> ## 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. # John Maceri: Service is a family tradition - URL: https://www.smdp.com/john-maceri-service-is-a-family-tradition/ - Published: 2003-12-22T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:21:59.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Community, Ocean Park, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness As the head of the largest social-service agency in Santa Monica, John Maceri provides shelter and food for hundreds of abused, addicted and mentally ill homeless people each day. Maceri, 46, who lives in Northridge, said the pressure can be intense, but the rewards make it worthwhile. The old-est of three children born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Maceri said his commitment to community service dates back to his childhood. “Having a life of service is to me the most important thing,” Maceri said in a Thursday interview at the Ocean Park Community Center offices on 16th Street. It’s something of a family tradition for Maceri, whose great-grandmother adopted 17 children — and had three of her own. Maceri said his great-grandmother, who he knew as a young boy, had an enormous impact on his life and influenced him to volunteer. Now, as head of OPCC, Maceri oversees a $5.1 million budget, 70 percent of which is government funded and 30 percent of which comes from private sources. He said the most challenging and rewarding aspect of his job is continually raising money for OPCC, especially during an economic downturn when donors are few but needs are great. OPCC recently acquired $7 million from City Hall to open a 55-bed shelter at Michigan Avenue and Cloverfield Boulevard. That shelter, which is expected to be open in the next few years, coupled with the feeling among many local businesses and residents that Santa Monica is a magnet for homelessness, has made Maceri a target of much criticism. Maceri said other cities need to step up their social-service offerings, but added he is proud of the work being done here. Still, he said he understand some apprehension about homelessness. “We deal with hundreds of homeless people each day, and I realize not everybody is polite and charming,” he said. “But there are real problems out there, and we are making a difference.” Here, the Daily Press sat down with Maceri to learn more about the man behind the agency. Do you remember your first encounter with a homeless person? What was that like? “It’d go back a long time. The first encounter that really sticks out in my mind was back when I was in my 20s. It was actually a woman and her two children who lived on the streets. It was the week before Christmas in 1983 or 1984. “I was renting an apartment, and there was a market just down the street. I walked to the market one night, and there was this lady with these two beautiful babies sort of tucked under a juniper bush.... She wasn’t panhandling, she wasn’t asking for anything. She was just trying to protect her kids in this little space she had carved out. “I walked over and I gave her a $20 bill, the only money I had with me. She started to cry. She said, ‘Thank you’ and put down her head.... Her dignity had certainly been shattered, but she still had some pride. As desperately as she needed the money, she didn’t want to take it.... I’ll never forget what she and those kids looked like.” What do you do when you’re approached by panhandlers? “I almost always say, ‘No, thanks.’ If I’m here in Santa Monica, I’ll say, ‘Are you familiar with the (OPCC) Access Center?’ and direct people there. Because I live in the valley, if I’m there, I’ll direct people to the access center there. And I always have with me, in my car, individual bottles of water and little hygiene packets with soap, toothpaste and shampoo that I give to people. Because we don’t have a Promenade or a beach in the valley, homeless people will often camp out along the freeway.... “I think it’s always important to be respectful to people. I always smile and say, ‘No, thanks.’ You never know what people’s stories are.... I think one thing that I’ve learned over the years is that it’s better to give to an organization that will treat the cause and not just the symptom.... “Over the years I have given people money. I don’t do it often, but I have on occasion, understanding that giving a person a buck or two is not going to solve the problem.... There are people who are professional panhandlers. They prey upon the general public’s goodwill and desire to help people. That’s not the vast majority, but there are some people that do this.” What’s the most challenging aspect of your job, for you personally? “Being put in a position of having to constantly defend the work that we’re doing against people who are often misinformed, or against people who deliberately attack us.... It’s hard when you read things about yourself or your organization in the paper or in the columns that aren’t true or aren’t based in fact.... The work is hard enough. We’re working with people who have severe needs with very limited resources.” What about the work you do — what’s the most challenging part? “The thing I enjoy doing but is the most challenging is raising money constantly. The work is never done. The demand always outstrips the resources, so therefore we are always playing catch-up.... “Look what’s going on just in the state right now with the uncertainty surrounding the budget. And then we have the added pressure of getting up every day and having to provide services for people who depend on us.... That part of the job, it’s always there. The need is always there because social service agencies are the safety net for what government isn’t doing.” Is there one misconception common among people, among the community, that you find yourself frequently responding to? “‘Why don’t people just get a job?’ That’s the biggest misconception that I hear. If people just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, there wouldn’t be any problem.... “People don’t seem to understand the complexity of what is involved in someone becoming homeless. I’ve met thousands of homeless people, and I’ve never met someone who was housed and woke up one morning and said, ‘Gee, it’d sure be nice to become homeless today.’... “There are always circumstances, events, usually something catastrophic or serious that happens in people’s lives.... There’s always some downward spiral that results in people becoming homeless... and then from there it’s usually a whole separate series of events that make it difficult for them to get back on their feet.” How has your understanding of the homeless situation evolved over the years, on a macro level? “I’ve really come to understand the more global public-policy decisions that have contributed to creating homelessness in this country, not just in Santa Monica.... I’ve really been able to connect the dots of poverty, affordable housing, chronic physical and mental illness, domestic violence, substance abuse, all of these things are interconnected... (and) policy decisions often create or make them worse... “Going back 20 years to the woman with her two children, I knew in my heart it wasn’t right for her to be living on the streets... but 20 years later, I have a much better understanding about how she might have become homeless... and a recognition that there are some people in our society that will always need some support. “If the federal government were to put the same amount of resources as the Iraqi war effort into affordable housing and supportive services, we could end chronic homelessness.... It’s a matter of priorities. I know this is venturing into politics and away from personal, but it’s one and the same for me. It’s a lot of what drew me into this work, and it’s all of what keeps me here. Our work is both about empowering individuals and changing systems, and both of those happen very slowly.” What’s next for John Maceri? “I hope to be at OPCC for several more years. There is a lot to be done, and I still have a contribution to make by being of service. I think forever is a long time and at some point new leadership will be needed here. Change is good, it’s healthy for the organization.... I see myself continuing to be an advocate for the work that we do, for the people we serve. I will continue to be open to new ways to improve how we provide services.... “The resources we have is not our money... it’s the taxpayers’.... We are stewards.... I think it’s my responsibility to be a good steward and be as effective as possible.” What’s the best thing about working at OPCC? “Seeing people turn their lives around. I think we all need that, those success stories. The individuals who were clients here, and I see them in the community, and they’re working, they’re housed.... “It’s not my job to change people. We provide the resources and the support to help them change themselves. But seeing people out there, when they’re housed and they’re stable, it’s definitely the best part of the job.” If you weren’t the head of OPCC, what would you be doing? “I think my dream job would probably be a tour guide in Italy.... All over, but especially in Tuscany.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 22, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)