Every day, a small army of women and men rise to help meet the needs of Californians experiencing homelessness. These are people who work at hospitals: social workers, case managers, nurses, doctors, and more. They are on the front lines of the ongoing fight to care for those with the greatest need – those who don’t know where they will sleep or when their next meal will be.
The goal of the Homeless Guardians series is to share the stories about the quiet, compassionate care provided to the more than 134,000 women, families with young children, seniors, veterans and others living on our streets – many with mental health and substance use disorders. They are the new faces of our homeless crisis. We can no longer look away. Collectively, we must do more.
The Guardians is a special project of California Hospital Association and Our Health California, a community of more than 1 million Californians dedicated to advancing access to quality, affordable care for all Californians.