Embedded Files
at a glance
at a glance
Project Partner:
Project Partner:
Community Bridges' Meals on Wheels Program (Santa Cruz, CA)
Team Members:
Team Members:
Toni Leto, Autumn Hill, Rachel Tuggy
Main Tech Tools:
Main Tech Tools:
Adobe Premiere, Audacity, Shotcut
Organization Needs:
Organization Needs:
Community Bridges' Meals on Wheels aims to provide healthy meals and wellness checks for every Santa Cruz senior in need, including the houseless community, and with the impacts of COVID-19 and a 40% higher demand for meals in 2020, they needed extra funding and hands to make that happen.
Solutions:
Solutions:
In order to bring the community into the picture, Community Bridges and the Everett team agreed that the most powerful, direct way of sharing Meals on Wheels' recent work was to capture the often unheard stories of participants living outside. The team went to the streets with a digital camera, some questions, and open curiosity. We returned with a story.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
PROJECT OUTCOMES
A promotional video was created in early summer, then shared in multiple social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram
Youth volunteerism was encouraged in the fall through UCSC department mass emails, Facebook groups, and Reddit
An interactive view of life unhoused in Santa Cruz County, hosted on this webpage
An in-depth interview with one of the participants, also on this page
PROJECT MILESTONES
PROJECT MILESTONES
July 2020 - 2 versions of the Meals on Wheels video were published
September-November 2020 - UCSC student outreach and social media sharing of promotional video
December 2020 - Webpage and Interview Video finished!
At year's end, we look back to what we overcame together: a pivot to a new project, a buggy editing program, housing moves, working solo, and COVID-19
MAIN LESSONS LEARNED
MAIN LESSONS LEARNED
Homeless people need to be housed in a dignified and safe environment as quickly as possible. It is foundational for meeting human needs, including healthcare, hygiene, sound sleep, nutrition
The team gained confidence in our ability to learn new skills, realizing that we are capable of gaining skill in just about any professional field, with enough desire
Being ready to step out into the unknown can lead to beautiful conversations
The people!
The people!
Lupe
Lupe
Unhoused for 2.5 years
Unassuming and kind
Talks fondly of the communal dining sites, visiting with friends there and drinking coffee
Free-spirited yet community-minded; shares resources with people
Marsha
Marsha
Unhoused for several months; has housing now
Why the sneakers? I recall her wearing them, and they seem comfortable, as she was to talk to
Retired nurse
Generous and cheerful
Robert
Robert
Unhoused for decades; 10 years in Santa Cruz
Retired carpenter and iron worker
Rides his bike most places
Soft-spoken and thoughtful, misses the library
Cooper
Cooper
Unhoused for seven years
Opinionated and caring
Retired nurse
Always looking out for her "crew"
Enrique
Enrique
Unhoused for 15 years
Retired plumber, machinist; plans towards being an educator
Poetic, and proud of his family
Shares food with whoever he can
Joseph
Joseph
Unhoused for 36+ years
Straightforward and kind
Has many thoughts and ideas on how to fight homelessness
Used to ride a motorcycle
in-depth: Life outside in SC
in-depth: Life outside in SC
What is it like to be houseless? What are the difficulties and what are the beauties of the lives we make for ourselves, even when living outside? Watch for a few minutes and see.
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