Central Los Angeles : CHANGE COUNTS
A year-old project that raises money for the homeless in Little Tokyo is about as grass-roots as you can get. Business and churches donate space for change collection boxes where customers and residents can drop money. Local senior citizens collect and count the change weekly.
So far, the project has raised about $1,500, which was spent on food coupons, bus tokens and an emergency shelter fund, said Jason Nawa, a volunteer with Little Tokyo Cares Homeless Collection Box Project.
The group held a press conference this week to honor those involved. “We know it’s not going to solve the problem, but a lot of people have concerns about where their money goes when they give it to somebody who is economically disadvantaged,” Nawa said.
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