How a homeless shelter drove me away from the left

Thursday, August 06, 2026

In 2021, I hit a breaking point. I was tired of working sales jobs, chasing money, and feeling that none of it mattered. I wanted to do something genuinely good, something difficult that I thought might actually help people. I found what I thought was my answer through a temp agency listing for a night-shift position at a downtown Los Angeles homeless shelter. The pay was $16 an hour, and the listing said, "urgently hiring." I was an adult with a pulse willing to do the job for that wage, so I was hired.

Posted by BellRinger at 11:58 AM | 37 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

Alternate links: Google News | Twitter

Comments

Admin's note: Participants in this discussion must follow the site's moderation policy. Profanity will be filtered. Abusive conduct is not allowed.

Interesting read IMO

#1 | Posted by BellRinger at 2026-08-06 11:58 AM | Reply

Trumpybelle is reeking of desperation... must be tough being a Republican these days.

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2026-08-06 12:24 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

2026 GOP and AIPAC candidates.

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-06 12:30 PM | Reply

Homeless shelters didn't drive this man towards treating mental illness and poverty.

So, yes, They drove him away from the "Left".

#4 | Posted by Zed at 2026-08-06 12:40 PM | Reply

It says "far left" in the article, not "the left".

#5 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-08-06 12:41 PM | Reply

It says "far left" in the article, not "the left".

#5 | POSTED BY ALEXANDRITE

The poster of this article is a world-class idiot with no idea of the world as people live it.

I sentence him to an indeterminate period of time having no money with no fixed idea of how he will ever gets some.

That will bring him back to the "Left", both near and far.

#6 | Posted by Zed at 2026-08-06 12:45 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

You should email me, zed. i'd be interested in reading your work, as a fellow writer.

Note: i have no desire to see you doxxed.

#7 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-08-06 12:47 PM | Reply

It says "far left" in the article, not "the left".
#5 | Posted by Alexandrite

Those are the same thing, when you're a Trumper.

#8 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-06 12:48 PM | Reply

This guy's Twitter profile is... what you'd expect a JeffJ Moderate to be.

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-06 12:51 PM | Reply

#7 | POSTED BY ALEXANDRITE

I'd like that.

#10 | Posted by Zed at 2026-08-06 12:52 PM | Reply

Interesting read IMO
#1 | Posted by BellRinger

You lie all of the time so I assume there's nothing interesting about, especially since you didn't even bother explaining your comment.

#11 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce at 2026-08-06 01:31 PM | Reply

"Interesting read"

Really?

It seemed to me like a guy who expected homelessness to be like a TV show, wildly underestimated the problem, and now blames the folks trying to help, because he felt some of the charitable attempts were misguided.

Did he propose a solution? I must've missed it.

#12 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-08-06 01:49 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

"How Being A Whiny Lying Bitch Makes Up For My Lack Of A Penis"

-Ballwasher the MAGAT

#13 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-08-06 01:50 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

This absurd load of stinkerbell feces has nothing to do with "the left".

#14 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-08-06 01:52 PM | Reply

The writer obviously never met a drug addict in his life and has no idea that unless that addict has decided for themselves that they want out of that life, they aren't leaving it. Stupid and naive to think that dangling a carrot would change their desire for drugs. If it was that easy, there would be no addicts.

#15 | Posted by Chantresse at 2026-08-06 02:50 PM | Reply

This absurd load of stinkerbell feces...

...has thus far generated a 15:1 response ratio. That's Eberly territory.

#16 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-06 02:53 PM | Reply

I always love the Bellringer threads posted entirely in first person.

Gives me another reason to think, "That poor sap."

#17 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-06 04:15 PM | Reply

I found what I thought was my answer through a temp agency listing for a night-shift position at a downtown Los Angeles homeless shelter. The pay was $16 an hour, and the listing said, "urgently hiring." I was an adult with a pulse willing to do the job for that wage, so I was hired.

Imagine paid $16/hr while the NGO Ceo is paid $400,000/yr of taxpayer money.

L.A. homeless provider has paid CEO who lives in Hawaii $1.6 million in salary, vacation over two years
www.latimes.com

#18 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-08-06 04:23 PM | Reply | Funny: 2 | Newsworthy 1

#15 | POSTED BY CHANTRESSE

LOL Chantresse and other Lumpers here obviously don't understand the homelessness industrial complex, it isn't there to solve homelessness.

