Article by David Laime
Mild year-round temperatures, low annual rain fall, and lots of wide open national park space aren’t just big draws for tourists, they are actually some of the very same reasons the San Bernardino mountain communities have been attractive to the homeless. With the costs of rent and living expenses on the rise, the number of those struggling to find a safe and legal place to reside in our community is also going up.
Sue Walker, Vice President of the Mountain Homeless Coalition, has been a community activist all her life. Inspired by the words of President Kennedy, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”, when Ms. Walker sees a problem, she works to fix it. Starting back in 2016, a small group of concerned community members and local church clergy, began to look deeper into the growing number of good, hardworking folks on this mountain were finding themselves without a home. Informal meetings began at the St. Richards Episcopal Church in Sky Forest. Before long an official name had been adopted, goals were set, and a mission statement created. “The Mountain Homeless Coalition endeavors to reach, inform, serve and house our neighbors experiencing homelessness and to educate our mountain residents on their needs”. As the group got more serious, funding was sought out. In the beginning, 100% of the groups resource dollars came from community contributions. Now, two years later, they are officially registered as a 501c3 charitable organization, have applied for federal grants, and have a solid plan of action moving forward.
“A point in Time” is a nationwide count of the homeless done every year to get a more accurate assessment of the numbers of people living in non-traditional situations. That may be a shelter, on a couch, or in someone’s garage, on the streets, or even out in the woods. Participating in the annual count is vital to the Mountains Homeless Coalition, as it weights a great deal in eligibility for future grant funds. For the coalition to have a successful count, they need volunteers. If anyone is interested in assisting in the Point in Time Count, the Mountain Homeless Coalition’s plenary and volunteer meeting will be held the evening of January 6, 2019, at the Lake Arrowhead Presbyterian Church. Don Smith, of the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership, will be a guest speaker, and all the details will be given for volunteering for the H.U. D. count, scheduled for January 24, 2019. In addition to the January meeting, the coalitions Board of Directors will be convening at the Mountains Community Hospital on the evening of December 3, 2018. Anyone wanting to learn more about the M.H.C. can visit their website at https://www.mountainhomelesscoalition.com or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MountainHomelessCoalition/ .
This article brought to you by Mountains Community Hospital.