Summer is here — and with it comes sunshine, fresh air, and more opportunities to get active. Summer sports and outdoor activities increase the risk of injury, making it important to know how to prevent them, and when to seek medical help.
Over the years, a quiet crisis unfolded in Jefferson County, MO as several students died by suicide, leaving communities devasted and searching for answers.
The loss was heartbreaking—and it was clear that something had to change.
Venus Marshall, 36, says there was a constant "noise" she associated with being unhoused. "Everyone on the street had a bag and a story," she said of that time. Many had lost their jobs or homes, and families. It was a life of surfing couches and sleeping on benches, where she was often robbed and even assaulted.
Faith Granberry, Cahokia, IL, works full time but doesn't make enough money to cover healthcare expenses. She relied on Medicaid in foster care. She now worries that Medicaid cuts would affect her ability to afford healthcare. "Medical debt is a big reason people become homeless in America," she said. It's a realistic fear for her as she has experienced homelessness before.
Physical recovery does not end when someone leaves the hospital — but for people without stable housing, it often has to.
Discharged with fresh wounds, healing bones, and post-operative instructions, many unhoused individuals find themselves on the streets, with no safe place to recover and no one to help. There's no quiet room to rest, no support in managing medications, or to check if a wound is healing.