to completely withdraw from public life.
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