> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bayside honored for its heart - URL: https://www.smdp.com/bayside-honored-for-its-heart/ - Published: 2003-03-21T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T01:52:45.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Community, Downtown, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Business group recognized for homeless efforts* The organization responsible for instigating two laws designed to reduce the number of homeless downtown was honored Thursday for showing its compassion toward those who live on the street. The Bayside District Corp., a non-profit organization that works with and is funded by the city to manage downtown Santa Monica, was given the “Heart of the Community” award by a local social service program. Step Up on Second, a social service organization that serves about 1,000 people who live on the street and suffer from diseases like bi-polar disorder, depression, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, presented the award to Bayside in front of 160 community members at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard. The award is the first of its kind and was given to Bayside because it has routinely worked with business interests, city officials and social service providers to find ways to deal with the growing number of homeless in Santa Monica. Instead of turning a blind eye to those on the street, Bayside has set up several programs and been part of solutions in aiding homeless people to get off the street, supporters said. “For Bayside, this has been a public safety issue and Bayside has made it a point of including Step Up and the social service community in their discussion of homeless issues,” said Step Up On Second CEO Tod Lipka. “Step Up and others were asked to be part of the Bayside public safety committee from the very beginning as a way to craft collaborative solutions.” To Bayside officials, who are primarily concerned with keeping the downtown business district a safe and pleasant environment, the issues surrounding homelessness can be extremely political. The group formed a public safety committee last year to address concerns over transients’ anti-social behavior. Residents, tourists and business owners complained at the time that transients were urinating and defecating in doorways of downtown businesses and aggressively panhandling. In response, the public safety committee recommended that the City Council pass two laws addressing the problems. The council passed those laws in October amid widespread controversy. The first law forces charitable organizations running free meal programs in city parks to apply for a permit if the gathering is more than 150 people. Each organization must also get a permit from the Los Angeles County Health Department verifying that their program follows stringent health codes and is not conducted more than three times in a 90-day period. Some believe the reason Santa Monica has such a high population of homeless people is because they are attracted by church groups from outside of the city who offer free food in parks and in front of City Hall several times a day. The council also unanimously enacted a law that makes it illegal to sleep in doorways downtown and in the commercial zones along Main Street from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Thursday’s award may be surprising to some given the amount of controversy and politics surrounding the issue. But city leaders say Bayside responds to the interests of the business community, while at the same time showing compassion toward the downtrodden. Bayside’s executive director, Kathleeen Rawson, who was recognized as being instrumental in many of the organization’s efforts, has taken her fair share of criticism over the years, particularly when the homeless laws were introduced to the council. Tim Alexander, who has worked with Rawson in the past, said Santa Monica has no choice but to help its less fortunate and Bayside plays a large part in that effort. “There is absolutely no other place for these people to go and it’s our responsibility as a society,” Alexander said. “Kathleen understands that. She has integrity, is a person I can trust and she has intelligence to make the tough decisions.” A few years ago, Bayside developed the Dolphin Exchange Program, which was born from complaints by downtown merchants who were upset about panhandlers deterring would-be shoppers. Bayside had four sculptured dolphin banks created downtown so people could deposit money in them instead of giving it to people begging on the street. The money collected is then given to local social service providers who help the homeless and the less fortunate through structured programs. Bayside has collected more than $100,000 from the dolphins, which has gone to various programs throughout Santa Monica. Bayside also helped create work programs for homeless at the farmer’s market on the Third Street Promenade twice a week, as well as employing them to help set up the kiosks placed on the outdoor mall every day. When Bayside recently started exploring an outdoor cafe on the Promenade, one of the first groups it turned to was Step Up On Second, which has a catering service employed by its clients. Bayside also recently asked the City Council to increase its funding to social service agencies. Bayside also played a part in getting downtown businesses to donate excess food to Step Up on a regular basis. Step Up prepares more than 30,000 meals every year. “In tough times, many organizations circle the wagons and watch over their own interests,” Lipka said. “These few examples of Bayside symbolize a spirit of collaboration and coordination that is unique for an organization whose purpose is to represent the interests of a downtown business district. “It’s not only unique, it’s exemplary.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/032103-03_01.jpg) Ann Greenspun, Bayside District Corp., board member, accepts the Heart of the Commnity Award on behalf of the organization on Thursday. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 21, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032103.pdf?ref=smdp.com)