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# Letter: A Visitor's Encounter With a Homeless Young Man at a Santa Monica Mall
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/010504-story-20040105/
- Published: 2004-01-05T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:26:46.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Kathleen Hodel Lake Havasu, Ariz.*

I just met one of Santa Monica’s local tragedies while visiting my family there during the holidays. I was eating in the mall and noticed a young, quiet, thin man about 19 years old with brown curly hair. He seemed a little lost while he was looking at the different food selections.

As he got closer, I saw more details: His clothes were torn and dirty, he was disoriented and mumbling to himself quietly, as he stared at the food that was being served to others. He was ignored by all. I bought him a bowl of pasta.

While I was approaching him, I saw a security guard who had just noticed him. I quickly walked over to the young man, and as we made eye contact, I realized he had lost an eye. The empty eye socket looked like it was sewn closed by a child making wide uneven stitches. The deep stitches were full of dirt. I told him to take the pasta and eat it outside knowing the guard was about to kick him out of the mall.

He didn’t talk to me, but his face shown a sense of relief, for he seemed very hungry. He pulled his arms out of his jacket to take the bowl of pasta. To my astonishment, he had no hands, only stubs. My heart sank. How could a young man who could not tie his own shoelaces, be so neglected? He could barely balance the plastic bowl on his two small stubs as he walked out of the mall. I couldn’t finish my soup, so I gave it to him.

While shopping, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I tried to find him again, but he was gone. I remembered that morning passing the Santa Monica City Hall and seeing numerous homeless souls curled up in their sleeping blankets on the front lawn.

The Santa Monica City Council knows what has to be done to cure this problem. If other cities such as New York can shelter the homeless, Santa Monica can too. I understand the city has provided a small shelter for the homeless, but obviously it is not sufficient. What else is extremely obvious to me is that a great number of the homeless need medical attention now. Last year when I was shopping on the Promenade, there was another young homeless man found dead sitting amongst his belongings much to our devastation.

The increased income that the city and county receive from its escalating property values should be able to handle the cost. After all, Santa Monica’s economic development and tourism are at risk. Believe me, I’ll remember the young man with one eye and no hands before I shop in Santa Monica again.

I’m a registered Republican business women who is aware of the cost of operating a city and sheltering the homeless. I was raised in Los Angeles, my family lives in Santa Monica and I now live in Arizona.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 5, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/010504.pdf?ref=smdp.com)