Homeless In San Diego

Dane White sees opportunities for helping one another through challenges and improving our local communities.  He joins us today sharing his very personal journey overcoming homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges.  Dane shares what always got him through the tough times was knowing someone loved him and cared.  Dane can trace his lineage in Escondido back for five generations and is an active business and community member locally.   https://www.danemwhite.com/ 

Isaac came through Interfaith twice, and has now been sober for over 20 months (longest duration in over 20 years). In his own words, “the biggest turning point was deciding to stay sober no matter what was going on, and realizing I did not have to be miserable the rest of life. Seeing my own strength. Taking the first step was hard and then once you hit a stride, nothing stops you. Interfaith is a safe place and everyone treated me like family.” 

Gary Warth, journalist with the San Diego Union Tribune and San Diego resident since the 1970’s, brings years of storytelling centering homelessness throughout the region, and a variety of beats since 1989. One of the stories Gary shared in our conversation was his recent coverage of Dr. Gregg Colburn’s recent book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem. You can read Gary’s July 2022 article about homelessness in San Diego that he references in our conversation: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/story/2022-07-11/new-book-links-homelessness-city-prosperity

Mei inspires all of us at Interfaith.  In Mei’s own words, she “suffered bouts of homelessness throughout her life and has managed to obtain secure housing and push forward through many years of trauma since childhood. “ In 2020, Mei opened Daydream, a gift shop located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Escondido, and launched a separate line selling her handmade “Humanitote” bags. For every bag sold, Mei donates a Humanitote bag to Interfaith filled with toiletries which are given directly to Humans experiencing homelessness.  As a business owner, and Interfaith partner, Mei furthered her work by collaborating on an ongoing fundraising event called Breakfast & Bags “for a unified effort in helping Interfaith help our houseless neighbors in need,” at Sunny Side Kitchen in Escondido where she launches each new Humanitote Collection at the event. We are grateful to Mei and Sunny Side Kitchen for their support!  Breakfast & Bags are held on the second Saturday of each month from 8am-12pm. Join us in support

Monique is resilient. She is a mother of eight, has many years’ experience serving as site supervisors for children’s centers, and the tables turned when her husband became disabled and the birth of a baby left the family without income. Over 10 years ago, Interfaith helped pay for rent, and steered her toward educational options. Monique shares with us her turbulent journey overcoming homelessness, domestic violence and losing custody of her kids.  Monique is deeply inspiring, resilient and strong and is achieving great goals in supporting families and children overcoming trauma.  “Our past does not define us, our past strengthens us to learn from our different experiences, to help others, it’s empowering, and you can do great things in the world.”  Indeed, Monique is doing great things in the world.

Join us in listening to Josh’s inspiring personal and professional journey in this podcast and at our upcoming Change Your Mind Mental Health Expo on September 10th. Born and raised in South Africa, Josh’s extensive travels include ventures deep into the state of mind called bipolar type 1. Josh combines his lived mental health experience with his education in psychology (BA from the University of South Africa) and theology (MA from Fuller Theological Seminary) to create a synergy between the inner and outer worlds. By combining insights from Western perspectives (science, psychology, and philosophy) with insights from Non-Western perspectives (traditional cultures, spirituality, and mysteries), the goal is to reframe your identity away from self-stigma, towards post-traumatic growth, and the potential gifts of your neurodiverse mind. Josh and his wife run Inspired Mind Mental Health. Josh works with Interfaith and NAMI in supporting those most affected by mental health struggles, including people who are uns

Lynn Solorzano, Founder and President of Ashley’s Hope.  Lynn started this non-profit in memory of her daughter, Ashley.  Ashley was only 25 and homeless.  She passed away after 8 years living on the streets of San Diego.  The mission of Ashley’s Hope is to provide people struggling with homeless-related issues dignity, respect and most importantly, hope.  Lynn is providing all Interfaith locations with clean, gently used clothing on a regular basis.

Randy and his wife were living off of social security, in an unsafe housing situation, and on the verge of eviction.  In 2021, Interfaith Community Services connected with them via our Home Safe Program, a homelessness prevention program for Seniors in our community. When asked why Randy chose to be a guest on our podcast, he shared “I was in a situation for a year when I saw no way out.  I did not know about Interfaith, and I just can’t believe what they did for us, or that it was even possible.  It was like a miracle. I get up every day giving thanks for it. Interfaith really takes good care of you and makes sure you are doing ok all the time. They don’t just say here you are…they make sure you continue to do ok.” This is our last episode for Season 2 and we look forward to you joining us again for Season 3 this Summer.

Joining us for this two-part podcast series, Levi Giafaglione reflects on his journey overcoming homelessness, his experience working in social services agency and exploring land investments.  Levi invites us to consider how each of us can be change makers. If you have not already, tune into the previous podcast for a series you won’t want to miss!

