The 24th Annual Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K is being held this morning. It raises funds to help the homeless in San Diego. It’s called the Run For Hope.
Runners (and walkers) converged in Balboa Park for an annual event that draws thousands of participants. I was told there are over 10,000 this year!
The energy was incredible. Families, friends and social groups had come together. Turkey hats and costumes could be seen everywhere in the crowd. I even found Dude Vader wearing feathers, and some smiling Pilgrims!
Before the Thanksgiving 5K began, a huge mass of people streamed over the Cabrillo Bridge from the center of Balboa Park where a festival is being held. They would start the race on the west side of the bridge, then take a course circling the park to the north.
If you couldn’t participate, but you’d like to make a donation to Father Joe’s Villages, click here for their website.
Some fun photos…
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Looking for a great pizza place in downtown San Diego? Do you like to have good time? Would you like to eat tasty pizza, have fun, AND at the same time help homeless youth?
Yes, of course!
Swing by Timmy’s Place at 1404 Fifth Avenue, or check out their website here and place an order for take out or delivery!
So, how does Timmy’s Place help homeless youth?
Let me transcribe a description printed on their menu:
Timmy’s Place is the product of an incredible partnership between Urban Street Angels & UPAC & made possible through the Lucky Duck Foundation, the Rolf Benirschke Legacy Foundation, & Inspiration of Rolf and Mary Benirschke. It is a unique social enterprise that offers training, employment, mentorship, and opportunity for homeless youth towards success and self-sustanability.
So what’s on the menu at Timmy’s Place? A wide variety of signature, classic and traditional pizzas, sandwiches, salads, desserts, slushies, coffee and tea. There is free delivery with a $40 minimum in a 4 block radius.
Place your order and not only will you enjoy great food, but you’ll be helping young people’s lives in a very real and meaningful way.
They do catering, too.
I bought a very yummy and reasonably priced Italian salad chock full of good stuff at Timmy’s Place today. It was actually better than a fancy Italian restaurant I occasionally visit.
As I waited for friendly young people to prepare my order, I enjoyed looking around Timmy’s Place. As you can see from my photographs, all sorts of fun pop culture graphics have been put up to celebrate San Diego’s association with Comic-Con!
Yes, that’s Superman and Krypto flying on the front window!
Hey, I know there are hungry, good-hearted people who live or work in downtown San Diego reading this. Please check out Timmy’s Place website by clicking here.
Eat with a smile!
A picture of Timmy on one wall is accompanied by his inspirational message.
“…living in an orphanage was a tough start… In my early 20s I developed dangerous addictions, pushed my family away, ended homeless for more than five years… Because of my past bad choices…it was difficult to get a job… There are so many people out there who care, who want to help, and who are willing to give us the second chance we need.”
Timmy’s Place provides that second chance. And good eats and fun, too!
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More than 500 heroes were assisted this weekend during the 37th Annual Stand Down event, organized by the Veterans Village of San Diego.
Unhoused and at-risk veterans, their families, and active-duty service members could receive all sorts of free assistance at Stand Down. The event this year was held at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Free services were offered by a wide variety of organizations, including housing assistance, medical, dental and vision care, legal services, food and clothing, and educational workshops. There was plenty of love and support from San Diego’s military and civilian communities.
I wandered about the event, feeling inspired by all that I saw. Perhaps this blog post provides a little help in its own way.
If you happen to be a Veteran in need, first, thank you for your service. I deeply appreciate the liberty you have helped to defend.
I encourage people to check out the Veterans Village of San Diego website by clicking here. We all need a little help now and then. I know that from my own personal experience.
Veterans Village of San Diego supports America’s Veterans and their families in overcoming homelessness, addiction, unemployment, barriers to health and mental healthcare, and related challenges.
Their vision: A future where no one is left behind.
A smile at the Adjoin Veterans table in the above photograph. Adjoin has a housing-first strategy that secures permanent housing for every Veteran family they proudly serve.
Another smile at the San Diego Rescue Mission table. They provide meals, shelter, clothing, education and job-skills training for men, women, and single parents with children experiencing homelessness.
And here we have three smiles! Reading Legacies, located in San Diego, teaches families the importance of reading with children.
Unhoused students at Monarch School in Barrio Logan have written powerful words concerning their life experiences. Their many compositions (each an ode to a common thing) are collected in a series of published books. Several volumes of Odes to Common Things are available at the San Diego Public Library.
Today I noticed that the big video screen near the Central Library’s entrance was cycling through some of these thought-provoking odes. I stood there reading, and lifting my camera to take a few photographs.
