Angelo

Angelo is a weathered lyricist. At first he is intimidating with his hulking stature and evident power. But if you stay with him long enough to really see him, you discover a spirit of joy layered down in the crevices of his life. Angelo has a complex family life that he navigates with the insights he gains through his written songs and spoken word poetry. Angelo’s rhythmic words, spun with a capella melodies, weave a circle of hope around him and his audience, right there on the sidewalks of ‘crack alley.’ He has been writing for a long time now, and he is even working towards recording an album. I loved the fact that Angelo has dreams and an obvious gift to give the world, made all the more powerful from his platform on the streets.

Angelo’s Notes

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Angelo  by Jason Leith

found cupboard door, etching

available for purchase

Jason@sacredstreets.org

Lisha

Lisha is other-worldly. She has been homeless for 22 years, but the spiritual realm is where she dwells. She wears an ‘I Heart Jesus’ lanyard from which dangles a huge gold key that’s her ‘key to the kingdom.’ She converses with God, out loud, on practical matters.  When I asked if I could draw her portrait, she immediately said, “God, what do you think about this portrait? Is this the right thing to do? You know I’m just trying to serve you.” After listening to God’s answer, she nodded at him and gladly agreed to the portrait. Her choice of the cement piece was instant; she had had a vision where her face was engraved into cement with a shining light coming through it, posed exactly the way she had seen herself in the vision. Skid Row, for her, is hell, but she is stuck here while her husband is in treatment for a stroke in the VA hospital. What’s her dream for her life? “To be used by God.”

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Lisa  by Jason Leith

found cement, rebar, charcoal, etching

available for purchase

Jason@sacredstreets.org

Jeff

Jeff is a nurturer. For years he has been a devoted partner to Melissa, his girlfriend, and together they have migrated from Florida to California, preferring the open streets to the shelters. A series of losses has taken their home, then their van they were living in, and now their health. Jeff’s foot is infected so badly it’s swollen up huge and he can’t walk on it. Yet, his focus is not on himself, but on gently caring for Melissa’s needs. He is solicitous, making sure she has what she needs. He extends his caring to those around him as he shares his simple snack, and he has a nurturing manner that reminded me of my own father. I prayed with Jeff for his foot, and the next time I saw him the swelling had gone way down and he was able to walk.

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Jeff  by Jason Leith

found objects, charcoal, etching

SOLD, Private Collection, Corona Del Mar, CA

Jason@sacredstreets.org

Saul

Saul is a complex soul. We have been getting together regularly for several years, and he’s always this mixture of sorrow and hope. We often begin our time together working through some ugliness or disappointment in his life at the time, but we almost always get to a point where he finds his joy, and we part with smiles and long hugs. Saul is not shy about expressing his doubts about God, which come out most strongly when he’s disconnected from his friends. He draws strength from friends who can remind him that he has a purpose and the whole world is not against him. There were several months last year when Saul was homeless, and no matter where we met up he would be hauling these two gigantic suitcases behind him. But, he persevered through that time, just has he has with countless other setbacks, and he is now employed and making enough to keep a roof over his head.

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Saul  by Jason Leith

found objects, charcoal, etching

available for purchase

Jason@sacredstreets.org