Lindsay Bianchi busies himself each week sharpening his graphics skills at the Abram Friedman Occupational Center in downtown Los Angeles. Through the school he has competed in the regional and state level Desktop Publishing competition sponsored by SkillsUSA. In June he will compete again at the national level in Kansas City, Missouri.

Originally from central Illinois, Lindsay relocated to Roswell, Georgia in 1994 where he chased his dream of being a fine artist for 15 years. While he did have some small success with his own brand of commissioned portraits the presence of drugs and alcohol slowly eroded his confidence. He bounced from job to job until, in 2007, he was diagnosed with Leukemia (CLL).

Lindsay endured six months of chemotherapy and seemed to be on the mend. With no real plans for the future he packed up his belongings in his truck and headed back to Illinois to visit his family. The cold winter weather did not agree with him so he decided to keep heading west. He lived in his car for a few months in Austin Texas while he worked at a 7-11, but eventually he struck out again. He tried his luck in Albuquerque and finally in Phoenix before ending up in L.A.

By chance (or divine providence) he read an article in the L.A. Weekly that mentioned The Midnight Mission. Nearly out of funds, Lindsay parked his truck downtown and headed for the food line. When he returned to his vehicle he discovered it was gone. He never got his truck back, but with the help of the Mission whose program he entered the following day, he regained his dignity.

"I lost a lot materially but it helped me to see what was really important, what I needed to change to become a better person who could be a part of society." Over the next year Lindsay learned a lot about himself and about dealing with the problems of everyday living. Guided by the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and the staff at the Mission, there has been a positive transformation in a man whose zigzag path through life led him to find fulfillment on Skid Row.