The holiday season is here. Some people may not have a safe place to call home. I'm joined by Melissa Peterman, the executive director of townspeople, to explain what you're doing to support so many people here, homeless individuals in San Diego.
Thank you for being with us. Thank you for having me. Um, so tell us first of all, what does townspeople do to help out?
We are an affordable housing supportive services nonprofit. We've been around for about 40 years. And our number one goal is to create a fully housed San Diego and so we work on providing permanent housing and whatever support folks need in order to maintain that housing for hundreds of people every year.
OK, that goal to make sure everyone in San Diego has a home. Uh, tell us why during the holiday season is it exceptionally hard but also important to. Help out, yeah, I mean, uh, people like to think that it doesn't get cold in San Diego, but it definitely does for sure, yeah, like anytime it drops below 60, I need a jacket, um, and I'm grateful to like have a warm place to go at night.
There are thousands of San Diegans who don't have that, um, and yet they still have to function like the rest of us every day. Um, and so we're working on making sure that even right now if we can't get someone into permanent housing that we are able to get them into temporary housing. So we work with hotels and motels to put people up temporarily, um, so that they've got a safe place, uh, with some privacy, like, which is, I think, you know, what we all want at any time.
But during the holidays, I just feel like. You, you wanna feel some sense of normalcy, of course, and you see so many people that are living outside sidewalks. I mean this is uncomfortable.
It's not safe as you mentioned. Uh, tell us why housing is so important to, uh, even find your next step in life. I mean, after you've struggled so much, what does a home do?
Yeah, I think, uh, making sure that everyone has, uh, a home. Makes it possible for them to, to think about all the other things that, that you need in order to have a, a well-rounded or and fulfilling life, right? It's really hard to think about your health.
It's really hard to think about. Um, your, well, your mental health, all of the things if you are struggling day in day out to have a safe place to stay and to sleep, um, and so that's part of the reason why like for townspeople we view housing as a form of healthcare because it is just foundational. It allows people to then really address the other things that that they need, they're not worried.
About the urgency of it's freezing tonight, where am I gonna stay? Then they can think about, you know, what else is going on with their life and how they can get help, um, and right now you have a big campaign going on. Tell us about that.
People at home hopefully -- can help out -- a little bit. Uh, any, anything helps. I mean, we're, we're working on raising funds that and all dollars go to our permanent housing programs and.
And but while volunteers are also like really important to us. Like I can't promise like really glamorous jobs that we need help with. Like sometimes it's like scanning, uh, but it, it makes a huge difference, yeah, um, so yeah, but if folks are interested in getting involved or just learning more about what like what homelessness and.
Looks like in San Diego and how they can help solve it, uh, townspeople. org is our website and folks can sign up to volunteer, donation, sign up for our newsletter. Very good, thank you very much.
You've been here for 40 years, uh, so yeah, it's important work that you're doing. Thank you for taking the time this morning to talk to us. Townspeople.
org is the website. Remember that.
