The man had a devastating stroke a mere week before and now his life was restricted to a wheelchair. While his body was crippled, his dignity was intact and he waited patiently. Another man was simply seeking an additional blanket to help ward off the cold as he slept on the uncaring streets. His advanced age multiplied the physical pain, which in turn intensified his humiliation of being homeless.
The large woman sat uneasily in her wheelchair, also patiently waiting her turn — wondering how it had all turned out so wrong. Another woman was fortunate not to be crippled. Her injuries were to be found inside her mind and spirit. I had seen her many times before with bruises painting her face with shame from numerous assaults. Yet the greatest heartbreak this year was the addition of children, never before seen.
Nevertheless, this day was going to be different for hundreds of other homeless people. For three days this month, the “least among us” became the first as they were treated at the largest mobile health fair for the homeless in the country. A small army of nurses from the Santa Barbara County Public Heath Department, Parish Nursing, Cottage Health System and just average volunteers were able to administer flu and H1N1 immunization vaccines along with pneumonia and tetanus boosters.
Medical professionals were also able to screen for tuberculosis and AIDS. Those in need of mental health assistance were offered help by the county Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services Department and New Beginnings Counseling Center. Veterans were screened and apprised of benefits owed them by the Veterans Affairs Department. Those unfortunate to be afflicted with drug and alcohol dependencies were offered help by the substance abuse recovery team at Casa Esperanza and Project Recovery. Compassionate doctors organized by Dr. Lynne Jahnke were kept busy dealing with everything from the mundane to the more serious life-threatening situations of our guests.
An equally impressive army of volunteers consisting of students from Westmont College, clergy from local churches, members of FUND (Families United to Nurture Dreams) and just concerned citizens offered help, dignity and love to those who all too frequently go without. Midland School students helped the homeless find the right shoes that were provided by Soles4Souls and a local donor. Direct Relief International and Public Health provided life-saving medicines. A Los Angeles-based philanthropy was gracious and generous in funding the Families United to Nurture Dreams, enabling them to buy the hundreds of backpacks, sweaters, hats, socks and other necessities of life for the homeless facing the harsh winter months ahead. As in the past, the children of the FUND families were an integral part when they personally hand-wrote heart-warming greeting cards that each participant received with personal messages of support.
As has been true for the past four years, Casa Esperanza was a gracious host and the staff was extremely helpful in making everyone feel welcome. SurfMedia Communications was instrumental in getting the word out about the mobile medical clinic.
The real stars of this event were the hundreds of homeless men, women and children who had faced a particularly cruel year with 26 of their acquaintances having died. Survivorship brings with it a sense of grace, and their gentle smiles, kind words and appreciative demeanor paid all volunteers and professional staff in a commodity more precious than gold. For everyone involved, this life-affirming event spoke to the goodness of hundreds of people in our community who stood together: the housed and unhoused, the mentally ill and their professional helpers, the spiritually damaged and those blessed with faith, the sick and wounded and their medical helpers, the unemployed and those lucky enough to have a job during the “Great Recession” — all came together as one community. For three days, the goodness of Santa Barbara was on display and, during this time, we reached out beyond ourselves to our highest spiritual beliefs and saw them become alive before our eyes.
I would like to personally thank the following people who worked with me over the last year in planning this service to the homeless: Dr. Lynne Jahnke; Sandra Copley R.N.; Ralph Barbosa; Jan Fadden R.N.; Jan Ingram R.N.; Imelda Loza; Merryl Brown; Ken Saxon; Martha Angeles; John Buttney; the Rev. Teena Grant; Ben Munger; Will Graham; and Rob and Haley from Midland School. The ministers and others who saw a need during the event and jumped in with compassion and enthusiasm to ensure that Project Healthy Neighbors 2009 went off without a hitch.
And a special thanks to the local donors who wish to remain anonymous but without whose help Project Healthy Neighbors would have been impossible.
By the Numbers:
» 624 homeless people served
» 400 H1N1 vaccines given
» 400 seasonal flu vaccines
» 150 pneumonia vaccines
» 75 HIV tests
» 10 men and women placed in detox facilities
» 400 pairs of shoes
» 500 backpacks
» 500 sweatshirts
» 500 rain ponchos
» 500 hats
» 1,500 pairs of socks
» 500 evaluations by outstanding doctors
» Spiritual connectiveness that cannot be measured
— Ken Williams has been a social worker for the homeless for the last 30 years. He is the author of China White and Shattered Dreams, A Story of the Streets.