Faces of the Shelters: Frank Martinez

Ginger Boysaw (L) and Frank Martinez (R) sit together at lunch at the South Hayward Parish shelter.

Although the number of unhoused people in Alameda County has dropped slightly in the past few years, hundreds remain on the streets.  

First Presbyterian Church of Hayward works to help the unhoused through shelters in Hayward and Castro Valley. One of these community members is Frank Martinez.  

Martinez is 63 years old and was born and raised in Hayward. Around three years ago, he found First Presbyterian’s South Hayward Parish (SHP) shelter. Aaron Horner, the Director of Community Outreach at First Presbyterian, approached Martinez in the park where he had been living and offered him lunch at the shelter to get to know the space. Martinez was also encouraged to go to the shelter by a friend who visited regularly. According to Martinez, that friend has now found a home.

“You're not going to get nowhere by being on the street and feeling sorry for yourself,” Martinez said, “Let somebody help you like the Lord and come to a shelter and see what it's like.”

Martinez’s mom had dementia. To prevent her from being put into a nursing home, Martinez stepped up to take care of her. When his parents passed away, and their house was lost, Martinez ended up homeless.  

Horner and Martinez have become friends over the years. Horner is a pastor at First Presbyterian, of which Martinez is now a frequent member. Though visiting the church, Martinez befriended Horner’s father. When Horner’s father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, Martinez put his time and resources into reimagining a photo of Horner’s parents in the form of a painting. The painting was displayed at Horner’s father’s celebration of life and hangs in Horner’s mother’s home.

“In my grief and the sorrow I was going through, Frank — who has very few earthly possessions — supported me,” Horner said, “where I have, I have housing, and I have a family that I live with and go home to each day, and I was hurting, and Frank soothed my hurting.”

Martinez said that he used to work at a local food bank and often goes back there to help them out. He also helps out around the SHP: helping in the front, helping fellow community members, etc.  

A few months ago, Meshon Ringgold, the Case Management Manager at SHP, introduced Martinez to Ginger Boysaw. Boysaw has dementia. “Mr. Frank is an amazing guy all the way around. He helps out with everybody and helps with things, so I figured he would be the perfect candidate to oversee her and make sure that she's good,” Ringgold said. 

Horner explained that often, unhoused people aren’t seen as actual human beings. They are often seen as a nuisance when, in reality, they are people from our own communities who are deserving of food, shelter, compassion—everything that a housed person would receive.  

“We can’t be responsible for people’s actions out on the street, we can't be responsible for people's actions in our space, we can be responsible and how we respond to it,” Horner said.