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According to the Merced City and County Continuum of Care, the City of Merced homeless count dropped very slightly from 318 to 310 in 2018, though the number of displaced people in Merced County rose from 454 to 514. Your words from the sickness That’s been infecting your mind And swelling your feet Stuck in my head tonight As I drove out of the parking lot I saw you Clutching the rag That gave you some warmth We made eye contact And my empathy Signaled I needed to break the boundaries Broadcasting our society So I parked again And walked up to the front I gave you a blanket And watched The fear in your eyes Escape As the tears welled up Sanity hit through Only for second But then your words clouded And your ranting started to spew Bipolar and Schizophrenia You shouted out addresses Of loved ones Who left you Alone with your demons You scratched at your clothes Infested with dirt And clung to your body Soaked in heroin All drugs you thought could mask the relentless pain In your head You said They wanted to put you In an institution But even your unawareness Couldn’t give you the benefit For the cold Was blowing your feet And socks weren’t coming I only have These cheese sticks I bought in a hurry For my lunches I’m sure your empty stomach Would appreciate it As you were yelling It would give you some strength But cheese sticks Can’t fix the swirls in your head I wish I could pull out Those memories of the streets Instead People in your position Remind me of my luck That I have a home With a warm fresh coat And no fear of being struck I have no fright Of extreme poverty On a cold December night Outside of a Target parking lot I have no fright of bare feet and a decayed young mind Read More
community growing up in Merced homelessness mental health merced county homeless count substance abuseThe We'Ced Youth Media cohort weighs in on the migrant caravan from Central America trying to seek asylum in the United States.
immigration refugees
We'Ced Youth Media reporters Stephanie Gurtel and Victor Seguin sat down with Common during his stop in Merced, Calif. on his 'Hope and Redemption Tour.'
#SchoolsnotPrisons #schoolsnotprisonsmerced BHC Merced common mass incarceration reimagine justice restorative justice the california endowmentHealth Career Connection intern April Navarrete takes a look at the causes and effects of the Central Valley air quality and how that affects residents of Merced County.
air quality central valley central valley air quality community health environment environmental issues hcc health career connection spotlightReporter Stephanie Gurtel shares a photo essay from her time at the 2018 Youth Power Summit in Davis and Sacramento, Calif.
california california youth community davis education Free Our Dreams policy sacramento spotlight state capitol youth advocacy youth power summit youth voicesI have anxiety. I’m a 16 year old introvert who over the last year has figured out that she has anxiety. Now it’s not as severe as other people’s, but it’s definitely a constant battle: Aaliyah vs. Anxiety. Anxiety being defined as, “People with generalized anxiety disorder display excessive anxiety or worry for months and face several anxiety-related symptoms by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Read More
education health mental health merced merced county safety youth