A routine food handout at MacArthur Park turned into a nightmare when a longtime volunteer was brutally attacked while serving meals, leaving her with shattered jaws and several missing teeth. The assault happened during a regular meal service on Feb. 22 and was serious enough that she needed surgery the next day. Organizers say the woman, identified as Eva Woods, is now recovering with her jaw wired shut while friends, fellow volunteers, and local donors race to cover steep medical and dental bills.
The incident was first spotlighted by The New York Post, which reported on a fundraiser created to help pay for Woods’ hospital stay and extensive dental work. That coverage helped propel the campaign and refocused attention on the volunteer crew’s ongoing work at the park.
Injuries and fundraiser
According to the fundraiser organized by Catherine Schetina, Woods was struck from behind with a metal pipe, suffered fractures to both her upper and lower jaw, and lost six teeth, then underwent surgery the following day. The campaign notes that her jaw is wired shut and estimates that dental implants and related care will cost roughly $30,000. The effort had raised about $39,182 at the time of posting. “Eva is healing and will be back in the park as soon as possible,” organizers wrote on the campaign page, according to GoFundMe.
The MacArthur Project
Woods runs a volunteer mutual-aid effort called the MacArthur Project, which organizers say has put on hundreds of meal services and supply drives since the pandemic began. Group posts say volunteers serve roughly 700 meals each week across regular shifts and distribute hygiene kits, tents, and other supplies to people in and around the park. Details on that work are laid out on the group’s MacArthur Project Patreon.
Park safety and context
MacArthur Park has been at the center of city safety efforts and political fights in recent years as officials and nearby businesses wrestle with open-air drug markets and entrenched homelessness around the lake. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city signed off on a $2.3 million fence and expanded outreach programs in an effort to boost safety while keeping the park accessible.
Organizers and neighbors react
Organizers say the person who attacked Woods was not a regular presence in the park and insist the incident should not define the community they serve. They are urging supporters to help cover her ongoing treatment and dental work and say they will continue to post updates on the fundraiser page. Volunteers have already pushed the effort past its original goal to account for long-term costs, according to GoFundMe.
Even as city agencies and advocates continue to argue over how to balance enforcement with services, volunteers and neighbors say they plan to keep showing up at MacArthur Park. The attack has highlighted the risks that can come with front-line outreach, and local organizers say making sure Woods recovers is now a top priority for the community she has been feeding for years.
