Marchers seek to give hope to the homeless

Helping the homeless rebuild their self-respect was the theme of the Los Angeles Mission’s seventh annual March for Human Dignity.

About 400 marchers, many of them formerly homeless and wearing white ribbons symbolizing dignity, turned out Monday for the downtown event despite the drizzling rain.

As he walked with others along 5th Street, William Mays, 39, who once lived on the street and now works at the mission, said he hoped the procession would inspire others to change their lives.

“They look at us, they see that we’re healthy and our spirits are high and we stand with the word of God,” he said. “That’s a good thing.”

For 56 years, the Los Angeles Mission has provided hot meals, shelter and clean clothes to the homeless.

It also offers counseling and transitional services.

This year, mission workers and marchers appealed to the public and service groups for the simplest but most practical donation for the less fortunate: new men and women’s underwear, socks and T-shirts.

“We want ... to give them something that is theirs alone,” said Herb Smith, president of the mission. “It seems a bit ridiculous to think that giving new underwear is a sign of respect, but to our guests it often touches their hearts.”

The shelter receives only about 5,000 underwear donations a year, but Smith estimated that the mission, one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers, would need about 40,000 pairs of underwear this year.

The shelter got a helping hand from several community organizations and church groups. A Temple City-based Buddhist group donated 4,000 pairs of underwear.

Vivian Jackson, 46, who lived on skid row and was homeless and addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine on and off for nearly 20 years, said she remembers the relief she felt when she received new clothing.

“Back then, I didn’t have much, but people stole my clothes,” she said. “To be able to go into the mission, get a shower and change into clean underwear -- that’s a blessing.”

Jackson, who graduated from a yearlong rehabilitation program at the mission on Friday, said she has been sober for more than a year and looks forward to working as a line cook and living “away from downtown.”

tony.barboza@latimes.com