#19 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-08-06 04:25 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

Hey ONENUT, tell me what you understand about what I understand. This should be good.

What an arrogant foreigner you are.

#20 | Posted by Chantresse at 2026-08-06 04:54 PM | Reply

He's Ballwasher with wasabi up his ass

#21 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-08-06 08:59 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

What an arrogant foreigner you are.

He's not a foreigner.

He's a sockpuppet account.

#22 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-08-06 09:22 PM | Reply

What a load of crap. As someone who spent a couple years in a homeless shelter I can tell you there were people from all walks of life. Some were drug addicts trying to get clean but couldn't because the disease runs rampant within them. Not all were criminals either. Just people down on their luck and were desperate for shelter. Life's not always sunshine and roses. Sometimes it's a mattress on the floor of a homeless shelter.

#23 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2026-08-06 09:37 PM | Reply

Pea-brained idiots like Ballwasher can't conceive of answers to complex questions so they always default to name-calling and ignorance. Pathetic

#24 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-08-06 10:52 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Did he propose a solution? I must've missed it.

#12 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-08-06 01:49 PM | Reply

This entire article is just dripping with Faux Nooz opinion beginning with the bicycle lock being sawed off outside the meeting.

Lots of blame of LA, rampant drug use, the left and "socialists" with no ideas on how to fix the system.

Ragebaiting piece of fiction written by someone under a fake name that lives on the other side of the country.

#25 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-08-07 09:08 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The big money job in Los Angeles, and California in general, are social consultants. That's where the $$$ goes.

#26 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2026-08-07 09:38 AM | Reply

#24

can't conceive of answers to complex questions so they always default to name-calling and ignorance. Pathetic

You're phquein' killin' me.

#27 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2026-08-07 09:44 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

You do not hand them their favorite poison and look away.

Of course you do; well maybe not look away. If someone wants to use drugs, that's their decision. If they can't pay for it, society should provide it FREE if it will prevent them from having to rob, steal, assault or even kill someone to get money to pay for it. FURTHERMORE, giving that sh.. away will rob the gangs, mobsters, etc. of their primary source of income. Let them look for some other method of "earning" money.

#28 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2026-08-07 10:55 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

default to name-calling and ignorance. Pathetic

#24 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-08-06 10:52 PM | Reply | Flag:

This is the post of the year! You've outdone yourself, Rcade.

#29 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-08-07 11:52 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

L.A. homeless provider has paid CEO who lives in Hawaii $1.6 million in salary, vacation over two years
www.latimes.com

#18 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-08-06 04:23 PM | Reply | Flag

And her bonus payout was higher than her base salary.. All funded by tax dollars.

#30 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-08-07 11:58 AM | Reply

"All funded by tax dollars."

Probably some of it came from charity.
Republicans with a business to run downtown are happy to dip into their pockets.
It's a tax deduction that wishes the downtown homeless into the cornfield.

#31 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-07 12:01 PM | Reply

#31 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-07 12:01 PM | Reply | Flag

Hey dumbass, this isn't Fox News. This is the LA times. Do you have a comment on this person running the domestic violence shelter?

#32 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-08-07 12:10 PM | Reply

"Chantresse and other Lumpers here obviously don't understand the homelessness industrial complex, it isn't there to solve homelessness."

Don't be a moron. We both know you could throw a zillion dollars at the problem, and there would STILL be homelessness.

This author thought it was going to be a half-hour sitcom. The article speaks more to his naivety than anything else. His entire conclusion was they're being too nice to the homeless.

#33 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-08-07 12:28 PM | Reply

One has to wonder what about his article BullBringer found worth posting.

I'd guess it's mostly due to California hate.

#34 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-08-07 01:05 PM | Reply

California has a big year round homeless problem. Because you can survive in California year round without a home. Other states also have homeless problems. But winter usually culls the herds there.

#35 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-07 01:32 PM | Reply

But before you jump on me I agree we need to fix it because it's definitely out of hand here and worse because of our inadequate policies. Any candidate that has a reasonable workable plan has my vote.

#36 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-07 01:35 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Oh please, that person is about as librul as onelumpofs*&^.

Then went into this looking for reasons to write this piece, not genuine, good faith reasons for wanting to help people.

Only someone like pedoringer would fall for this.

#37 | Posted by jpw at 2026-08-07 02:45 PM | Reply