“When l first came to emergency shelter 20 years ago when I was homeless, we didn’t have beds. We slept on yoga mats in a big, large room. So, this is amazing that this is here,” Carla Vanegas, who was formerly homeless, said.
Vanegas went from being homeless to being a Rescue Mission client and then to being the director of outreach for the non-profit.“I’m so excited for the South County because we really didn’t have this down here. And this is my backyard, right? National City is actually my hometown. So, I’m super proud to be here, to be a part of this. This means everything to me, to be able to reach my own people,” Vanegas said.
“So, we get to use that and lay that pattern down here,” Donnie Dee, President & CEO of San Diego Rescue Mission, said.“Well, sure, we need more beds. I don’t know that we can ultimately do what we want to do, which is to enforce that you can’t sleep on the streets. I’m in favor of that; that you don’t get to resist services. But, in order to do that, you have to increase the number of beds. That’s why I’m in favor of Mayor Gloria’s 1000-bed shelter,” Dee said.