PEOPLE : A Little Relief in a Hellish Home

For a dozen unfortunates, the hellish 7th Street bridge by Santa Fe Avenue is as close to home sweet home as the Fates allow. As James Pelayo pulls his black Jeep Cherokee to a stop, they gather around and place their orders. “You got some tennis shoes my size?” asks a thin woman in a black turban. Pelayo, 30-year-old general manager of a restaurant-supply company, makes monthly forays into downtown’s cracks and crevices armed with food and clothes. “Some people do it because they want people to pat them on the back,” says a fellow volunteer. “He just wants to be able to do it.”

Local Hero, E3.