Van Nuys : Business Group Will Address Homelessness

Psychiatrist Alex Kopelowicz will talk about homelessness from a business standpoint at this month’s Sepulveda/Van Nuys Boulevard Business Watch meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Kopelowicz will discuss how to talk to homeless people, how to discourage panhandling and how to help homeless people who may be addicted to alcohol or drugs or who are mentally ill.

The business angle, explained Business Watch chairman Flip Smith, is aimed at helping homeless people while countering the “perception of unsafeness” that many associate with panhandlers. Panhandlers near businesses “intimidate people, particularly women,” Smith said. “Some people would rather not go to a particular market than to walk by homeless people.”

“Homeless help cards” will also be distributed at the meeting. The cards, printed in Spanish and English, include a 24-hour help phone number and numbers for cold-weather shelters, suicide hotlines, AIDS testing, mental health assistance, alcoholism and drug abuse treatment programs and homeless shelters.

The hourlong meeting is free and open to all interested business owners. It will be held at Economy Office Furniture, 6300 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys. For information, call Smith at (818) 786-8686.