The Monarch School serves homeless youth–unhoused kids who live in shelters, motels, single room occupancy housing, double- or tripled-up with other families, at camp sites, in cars, or on the streets. Monarch School is the only comprehensive K-12 school in the U.S. developed specifically to serve unhoused students and their families.
Would you like to read words that might move you–words written from the heart by youth who hope to lead a secure and happy life? Yes? See the availability of the Ode to Common Things books at the San Diego Public Library by clicking here.
Ode to Memories, by Derek. …I carry memories of my life–in my head, my brain, my heart. They can be beautiful. They can be scary…Ode to Cats, by Fabian. …My cats make me feel happy, comfortable…Cats go to heaven…Ode to Basketball, by Deveyon. …It makes me better able to work with new people, to make new friends…basketball is what I have.Ode to Ice Cream, by Jaylen. …What’s good is its coldness, its sweetness, its flavor. It’s as sweet as a championship and as joyful as a party.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Would you like to have a uniquely beautiful Christmas Tree this holiday season? Would you like to help San Diego’s homeless at the same time?
Seventeen wonderfully decorated Christmas Trees are now on display in the lobby of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel. They are being auctioned to help the homeless. The event is called 1st Annual Holiday Village at the Bayfront: A Cause to Celebrate!
Each one-of-a-kind Christmas Tree has its own fun theme. All were decorated by folks who help our city’s homeless at Father Joe’s Villages. One very special Christmas Tree features ornaments created using the imprints of the hands and feet of children who attend Father Joe’s Therapeutic Childcare Center!
Complete information can be found on this web page. Funds raised go to helping thousands of San Diegans have safe shelter, hot meals, and hope during the holidays. The auction ends on November 24, 2024.
Visit the auction page and see photos of each amazing tree by clicking here!
I really like the kids-made tree: Santa’s Whimsical Workshop!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Motionless figures confront pedestrians on a downtown San Diego sidewalk. Three life-size transparent “silhouettes” stand beside UC San Diego Park & Market. For those who pause and wish to understand, the figures will freely speak, telling true stories of people in our city who are homeless.
What Does Home Mean to You is the name of this public art installation. It’s just one temporary installation of many along the Bay to Park Paseo. The Bay to Park Paseo is a unique walking experience that leads from San Diego Bay to Balboa Park. Learn all about it by clicking here.
Earlier this year I participated in the inaugural walk up the Bay to Park Paseo. One of these three silhouettes was on display. Last weekend, when I walked up Park Boulevard again, all three were arranged on the sidewalk.
The UC San Diego Design Lab created this thought-provoking installation. An explanation of the public art includes: Visitors will see life-size silhouettes of people who will share their perspectives on housing at the push of a button. Throughout the installation, passersby can use their mobile devices to scan QR codes to dive deeper into other housing experiences from the greater San Diego community or share their own stories through voice or text.
I noticed words by the feet of these silhouettes. The stories are real, but names have been changed.
I took photos for you to see…
“Like my dad said, ‘It’s not over till it’s over.’ That’s his motto. I gotta live by that, no matter what.” A foster youth shares his family story, hopes and dreams with maturity and grit…“Don’t wait for things to come to you. Chase it.” A single mother of three was unhoused, despite having a steady job…“I…turned toward survival mode–a mode that most of society isn’t aware of in themselves, but, you know, I think is in all of us.” During his darkest days, he found resurrection through his community, who gave him a hand when he was at his worst…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Can you imagine being homeless or very poor and hungry? How difficult your day-to-day life would be. How depressed you might feel. How hopeless and inescapable the situation might seem?
I was walking home from San Diego Comic-Con a couple days ago when I met a couple of smiling guys selling water by the sidewalk. They had this sign:
What would you say to make someone’s day?
When I stopped to learn what those words meant, I discovered these guys are working to help the homeless and hungry in San Diego with Lids of Encouragement.
On their table I saw container lids with positive messages written on them. Lids of Encouragement uses these lids to seal care and food packages for those in need downtown. I told them I’d write a blog to help their effort.
I found this article written a couple months ago. It explains how the founder himself was homeless for a while. He must certainly understand what it’s like. The organization has been around for many years now. Lids of Encouragement might be small but it’s still going strong!
I also see students in downtown San Diego are writing encouraging messages on many of the lids.
You can check out the Lids of Encouragement website by clicking here. Perhaps you can help them in their very important mission to make lives better.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
More public art is rapidly appearing along San Diego’s new Bay to Park Paseo!
