Greetings!
As of October 1st, there have been 25 homeless deaths this year - many with a mental illness - on the wealthiest streets in the country. On any given night, over 4,000 people are homeless: these are families, women, men, children. This isn't an issue. This is a crisis.
The Consumer Advocacy Coalition and Casa Esperanza are hosting the event. However, that's where our job ends and the community's work begins. Ideas are born in a community that can listen and be heard: How can we reach out to the chronically homeless? Are we prepared to help veterans returning from war with a new mental illness? How can we work together to address this common cause? How can we prevent the 26th death?
Mayor-elect Helene Schneider will open the forum with her first address on this issue since winning the election.
Moderated by Geoff Greene, Executive Director of the Fund for Santa Barbara, six panelists from two counties and over a dozen cities will tackle questions and exchange ideas with the audience.
The Panelists
Mike Foley
Executive Director of Casa Esperanza
2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf
Governing Board Alternate, Mental Health Commission
Roger Thompson
Founder of CAC
3rd District Mental Health Commissioner
Cindy Gill
President of NAMI in Kern County
Patrice Maniaci
Co-Founder of NAMI Frontline
Shannon Jonson
Director of CAC Kern County
Spanish language translation, sign interpretation and childcare will be available.
Seating begins at 5:30 PM.
To best accommodate our guests, we ask that you register. Although not required, it helps us prepare. Please consider that an annual parade on State Street begins at 6:30 PM. We will do our best to establish alternate traffic routes for those departing by vehicle. This event is open to the public and free.
