Jared Klickstein

Yeah. I get, yeah, I get kicked out of my house because I'm the aunt and uncle. No, no. I'm living in like college housing and I'm just going wild and you know, my roommates find drugs and everything. So whatever. So, um, My family gets wind, my aunt and uncle get wind of this, and they basically say, we're done with you. We're not going to talk to you. We did this with your parents.

Yeah. I get, yeah, I get kicked out of my house because I'm the aunt and uncle. No, no. I'm living in like college housing and I'm just going wild and you know, my roommates find drugs and everything. So whatever. So, um, My family gets wind, my aunt and uncle get wind of this, and they basically say, we're done with you. We're not going to talk to you. We did this with your parents.

We enabled your parents for 10 years.

We enabled your parents for 10 years.

This is my dad's brother and sister. I mean, no, this is my dad's sister.

This is my dad's brother and sister. I mean, no, this is my dad's sister.

So they're like, we're done. We've seen this story before. You're going to go on your journey. Come back when you're serious. my mom's brother who lives in LA said, I'll give you one shot. You know, I'll help you get into rehab. If you mess that up, you know, I'm, I'm never talking to you again until you, until you show that you've, you've cleaned up. So, uh, he gave me that shot.

So they're like, we're done. We've seen this story before. You're going to go on your journey. Come back when you're serious. my mom's brother who lives in LA said, I'll give you one shot. You know, I'll help you get into rehab. If you mess that up, you know, I'm, I'm never talking to you again until you, until you show that you've, you've cleaned up. So, uh, he gave me that shot.

I went to that rehab. Uh, I got high, you know, pretty, you know, somewhere in the middle of it eventually got kicked out. And, um, you know, he was serious. He said, you're not coming to my house, you know? So, uh, I asked everyone, I didn't know Los Angeles that well, but they said, hey, when you're homeless in Los Angeles, you go downtown, you go to Skid Row. That's where you go.

I went to that rehab. Uh, I got high, you know, pretty, you know, somewhere in the middle of it eventually got kicked out. And, um, you know, he was serious. He said, you're not coming to my house, you know? So, uh, I asked everyone, I didn't know Los Angeles that well, but they said, hey, when you're homeless in Los Angeles, you go downtown, you go to Skid Row. That's where you go.

So I went down to Skid Row and as I'm going there, I pass Occupy Wall Street. This was 2011. And I figured, okay, I'll just live at Occupy Wall Street. I walked right in, someone gave me a tent, someone gave me a meal, someone gave me all these supplies, and I sort of lived at Occupy Wall Street, the Los Angeles chapter of it, which was actually right next to Skid Row.

So I went down to Skid Row and as I'm going there, I pass Occupy Wall Street. This was 2011. And I figured, okay, I'll just live at Occupy Wall Street. I walked right in, someone gave me a tent, someone gave me a meal, someone gave me all these supplies, and I sort of lived at Occupy Wall Street, the Los Angeles chapter of it, which was actually right next to Skid Row.

I lived there for about a month until they tore that up, and then I had to migrate on to Skid Row. And... And the way that I did that is when I arrived, I was sort of adopted by a group of ex-Mexican gang members who had been kicked out of their gang for getting too addicted to meth, and they ended up homeless downtown.

I lived there for about a month until they tore that up, and then I had to migrate on to Skid Row. And... And the way that I did that is when I arrived, I was sort of adopted by a group of ex-Mexican gang members who had been kicked out of their gang for getting too addicted to meth, and they ended up homeless downtown.

And I made friends with them at Occupy LA, and obviously they didn't want me to join their crew. I was like a 22-year-old white kid, but... I stole some socks and I stole some supplies and stuff and I gave it to them. No, no, no, no. From like stores and gave it to them as a gift. And I was like, look, I can, you know, they had face tattoos and they looked rugged.

And I made friends with them at Occupy LA, and obviously they didn't want me to join their crew. I was like a 22-year-old white kid, but... I stole some socks and I stole some supplies and stuff and I gave it to them. No, no, no, no. From like stores and gave it to them as a gift. And I was like, look, I can, you know, they had face tattoos and they looked rugged.

And I said, you know, I can do things that you guys can't do. I can get into stores that you guys, I can steal things that you guys can't steal because of, because of the way I look. I'm, and then I sort of proved to them that I was an asset and, um, and, and they took me under their wing. That's what they did. And they, they taught me how to live on Skid Row.

And I said, you know, I can do things that you guys can't do. I can get into stores that you guys, I can steal things that you guys can't steal because of, because of the way I look. I'm, and then I sort of proved to them that I was an asset and, um, and, and they took me under their wing. That's what they did. And they, they taught me how to live on Skid Row.

It was amazing. I mean, I felt more powerful than I mean, I felt like I find, you know, I was like, you know, I'm not that big of a guy. I'm not that intimidating. But the fact that I garnered respect from these guys that were incredibly scary made me feel, you know, I was proud of myself. And I was youngster, Chinolo, shadow boxer and smiley. And they took me in and they call me Oakland.

It was amazing. I mean, I felt more powerful than I mean, I felt like I find, you know, I was like, you know, I'm not that big of a guy. I'm not that intimidating. But the fact that I garnered respect from these guys that were incredibly scary made me feel, you know, I was proud of myself. And I was youngster, Chinolo, shadow boxer and smiley. And they took me in and they call me Oakland.