More Than Just Statistics

The data released on March 29 tells the tale: over 900 unhoused people died in Los Angeles in 2023, the majority of them in District 14, where Bee a Little Better serves.

About 2/3 of these deaths can be linked to drugs, mostly fentanyl and meth, and over 70% take place in tents, RVs and parking lots.

We lose people we know on an alarmingly regular basis, to crime, to exposure, to drugs. To us, they’re more than statistics: they’re Anthony, Cowboy, and Rosalinda. They’re our friends.

So, we’ll work to be ready for whatever we run into when we hit the street. A robust first aid kit, an ample supply of Narcan (thanks to Urban Social Services and Advocacy) and CPR training.

There’s no ignoring this situation: while the city highlights criminalization over services and shuffles people from one neighborhood to another, we see this as more than a housing, addiction and mental health issue – it’s a humanitarian crisis.

Bee the change you wish to see in L.A.