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Patricia Oare. senior peer support specialist at RUHS Behavioral Health, and county residents gather to light candles in remembrance of homeless residents lost and to bring awareness to homeless services. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County
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The plight of the homeless and the ongoing effort to provide resources to those in need was at the heart of multiple events planned Thursday in Riverside, Hemet and Indio.
Riverside County officials have organized gatherings to commemorate the “Longest Night,” which is the winter solstice, but also an occasion to underscore the adversity facing those on the streets or otherwise unsheltered, as well as honor those who have died under such circumstances.
“Riverside County is committed to mobilizing all available resources to address the urgent needs of our homeless community,” outgoing Board Chairman Kevin Jeffries said. “We stand united in our mission to provide hope, care and support to every individual facing the hardship of homelessness.”
A Longest Night ceremony was scheduled between 5 and 7 p.m. Thursday at Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd., Riverside. Supervisor Karen Spiegel joined Riverside City Councilwoman Erin Edwards and Greg Coffos, director of the Riverside County Veterans Services Agency, for the event.
Similar ceremonies were set for 5 p.m. at the Indio Behavioral Health Clinic, 44-199 Monroe St., and at 6 p.m. in the Hemet Behavioral Health Clinic, 650 N. State St.
Along with remembrance services, Behavioral Health workers and volunteers from regional nonprofits handed out blankets, jackets, hygiene products, snacks and information sheets on how to obtain county services. Additionally, Narcan, an opioid antagonist nose spray that can arrest the effects of an overdose from fentanyl and other illicit drugs, was distributed, officials said.
The Riverside University Health System provides “integrated behavioral and physical health services, focusing on the holistic well-being of the unhoused community” to address “the complex health needs of those experiencing homelessness,” according to a county statement.
Heidi Marshall, director of the county Housing and Workforce Solutions Department, underscored her agency’s focus on “sustainable solutions” that she specified as “housing resources, job training and employment assistance” for people experiencing homelessness.
“We aim to create sustainable paths to housing and employment, recognizing that every individual deserves dignity and a chance to thrive,” she said in a statement.
“Addressing homelessness requires more than temporary solutions; it demands a range of services to address physical and behavioral health and housing,” Spiegel said. “Our mission is to break the cycle of homelessness with comprehensive, compassionate support.”
The county’s most recent Point-In-Time homeless survey, conducted in January, identified 3,725 homeless individuals countywide, a 12% increase from 2022.
“In the past fiscal year, the county housed over 5,000 individuals, of which 86% remain housed,” according to a Housing and Workforce Solutions statement. “The department added 614 permanent supportive housing units across the entire county.”
Thursday’s events were open to all residents.
