SDSU has its first Care Event, and Crossroads is there
San Diego State University just held its first Care Event on campus. Run by the SDSU Helping Hands organization and the VituityCares Foundation, the event brought many local service providers into the heart of SDSU’s campus to support the unhoused community. Having attended multiple city-run care events in the past, I felt that SDSU improved the event in several ways, though it also fell short in a few areas. Let’s break down this historical event and what it means for SDSU’s future.
This was Crossroads table at the event.
Who was there
The main service providers to headline the event were Goodwill San Diego, the Lucky Duck Foundation, Project Sanitation Justice, New Day Urban Ministries, the California Barber & Beauty College, and, of course, CrossroadsSD. There was also a food table, clothing table, and medical table, all run by the school and student volunteers.
What SDSU did right
SDSU’s Care Event was by far the most resourceful event I have ever seen. Their clothing table overflowed with resources, the sanitary station had every toiletry you could think of, and the snack area had full-blown meals. Each unhoused participant was assigned a helper to navigate the area, and this made the whole process a whole lot easier compared to the ‘do-it-yourself’ system at the city-run care events.
What SDSU could improve
Despite SDSU having the most supplies that I have ever seen at a care event, there weren’t enough people to give stuff to. Over the 3+ hours I tabled there, I only saw about 30 unhoused individuals stop by, a far cry from the 100+ who attend the city-run events. I believe that since this was the first time hosting the event, SDSU did not know how to advertise the event, and thus saw a lack of attendees.
Despite an attendance issue, the event was still a success, and I hope that events like these continue into the future, especially as SDSU is located near the San Diego River, a hotspot for the unhoused. Maybe other schools can take notice of SDSU’s initiatives to help the unhoused, and hopefully make an impact as well. I would like to thank SDSU for hosting Crossroads, and I hope that we can return in the future. Happy Mother’s Day!