Organizations Team Up To Take On Homelessness, Create Job Training Program For Those In Need

Homelessness in San Diego County has increased 10 percent since January 2020, according to the report released by the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness. San Diego also had the largest population of homeless people in the county, with 2,307 people in shelters and 2,494 living without shelter.

Three organizations in San Diego are working together to change this.

The Lucky Duck Foundation, Feeding San Diego and The Salvation Army have teamed up to take on homelessness in their city and surrounding areas.

The organizations have created a job training program for those in their community who need help.

“We don’t believe anybody should be living on the street, and these employment job training opportunities are designed to end their homelessness,” said Drew Moser, executive director of The Lucky Duck Foundation.

“We are about taking steps and investing in programs that are going to have an immediate impact now and alleviate suffering,” he continued.

Their program has helped countless people find their way and secure full time employment.

Emiliano Cerda, social services lead for The Salvation Army, went through the program himself and found it to be a second chance for him and helped him find hope again. Before joining the Salvation Army, Cerda was homeless and living on the streets.

Now, he rescues food from stores that would’ve been thrown out and helps put it back into the community to feed people in need like he once was.

After 30 years of working, Daniel Rocha found himself without a job and was really struggling to survive.

He ended up going through the program as well and now he is a food rescue driver for The Salvation Army.

Learn more about this program and the people they help in the video below: