gmhTODAY 22 gmhToday Oct Nov 2018 | Page 32

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS : PART THREE

Life Without A Home

Written By Robin Shepherd
May we see in every homeless person a unique human being ; someone ’ s parent , child , sibling , cousin or neighbor , a former teacher , co-worker or fellow veteran . Someone trying to survive in a world that can overwhelm .

As we prepare for the fall and winter weather , more than 7,000 people in Santa Clara County are living without shelter . Nearly 150 homeless people died on our streets in 2017 . Collectively , we have the power to overcome the problem of homelessness in our communities . We need the collective will to make it happen .

For this third and final installment in our series on homelessness , gmhTODAY spoke with John Perales , Executive Director of Gilroy Compassion Center ( GCC ). As a career educator , he has seen the negative impact of homelessness on our youth and that experience has fueled his passion to end homelessness in South County .

“ When I met Anthony , a 39-year-old homeless man , he was living on the street and camping illegally at the time . He told me of his struggles with mental health . It began when he was in Fifth Grade , and he came home after school to find his mother dead . We brought Anthony into our Almost Home program , which has allowed him to camp safely and legally . He was in awe at being able to camp in a beautiful park and relieved to be off the streets . To meet Anthony , he ’ s well read , well spoken , and caring . He helps out at the Gilroy Compassion Center ; checking clients in , organizing our warehouse , and helping with grocery pickups . His next step is subsidized permanent housing , and for that he ’ s been on the waiting list for two years . I ’ ve enjoyed getting to know Anthony . He ’ s an amazing individual who ’ s already proven he just needs a chance in life .”
Photo : Gilroy Compassion Center Executive Director John Perales with Anthony
Asking What If … Working Toward Answers
During his own high school days , Perales wondered why there was so much poverty and pain in the world . One of his teachers said it was because people hoard their wealth and talents .
“ I remember being stunned by his comment ,” Perales said . “ Over the years I ’ ve learned that not everyone has empathy for the homeless .
“ When I started volunteering at Gilroy Compassion Center , I saw how some members of society view the homeless as lesser than the rest of us . I get it . People are afraid . Me , I try to get to know them and look for ways to help . It can start with something as simple as a hug .
“ The people of South County can make a difference . What if everyone donated $ 35 a month , a week ’ s worth of coffee at Starbucks ? That $ 35 would buy someone a warm bed , a shower , a decent meal , and case management services . We need to make helping the homeless a priority . According to Perales , in August alone , GCC housed 17 people . “ It takes maybe fifteen or twenty years to develop affordable housing . The County ’ s Section 8 vouchers are available , but forty percent of Gilroyans don ’ t make enough money to qualify for low-income housing . There ’ s something wrong with this picture .”
Photo of child by Lisa Dimas-Jessen
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 gmhtoday . com