By April Charlton/Senior Staff/Times Press Recorder
a division of Lee Central Coast Newspapers
When 36-year-old William Diaz was homeless, he didn’t ponder his future. Instead, his days were consumed with finding a place to sleep, warmth and his next meal. “The whole time I kept thinking that I didn’t have a chance,” said Diaz, who now lives in an apartment in San Luis Obispo. “I wasn’t thinking about a future.”
At the same time, Diaz, who grew up in Nipomo (see related story) was struggling with homelessness in the South County, a group of individuals was creating the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition to help people like him.
“We knew there was a need for services for the homeless in the Five Cities area,” said Patricia Diefenderfer, president of the newly formed coalition that consists of different agencies and community organizations. Read more…
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Homeless no more: Long road leads man to assistance, home
By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer/Times Press Recorder
a division of Lee Central Coast Newspapers
During one Nipomo native’s struggle with homelessness, he did everything he could to sleep standing up.
“I felt a lot of shame,” William Diaz said about the period of his life when the now 36-year-old often slept in a stand of trees behind the Nipomo Men’s Club in Olde Towne. “I wouldn’t want to sleep on the ground when I was homeless,” he explained, “because if I woke up on the ground, then I was officially homeless. I didn’t want to be that. At least if I was standing up, I was doing something … had somewhere to go.” Read more…
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Study reveals more than 30 percent of homeless in county are children
By Times Press Recorder Staff
a division of Lee Central Coast Newspapers
A single count of homeless persons in San Luis Obispo County has revealed that on any given day, there are more than 3,800 people without a place to call home.
Even more alarming is that of the 3,829 homeless people recently surveyed during an enumeration count of the county’s homeless population, 35.8 percent of those without a permanent place to live are children. Five percent are senior citizens. The findings of the single-day count and 2009 enumeration study also show that the homeless are a diverse group who live in every area of the county. Read more…
admin Homelessness children, homeless, paso robles, san luis obispo county