He spent his life devoting Skid Row Home to access to music. His family wants to continue his legacy.

It started with headphones.

In 2013, Paul Avila saw a blind person in the skid row wearing headphones and tied his head to the music with a big smile on his face, and it reminded Avila of his Son, who was born blind.

Avila’s son, Pauly, also loves music.

“Music is the universal language,” Avila thought, according to his family. “It really slows you down and puts you in a different situation.”

When Avila got home, the man on Skid Row was on his mind. He set out to unlock the healing power of music for others, and took the first steps to build the Pauly Project – a non-profit that distributes headphones and radios on Skid Row.

After more than a decade of work, Avila died on July 1 at the age of 48. In the months since, those closest to him have been working to carry on his legacy.

“Paul worked hard and we will continue to continue and continue and continue,” said his sister, Linda Sideri who serves as the association’s Treasurer and is on its board.

When Avila first started Pauly’s work, his son would occasionally help him distribute headphones and radios, twelve at a time, in skid row to the homeless. But according to one older sister, the organization now serves about 20,000 people a year in Skid Row, providing food, outreach services and career counseling and development along with their usual musical accessories.

Butler, who has served as Pauly’s Project Executive Director since Avila went bankrupt, said it was too bad to tell skid row residents about his family members.

“He was their family,” Burbeli said. “Remember that for these people, no one looks at them, no one acknowledges their presence … every time we got access, we said, ‘Okay, we’re touching them, we’re touching them, just talk to them like a human being.'”

Over the years, Pauly’s project has become an important part of the network of organizations serving the homeless population of Los Angeles. During the wildfires earlier this year, Pauly’s project helped collect donations for displaced people and families who had burned down their Lal.

In the winter, Avila himself would go out into the pouring rain to deliver clothing, gloves and other warm weather gear to the residents of Skid Row. News of his death was met with grief online.

“I am heartbroken to hear my good friend … Paul Avila has passed,” actor Danny Avila wrote on Instagram on July 2. “May he rest in peace. God bless the Avila family.”

Paul Avila’s niece Isabella Sideri and her sisters Linda Sideri, Laura Garcia, and Catherine Butler pose for a photo at Pauly’s project office on September 23 in Fofina.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Avila knew the name of everyone who helped him on Skid Row and what they needed. He asked how they were doing and they shook their hands. During the heat of winter in 2023, Avila remembered to give raw meat to Reynaldo Roman, a man who lives on the skid row, so he can cook food for the whole block, said The Times.

Avila was raised as the youngest of five children, in a large Latina family in Fofina, according to Butler. They had an uncle who was in prison all his life and lived on the skid row after he was released. Growing up between the 1970s and 80s, Avila’s family would visit his uncle to give him packs of cigarettes and food. Seeing his uncle inspired Avila to try to live a better life, said his sister. Although Avila was never homeless himself, he was drawn to those who lived on the streets.

“He knew that people were broken, just like him,” Burler said. “We are all who we are and we are all human. And we all need someone like Paul to raise us, not help, to cause.”

Sideri, Avila’s older sister, last saw her brother a few days before he died. Avila stopped by Sideri’s house on June 29 to wish her a happy birthday.

“It was our usual family gathering, fun and laughter,” the 62-year-old said. “We have a big family so when we’re together, it’s all about love and laughter and fun.”

At the time, Avila was preparing for the breakfast event and was busy collecting donations at their warehouse and making phone calls.

Avila is handing out jackets tackets, beanies, gloves, ponchos, socks, and underwear to people living on the street near the street and on the street near February 24, 2023.

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

“He was really busy, but he always made time for family,” Steri said.

Along with Pauly’s project, Avila was the caretaker of his son, Pauly, who is now 28 years old.

“He never felt like he had enough hours in the day,” Sigeri said. “He always wanted to help someone, whether it was through food or working with a new organization. He had a lot on his plate, but he had his love. He was his first love, his son.”

Sideli’s daughter Isabella is the organization’s Communications Manager. He remembered going out with his uncle to live on the street when he was 12 years old.

“You’re sure I’ve always been thinking about other people,” she said.

Linda Sideri has been working for the non-profit since its inception.

Since his brother’s death, Sigeri said family members have withdrawn from other organizations they work for to put all their focus on Pauly’s project.

“It had to because that was Paul’s,” he said.