Honoring Those Who Support the Homeless
Twelve people who were formerly or currently homeless received "Resilience and Determination Heroes" awards from the Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless last Wednesday. The recipients were nominated by their peers and providers for the strength and example they have provided to others.
According to the 2022 Point in Time Count, more than 7,000 people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Alameda County.
Last Wednesday, 12 people were honored for their work in supporting their unhoused neighbors as part of the 3rd annual “Summer Solstice Celebration of the Strength and Resilience of People Experiencing Homelessness.” The honorees were given the Resilience and Determination (RAD) Heroes Award, a community-nominated honor given to people with experience of homelessness who inspire, challenge, lead, and move those around them.
”The Summer Solstice, a day filled with light, is a fitting time to honor the accomplishments, resiliency, and strength of people experiencing homelessness and to draw inspiration from them as we continue in the struggle for justice,” said Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) spokesperson Kawal Ulanday.
More than 100 people attended, including those experiencing homelessness, homeless service providers, advocates, and awardees.
The event, held at First Presbyterian Church of Hayward in Castro Valley on Grove Way, included guest speakers from Alameda County’s Health Care for the Homeless (ACHCH) and its Office of Homeless Care and Coordination (OHCC) including three young women from the Youth Advisory Board who shared their personal struggles.
Recipients of this year’s RAD Hero awards included: Sabrina Abong (OHCC Youth Advisory Board), Keith Arivnwine (St. Mary’s Senior Center), Darlene Auau (Lifelong Medical Care Street Health), Varon Brown (Lifelong/East Bay Community Project), Donald “Donnie” Clark (Tiburcio Vasquez Street Health), Greg Combs (First Presbyterian Church Hayward), Anna “Kate” Leland (First Presbyterian Church Hayward), Carol Mitchell (Bay Area Community Services), Leah Moore (Rising Into Self Empowerment), Raul Rivas (Bay Area Community Services), Stephanie Semien (Love & Justice In the Streets), and David Smith (Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency)
“Their speeches were truly a testament to the diversity, strength, and resilience of people experiencing and formerly experiencing homelessness,” Ulanday added.
The Castro Valley event was among the thousands held nationwide in solidarity with Homeless Solstice Celebrations.