SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Provides services exclusively to Santa Monica residents. For several years, WCIL has received funding from the city of Santa Monica to maintain an office and provide services to Santa Monica residents with disabilities.
One day several months ago, a young man, Roberto, came to the WCIL Santa Monica office with his mother. They wanted help in solving a problem. Just a year before, Roberto had been in a shooting accident and as a result is now a paraplegic. They desperately needed to move.
He explained the problem. He lives with his mother and two younger brothers in a low-income apartment building in Santa Monica. Getting into the apartment means climbing steps. Before the accident this wasn't a problem. But now, he needed his family and friends to carry him up and down the stairs, to go on errands, to the store, or just to be part of the community.
It had now got to the point where he wouldn't go out because of his feelings about being a burden to his family and friends and he was getting more and more depressed
What could WCIL do? Lots. With the support of a written letter from his doctor, staff was able to advocate by stating his case for Roberto to the property management company. Soon after our presentation, the property management company offered Roberto and his family a first level unit that was accessible and ready to move into the following month. Roberto, his mother and brothers have now moved and he goes in and out on his own. Independence! Goal accomplished!
