Ritter Center is there for individuals who are homeless and need safety and shelter, people who need healthcare and someone to talk to, families who can't afford holi- day gifts for their kids, seniors whose fixed incomes don't cover food, and so many others who need help to overcome life's toughest challenges.
We invite you to join us in helping the person holding that cardboard sign and thousands of others. A gift of hope is the most valuable gift a person experiencing homelessness and poverty can receive.
Click the button below to give today.
When you see someone on the street holding a sign that pleads for food or money, do you wonder how they got there? Why can’t they find a home or job, get healthy, or eat?
We all want to see an end to the suffering we encounter every day, and yet most people avoid eye contact and keep walking. To be able to make progress, we need to eliminate the stigma of mental illness and of poverty.
December 21st is National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. Poignantly held on Winter Solstice, it's a celebration of the longest hours of darkness and the sun's rebirth for many cultures. At Ritter Center, the longest night of the year gives us pause to reflect on the homeless lives lost this year and the hardships that our clients experiencing homelessness endure. Every life has value. When can we start to see individuals experiencing homelessness as people?
There’s a greater story behind that sign, however.
Someone in your family might suffer from depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue. If their challenges became severe and they lost their housing, would you think they deserve it? Of course not. Sadly, most people on the street don’t have someone like you in their corner.
We must normalize talking about mental health to create empathy and effective solutions to homelessness. After all, everyone struggles from time to time.
Our culture leads many to label people experiencing homelessness as "weak" or "lesser than." Perhaps you’ve walked by someone holding a sign and unintentionally thought:
"Homeless people are dangerous!"
"Why can't they take care of themselves?"
"They just want money for drugs."
If individuals are housed while participating in programs like ours, chronic homelessness can be resolved. The key is establishing safety and trust so they can focus on wellness. We can then help them focus on their health, harm reduction, and stabilizing their lives. That is how and why the Housing First model works.
Yet, affordable housing is misinterpreted and leads to contentious public opposition that delays or sabotages the housing effort. The basis for every "NIMBY" (Not In My BackYard) argument is the fallacy that all poor or houseless people are criminals and addicts, and affordable housing increases crime and lowers property values.
In reality, “affordable housing” is when public and private subsidies cover 70% of the rent. People who occupy affordable housing are seniors, students, low-income families, entry-level workers, immigrants, teachers, veterans, gardeners, and individuals experiencing homelessness. They are people who simply cannot afford to pay a market rate for a place to call home.
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Ritter Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization based in San Rafael, Marin County, California. Our mission is to prevent and resolve homelessness and improve the health, dignity and well-being of people living in poverty in Marin County by providing high-quality, culturally sensitive, easily accessible medical care and social services. www.RitterCenter.org
“People become homeless when they run out of relationships.”
Unmasking Ourselves: Compassion, Not Cruelty,
Solves Homelessness
Ron Greene Photography
We must stop punishing
people for being poor or ill.
At Ritter Center, we provide services to thousands of people every year. Our mission is to prevent and resolve homelessness and improve the health, dignity, and well-being of people living in poverty in Marin County by providing high-quality, culturally sensitive, easily accessible medical care and social services. They come to us for quality healthcare, housing support, nutritious food, safety net and holiday programs.
- Ashley Hart McIntyre,
Marin County’s Homelessness Policy Analyst
We're not so different.
"I was a silly, playful, and outgoing child. Around age 7, my life drastically changed. I became profoundly unhappy, withdrawn, and disinterested in things I previously enjoyed," said Michael Beyer, Ritter Center's Whole Person Care Housing Case Manager.
"Bullying was a large contributor; I was non-binary even then and that played a role in being ostracized by peers. Around age 8, I was having thoughts of suicide. A school counselor advocated to my parents that I go to the hospital, as she was fearful for my safety."
That's right. Michael was only 8 years old when they first sought mental health treatment.
"I am so fortunate and grateful my parents could get me into treatment. They were always there to go to bat for me. That is not the case for many people, particularly if they are low income."
But what happens when someone doesn’t
have a loved one to go to bat for them?
Issues end up snowballing. For example, trying to stay awake all night on the streets to avoid violence can lead to stimulant use and poor health. Mental health challenges can develop and escalate… and it's nearly impossible to overcome them alone. Homelessness becomes chronic.
Before the pandemic, Ritter Center
and its partners were reducing homelessness in Marin, but that success is now at risk. Chronic homelessness has increased by over 10% and family homelessness is up a staggering 35.2%.
We need Housing First.
“Thirty years of being homeless wasn't
what I had planned for myself.”
- Ritter Center Client
But will programs resolve homelessness?
No, not without housing.
We could end homelessness.
SPONSORED BY Ritter Center
35.2%
Increase in family homelessness
10%
Increase in chronic homelessness
Before the pandemic,
Ritter Center and its partners were reducing homelessness in Marin, but that success is now at risk.