After losing his wife and children, Ron Clayton, a Fontana native, faces health challenges, which lead him to homelessness. His story highlights the link between health and homelessness, and the need for better access to healthcare for those experiencing homelessness.
The Latino community takes stock of the rise of STDs in Sacramento county. Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing across California, disproportionately affecting those who lack safe housing and the resources to see a doctor for help.
Food-insecure Korean seniors who have recently begun to access the benefits of Market Match — a program that has given low-income Californians access to fruits and vegetables at farmer's markets across California — could lose this crucial safety net as the governor works to close a multibillion-dollar deficit.
In 2022, Father’s Table Mission Church built the Victorville healing center, costing about $650,000 at the time, with the help of church members, supporters, and benefactors. The church uses the facility to help rehabilitate and rebuild the lives of the homeless.
Father Yohan Kim, 68, a priest at St. James Episcopal Church, rented a house in the mid-2010s and began living with 16 Korean-American homeless people. Since then, Father Kim has provided food and shelter to more than 150 people. His church members and devotees are supportive of his efforts, but he hasn’t received any funding from the government including the city of Los Angeles.
Disadvantaged by language barriers and immigration restrictions, unhoused Korean Americans are in the "blind spot" of resources and organizations. Korean American homeless shelters often do not receive government funding because they are not officially registered. As a result, they rely on donations from the Korean-American community and the support of a handful of volunteers.
Mixing systemic racism, low wages, unemployment and resulting poverty is a troubling recipe for long-term – in many cases generational – food insecurity. Armed with the knowledge that food insecurity can lead to poor outcomes and impact the community’s overall health and well-being, Black organizations have taken the lead in addressing the multi-layered issue.
Kristen Malaby, a former warehouse worker, has become a key figure in San Bernardino's homeless community, leading clean-ups and advocating for access to healthcare. As a team member of Healthcare in Action, a street medicine team serving more than 400 unhoused individuals, she has helped provide wraparound services and addressing the health challenges faced by this vulnerable population.
The suicide rate for Latino men has increased since 2011 climbing from 5.7 per 100,000 people to an alarming 7.9 per 100,000 in 2021. Cultural expectations prevent Latino men from talking openly about their mental health. Experts call it a silent crisis.
