On October 10, Doctors Without Walls — Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW) held its annual donor appreciate event, where donors got to meet the incredibly talented and dedicated staff, board, and volunteers who are passionate about bringing healthcare to homeless individuals and getting them into stable housing.
Held at Direct Relief, the reception featured booths where volunteers, largely pre-med students, other students, and healthcare professionals, explained the extensive healthcare and other programs DWW operates, bringing their services to parks, churches, nonprofits, and the streets, meeting people where they are.
In the program, Executive Director Marguerite Sanchez, an original boardmember who has tirelessly supported the organization throughout its 20-year history, including as its volunteer executive director for the past three years, welcomed guests. She explained that since 2022, DWW has been providing Enhanced Case Management (ECM) through a partnership with CenCal Health. With Medi-Cal funding of this program, DWW has provided clients with up to 18 months of intensive case management, enabling them to secure and maintain housing. For the chronically homeless demographic being served, this has been a remarkable achievement…