• Wildomar Conversations: 4 Keith Johnson

Meet Keith Johnson. 

Keith Johnson at his place of employment, The Anchor.

He went into the Army at age 19. He spent fourteen years in the California Army National Guard with a rank of Sgt E5. He was discharged in 2016 and then opted to pursue a musical career in a band in the Lake Elsinore area. 

Things didn't work out as he'd planned, and within six months of that move he found himself homeless. He'd lost his place to live, his car, his family photos and records... he was on the streets of Lake Elsinore.

In 2018 he attempted a 90 day course of rehab, but only made it about 55 days before he headed back out to the street. It was about a year later that he first encountered SWAG. That occured at the lake bottom in Lake Elsinore. 

Three different looks of Keith; then, then and now.

It was around that time that local law enforcement changed their approach to homelessness and started arresting people for warrants, paraphernalia, trespassing, and other things that go unchecked in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Keith was arrested for trespassing multiple times and paraphernalia. Each time that happened SWAG was there to offer help. They knew who he was and had taken his information multiple times. Eventually, after six years of being homeless, he walked to The Anchor seeking help on his own. 

Click to read more about The Anchor

Keith has now had a year away from the streets 

He has goals and desires. He was able to reach this level by saying "yes" to help. Something he wasn't ready for earlier, but with persistence from the community partners of SWAG, RSO and code enforcement, he took that big first step and is well on his way to being an asset to the community. 

Please take a look at the interview with Wildomar Councilwoman Bridgette Moore to get a more complete picture. Note: the original video ran more than 20 minutes. I pared it down to a little over 10 minutes. 

I know that Keith credits Gloria Strippling and Ashlee Dephillippo for their help, but also the entire "SWAG tribe" as he referred them, in his success.

Though homeless individuals need food along with things like clean socks, clothes and even fresh shoes fairly regularly, it's counterproductive to hand them cash. Cash generally is used for one thing: Drugs or alcohol. 

If you're so moved as to want to donate money, seriously consider what it's going to be used for and seek out a trusted local organization, such as SWAG, to give the money to instead. This is where the well worn phrase comes into play, give a hand up, not a hand out.

What homeless people, or addicts, need the most is to know that there are people that sincerely care and CAN help. Not just clothes and food.

— Keith Johnson

Joseph Morabito and Keith Johnson.
Even with my super foofy hair, I'm still much shorter than Keith.

Below is a video regarding The Anchor. 

As an aside, "Say Yes" is a recently proposed campaign in the quest to assist chronic homeless people in getting off the streets put forth by Lake Elsinore City Councilwoman Natasha Johnson.