November-December 2020 Newsletter

Pictured: Gregg Seltzer engaging a new homeless individual with service information card
First Responder Committee Welcomes Gregg Seltzer

BYLINE: Sharon Kilbride, Chair, First Responder Engagement Committee

The first responder committee welcomes new volunteer Gregg Seltzer. Gregg has been a resident of Rustic Canyon for 27 years, his wife Julie is a native Palisadian, and they raised their four children in the Palisades community. Gregg stated that he became interested in PPTFH’s work for the following reasons: “My work in commercial real estate takes me around pretty much of LA on a regular basis. I love this city and all of the multi-cultural communities that it has. Over the past years I, like so many of my fellow residents, have watched in horror as the homeless issue has grown larger and larger. It consumes a lot of conversation between folks. Everyone has an opinion, sometimes unified in the causes and solutions, sometimes not.

There came a point when I wanted to go past the “conversation stage” and get into the “doing stage”. When a PPTFH volunteer approached me, I was intrigued. This was something I could participate in and make a difference. I’m glad I did. The work that PPTFH does is vital, humane and effective. I am delighted to be a part of it.”

Gregg joined our team in early September 2020 and received training by first responder volunteers on multiple occasions. Assigned to area 1 in Santa Monica Canyon and Will Rogers beach, Gregg and his dog, Penny, also help in area 2 Temescal road where hillside camps are often found. As part of the first responder training, Gregg rode with the LAPD beach patrol into the Via Bluffs and cleaned up an abandoned campsite that had fire activity.

Gregg has a natural ability to engage the homeless and a strong determination to make a difference in our community. He is an impressive addition to the first responder team.

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