Meet Levi Giafaglione. Three years ago he started listening to our podcast and set a goal of one day being a guest and sharing his own experiences and reflections on overcoming homelessness. Levi has now made that goal a reality, and we are proud to be able to share his personal story and the various challenges he faced while living in “survival mode”. Tune in to hear about Levi’s struggles with homelessness and stay tuned for the next recording where he will be sharing his amazing success journey. This is a podcast you won’t want to miss!

Join us for an invaluable conversation discussing homelessness and giv4, an initiative of the Jewish Community Foundation San Diego and twelve curated local nonprofits confronting homelessness in San Diego.  The goal of giv4 is to learn about homelessness, the affordable housing crisis and different solutions in San Diego County.  Two of the twelve organizations receiving funding from this collective effort are Interfaith Community Services and HEAL, Homeless Experienced Advocacy & Leadership.  Ollie Benn, Director of Philanthropy and Social Impact at Jewish Community Foundation San Diego, joins Greg Anglea and Vanessa Graziano, representatives of two of the organizations in this inspiring conversation you do not want to miss.  Contact Us: interfaithservices.org/contact Interested in supporting Interfaith Community Services: www.interfaithservices.org/donate Learn more about giv4: https://giv4.jcfsandiego.org/  

Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, along with Interfaith colleague Shira Jacobs, welcome you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Vanessa. A few years ago, Vanessa lived in her car and lost her three children while she battled addiction. In her own healing process, she started a non-profit program, Oceanside Homeless Resource, now also called "Love on the ground." Listen to Vanessa's powerful story about hope, love, compassion, open hearts and minds. In Vanessa's own words, "Let us walk together and be love on the ground." Contact Us: interfaithservices.org/contact Learn more about HEAL, Homeless-Experienced Advocacy & Leadership Network: housingsandiego.org/heal-network  

Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is John Brady and Levi who share a bit about their lived unsheltered experiences and their strong recommendation for San Diego community members supporting people-centered solutions including Safe Villages.  There is growing discussion in San Diego around the need to create safe villages, either as alternatives to traditional shelter or addressing our need to increase capacity as the shelters are full. This is a conversation you do not want to miss.

Please join us in listening to our inspiring conversation with David Baker and Justin Lipford.  David serves as the Program Director for Housing Our Youth at the YMCA of San Diego County. David has previously been a guest on our podcast (March and April 2019), sharing his personal journey experiencing generational homelessness and inspiring others to elevate their voices for change.  David’s advocacy work focuses on matters of equity and access for young adults. Justin serves as the Director of Community Engagement for YMCA’s Community Support Services in San Diego, and is passionate about connecting young adults to the resources necessary to flourish.     Contact Interfaith Community Services: Call (760) 489-6380 to speak with a Case Manager Weekdays from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For emergency services during non-business hours, please call 211.  Contact David Baker: 760.908.9126 | dbaker@ymcasd.org  Housing Our Youth is a program that provides specialized assistance to young adults up to the age of 24 who are at

John Brady and Bruce, San Diego Homeless-Experienced Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) Network members, joined us in conversation addressing myths, the importance of move-in ready housing with integrated services, financial accountability and system improvements are integral for success in supporting our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Learn more about John’s initiative Lived Advisors, People who have experienced homelessness being compensated for their work serving as advisors: https://www.livedadvisers.com/

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Ross. Prior to connecting with Interfaith, Ross shares, "My life was in shambles. Interfaith saved my life. I am now on the right path with sobriety, purpose, and a whole new outlook on life. Everyone needs help. You can’t do it on your own.”

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Hugh. Hugh joined us to share his reflections on working with Interfaith. “They Listen. Ask questions. Asking for help is the hardest, but they kept on reminding me that I have a purpose. Life keeps getting better.”

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Beverly. Her story highlights the shortage of shelter beds in San Diego County, the reality that many people experiencing homelessness are employed, and the positive impact of our Homeless Outreach Team.  “Thanks to Interfaith and all the people who really backed me up and never gave up hope on me. They saw the value in me. I am feeling stronger and good about reaching my goals.”  

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Jen Halverson, Behavioral Health Clinician at Interfaith. Jen shares important information about factors that may contribute to people becoming homeless, ways to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness, and integral advice for self-care and supporting our neighbors in need.

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast. Joining us today is Linda.  After becoming homeless, Linda was forced to stay in hotels for months while she worked on securing housing for her partner and two kids. Linda eventually found a place, but in order to afford it, she had to secure a loan which quickly exhausted her savings and had her falling behind on rent once again. Realizing that her situation would be unsustainable, Linda reached out to Interfaith for help. Here, she was matched with a case manager who helped her secure rental assistance, enroll into a financial education course, and work on monthly budgets where she could reduce spending and save. Linda has now graduated adult school and is looking to enroll into college, where she can work towards her dream of becoming a parole officer. Linda says “I want to bring light to dark places."