World Homeless Day is observed annually on October 10th as an opportunity to bring awareness to and advocate for individuals experiencing homelessness. This year, we’d like to highlight our community academic partnership, the Homeless Health and Wellness Committee (HAWC), to support LTHC Homeless Services!
LTHC provides their guests with more than just a place to stay. They also offer meals, laundry facilities, employment services, mental and physical healthcare services, and more. Their goal is not just to support people experiencing homelessness to find permanent housing and self-sufficiency, but also to educate our community on how to end homelessness for good.
What we’ve accomplished together
Established in 2020, HAWC brought community and academic partners together to address an underserved sector in public health: the diverse health needs of people experiencing homelessness.
In the past six years of our partnership, we have worked to accomplish both community and research impacts, such as:
- Supporting health programming like health assessments, education, and care navigation for shelter guests
- Opening healthcare pathways to resources like vaccine clinics, telehealth communications, and patient navigation
- Receiving over $2.5 million in grants, supporting research projects on different homelessness and healthcare topics, resulting in 10+ academic publications so far
- Continually presenting research findings to the community, as well as national and international conferences for public health, cancer, nursing, and translational science
LTHC’s impact
Despite the troubles we saw in housing markets and changes in state and federal funding, volunteer participation and individual donor support grew this past year, and LTHC never closed its doors thanks to the community that pitched in.
In 2025 alone, LTHC supported 1,910 people across all programs, including families, children, and veterans. They delivered 80,000+ meals and 10,000+ nights of safe shelter to people in need.
As for us, since 2020, HTQL has helped LTHC and other local organizations tackle responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, developing an education program for COVID knowledge. We aimed to increase access and willingness to be vaccinated and tested for coronavirus and evaluate the impact of rapid testing.
Similarly, we have worked to address cervical cancer disparities among people experiencing homelessness. These individuals are four times more likely to suffer from cervical cancer, though far less likely to be screened. Therefore, we worked with LTHC to support HPV self-sampling techniques within homeless shelters.
Homelessness myths: Fact or fiction?
This year, we’re working to dispel the misconceptions and concerns surrounding homelessness. Find out if the following statements are fact or fiction!
Children experiencing homelessness are more likely to have chronic illness.
True. For children, homelessness isn’t just losing a home. It is their safety, health, and well-being, as well as their social confidence. LTHC provides support for families experiencing homelessness and helps these families make the best decisions for their kids.
Homelessness is an issue that cannot be solved.
False. People are ending their homelessness every day! LTHC and many other organizations provide permanent supportive housing, mental health support, and many other services that are proven to reduce homelessness. Major cities like Milwaukee and Houston have tackled homelessness in innovative ways!
Being unhoused is traumatic.
True. Housing provides basic services and needs, especially those we tend to take for granted. People undergoing a traumatic experience may make bad decisions or have poor follow-through. This does not mean they wish to continue being unhoused or are undeserving of a permanent residence. In the interim, LTHC provides these essential services and works with guests to rapidly rehouse.
What can we do to support the Fight to end homelessness?
This World Homeless Day, we want to bring awareness to the work LTHC does and how every individual can be a part of the effort to end homelessness. This can be done through volunteering or donating goods and essentials. To learn more about their needs at any given time, follow the LTHC Homeless Services Instagram and their Walmart and Amazon wish lists on their Linktree.
We also understand that many are not in a position to donate goods, which is why LTHC is always accepting new and returning volunteers. Community volunteers keep LTHC, and many other homeless service organizations, open and running. To sign up for volunteering events, visit online and provide as little or as much time as you are able. To learn more about their volunteering program, visit the LTHC website.
Whether it’s research, advocacy, donating, or volunteering, every bit counts to support our community members in need. Let’s work together so that next year, when we look back on this World Homeless Day, we can say we’ve made great strides in the fight to end homelessness.
