In this episode, will cover homelessness and how it impacts our own community. Homelessness isn't just a label—it's a journey that individuals endure, and it certainly doesn't define who they are as people. Believe it or not, we encounter homelessness in our daily lives more often than we realize. We see it waiting at a bus stop, strolling into a convenience store, or even fueling up at a gas station. It's all around us. Each night, over half a million people in the United States find themselves without a home. And guess where things hit particularly hard? Yep, you guessed it—California takes the spotlight, accounting for a whopping half of all unsheltered individuals in the entire country. Our own community is being affected too. The city of Riverside alone is home to 25% of the unsheltered population in the entire Riverside County area. So, join Stephanie Sandoval, Health Educator and Sergio Gastelum, California Medicine Scholar and UCR School of Medicine-Center for Healthy Communities’ intern as they explore this crucial issue. We will hear from Eddie Ortiz, a Housing Navigation Expert at the County of Riverside-Housing Authority Outreach Team as he shares his own experience with homelessness and how it has impacted his work.
Resources: