Health Fair Welcomes Santa Clara County’s Homeless

More than 300 uninsured, low-income and homeless men and women in Santa Clara County, Calif. streamed through a jam-packed community room on a crisp fall day to receive what most of us take for granted — haircuts, warm clothing and health check-ups.

The fifth annual free Downtown Health Fair on Oct 21, at the Cathedral Basilica St. Joseph in San Jose, was organized by the staff of Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese and the Cathedral, with the help of dozens of local agencies, nonprofits, community organizations and other service providers.

The one-stop collaboration provided flu shots; glucose, cholesterol, hepatitis C and HIV screenings; and blood pressure tests and dental exams.  Guests are referred to follow-up visits to clinics or treated by doctors on site.

Participants were also treated to lunch, foot baths, hair washes and haircuts, warm clothing and socks and shoes.  A mobile unit provided showers, and a nonprofit group took studio-quality portraits for the guests to take away with them.  This year, they also had the opportunity to register to vote.

As guests visited the dozens of tables with information, they made important connections to services that they might not have known about but are eligible for, including disability benefits, CalWORKs (employment help), CalFresh (food stamps), Medi-Cal (the state’s Medicaid), Covered California and legal services. In most cases, guests could sign up on the spot. 

By the most recent homeless count, a point-in-time census and survey taken in 2015, there are 6,500 homeless people in Santa Clara County on any given night, and more than two-thirds had been homeless for more than a year. Persistent homelessness can lead to serious health conditions and diseases — hypertension, heart disease, poor circulation, depression and mental illness.

The Health Fair is just one event in the county’s campaign to end homelessness.  Last year, a Housing Task Force, whose members represented  diverse interests and backgrounds, came together to recommend short- and long-term solutions to end homelessness, and, with the City of San Jose, the county launched All the Way Home, a campaign to house homeless veterans.

But the Health Fair remains a real-life reminder of why we do what we do and a very real picture of who we serve. 

If you want more information on Santa Clara County’s Downtown Health Fair, please call the Office of Supervisor Dave Cortese at 408.299.5030 or email dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org.