Homelessness • Public Health • Street Stories

My Name is Richard – UPDATE

June 27, 2008
by Celeste Fremon
10 Comments

For those of you who expressed an interest in helping Richard, I have the relevant info.

If you wish to send money, here’s the deal:

You can send cash by either calling Western Union (1-800-325-6000) or going to WesternUnion.com. Then the money should be sent for RICHARD LOCICERO to a Western Union outlet in Costa Mesa called:

Cash Stop
1934 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92780
Phone: (949) 548-3551


Unfortunately, it turns out that wiring money in the US is way more complicated than it should be so, if you send something, Richard has to be notified, plus he’s supposed to have some kind of code thingy (that Western Union will give) you called the MTCN number.

So you can do one of two things. You can call the Cash Stop and talk to a very nice woman named Colleen who will walk you through this, and facilitate Richard filling out the necessary paperwork in order to actually receive the cash.

….OR…

You can email me with the MTCN number and the amount, and I will email Richard, who can then go to the Cash Stop armed with this info.

(Those of you who already have Richard’s email can cut out the middlewoman by doing this directly.)

I have no freaking idea why this process is so complicated. I’ve wired money to Mexico on various occasions and had to jump through no such hoops. (As to why I’ve wired cash money to Mexico….don’t ask. Let’s just say my reporting life has many….um….interesting facets.)

Anyway, there you have it. Richard is very ambivalent about receiving help, but I’ve suggested he should get over it. We all need help, from time to time.

However, he mentioned that his real wish is to be able to work in exchange for somewhere safe to stay. Giving his present medical condition he’s not a good candidate for, like, say, the job of triathlon coach or operating a fork lift. But he’s a wickedly smart researcher and writer, and could probably do most things that involve sitting in front of a computer.

So please think creatively, my dears.

10 Comments

  • Richard for Water King!

    Celeste, it’s hard to recommend anything without a semblance of a resume’, qualifications, interests, and some idea of Richard’s physical abiities.

    Also, have Richard set up another email account specially for this purpose and publish it here. There’s no need to go through all of that nonsense to notify him. Also, Richard should acknowledge each one, not necessarily to thank but to assure us that he got the money. How many gifts have you sent to people who never thanked you, making you wonder if they ever got it?

    For the email acoount, I think that dumbassliberal at whatever dot com is available. (Just because Richard has my sympathy doesn’t mean that I’m letting him off the hook for everything that he has said.)

  • Celeste,

    I just caught up with your series. Clarify for me, if you can. Is the Cash Stop on Harbor Boulevard the location where Richard will pick up the money?

    I’m so glad you’ve done this. Thanks for making it possible for me to chip in. I’ve been hoping the opportunity might arise.

    Richard,

    {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

  • Great.

    As you say, wiring $ in the US is more complicated (or sounds more so) than need be. Especially for someone like me who is still a bit of a Luddite, technophobe.

    Thanks for putting this together. I’ll probably get by there tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

  • To simplify the process, wire the money to Mexicans and let them drop it off at Cash Stop after they cross over the border.

  • Well, I’m not Mexican, you’re on the side of the border where transactions are more difficult, and there are millions of illegals pouring over the border going past Cash Stop versus just the one of you.

    Job for Richard requiring absolutely no expectations: Border Patrol Agent – Now Hiring

    They do have a position called “Intelligence Research Specialist.” Richard does research and can be a specialist. Two out of three isn’t bad.

    Seriously, check it out.

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