The Bay to Park Paseo is a 1.7 mile downtown walking experience that will be filled with outdoor art. The paseo stretches from San Diego Bay up Park Boulevard to Balboa Park. The project celebrates San Diego/Tijuana’s selection as World Design Capital 2024!
This afternoon, I noticed that people were stringing up colorful art in front of the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, which stands at the midpoint of the Bay to Park Paseo. The installation is called Memories at the Midpoint.
According to this page, the design approach looks to stimulate the senses through sound, sight and interaction, challenging us to look at the past, present and future. From above, four canopies will be suspended from street trees using recycled painted plastic bags, suspended wooden wind chimes, and ocean drums to create awareness of the environment. At the pedestrian level, an installation of mystery mailboxes as well as window graphics with digital media information and prints will invite passerbys to interact with both students and designers.
I can’t wait to see how this completed installation appears!
Another installation on the Bay to Park Paseo popped up in the past day or two. The large graphic on the UC San Diego Park and Market building was created by The UC San Diego Design Lab. The installation is called What Does Home Mean to You?
All isn’t completed, however.
Passersby will encounter thought-provoking questions and a collage of visual imagery that represents different notions of housing on the windows of the empty retail space; a second location will invite pedestrians to reflect on their own housing experience.
Visitors will see life-size silhouettes of people who will share their perspectives on housing at the push of a button. Throughout the installation, passersby can use their mobile devices to scan QR codes to dive deeper into other housing experiences from the greater San Diego community or share their own stories through voice or text.
Lastly, I’ve noticed more figures are appearing on that fence just south of the City College trolley station. I blogged about this installation (which began to appear back in late January) here.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Should you walk down Fairmount Avenue, a block and a half north of University Avenue, you’ll find this beautiful mural. It was painted outside the La Maestra Community Health Center’s HOPE Clinic, which provides health care for the homeless.
There’s a face gazing up at the stars. And a plaque…
The Art of Healing, Sheena Rae Dowling, 2017-2018
This work of art is one of a series of murals commissioned by Covered California in collaboration with La Maestra Community Health Centers as part of the “Covered in Art” project to promote health and wellness in communities across California and attract attention to locations across the state where individuals can enroll in health insurance, get care or participate in activities that foster better health. Sheena Rae Dowling said The Art of Healing was designed to showcase the holistic approach to healing mentally, spiritually and physically. The “Covered in Art” project is a living demonstration of the fact that health care is local and that Covered California is woven into the fabric of local communities.
Sheena Rae Dowling is a San Diego artist whose work has been shown at exhibitions around Southern California. See her website here.
I’ve observed a couple of her great pieces at exhibitions years ago. If you’d like to see them, too, click here and here and read the photo captions.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
As it rained in San Diego yesterday, children played hide and seek on a sidewalk near Father Joe’s Villages. The bronze sculptures of small children caught my eye as I rode a bus past the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa, where homeless people transition into permanent housing.
I had discovered the Father Joe Memorial Promenade.
The promenade was completed two years ago. It honors Father Joe Carroll, who during his life helped thousands of unsheltered people in San Diego. His footprints are in the sidewalk. A memorial plaque remembers his unselfish love. There are words to be read on several planters. More plaques can be read near the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa entrance.
The Father Joe Memorial Promenade and its hopeful sculptures were designed by architect Jowaan Lee from J2 Ventures.
Would you like to follow Father Joe’s footsteps? Will you touch many in San Diego who feel hopeless, and provide hope?
Learn more, and perhaps provide a donation to Father Joe’s Villages on their website here.
THE FATHER JOE CARROLL MEMORIAL PROMENADE
During his 40 years of service in downtown, Father Joe Carroll taught the San Diego community to see those living on the streets as neighbors. Through the eyes of grace, he looked beyond the difficulties of the past and thechallenges of the present to believe in a better future for each person he met, and taught others to do the same.
As they beckon us to join in their game of hide and seek, the carefree children playing along this path–Faith, Grace, Hope and Peace–remind us that everyone we encounter was once a child whose life was full of possibility…
Faith sees the light in your heart when all your eyes see is darkness.Grace silences the past and opens you to the opportunities of a brighter future.Peace hears the calm within you amid the noise of life.Father Joe’s Villages has always been about neighbors helping neighbors. This is a place where people from all walks of life–rich and poor, educated and not, needy and well-off–come together as equals to change peoples’ lives. –Father Joe CarrollIn 2013 the Congressional Medal of Honor Society honored Father Joe Carroll as a Citizen Hero for his selfless service and dedication to all…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 