Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Martinez.
Hi Sebastian, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I began working in the nonprofit space through the arts, specifically dance, creating opportunities for underprivileged kids to have access to dance, and then began volunteering with Community Through Hope. I came on full-time as the development director for the nonprofit a few months before the pandemic started and then saw the agency through the first year of the pandemic which was the challenge of a lifetime. Trying to meet the immense amount of need of the most vulnerable in the entire South Bay, which as it turns out was over 300,000 people and that was extremely eye-opening. After that experience, I never saw anything the same way again and became the Executive Director of the organization at the end of 2021 going into 2022. My mission for this year was to not leave the unsheltered community behind and to address the immediate need which was preventing the loss of life on the streets of San Diego County.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Community Through Hope strives to do things the right way. To have services that truly impact our unsheltered clients that meet their needs. At times securing funding and building capacity as a team has been challenging, 2022 has really been about growth. The challenge we are facing is immense, particularly in the South Bay, where we are the only agency that provides the variety of services that we do 5 days a week (hot meals, access to hygiene, wound care, clothing, we have a mail program, shower program, and a Street Medicine program). And we don’t receive any financial support from the local government across South Bay San Diego despite our services being available to the unsheltered community across South Bay San Diego. So, all of that can be very challenging. And when you are the only place providing all of these services there are limits to what can be done, we have a small but mighty staff, and the immensity of the need and poverty can be intense. So as a leader making sure the agency remains client-centered and that the staff is supported in equal measure can be stressful. Also, like most people, during the time in history I have had immense personal loss, and nothing about the work we do at Community Through Hope is remote. It is up close, personal and on the frontlines, so the last few years have been a major test of endurance. So, I have learned a lot about not just the resilience of the unsheltered community but also my own resilience and what I am capable of under quite a bit of pressure. But pressure builds purpose and purpose is everything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
So, Community Through Hope is a nonprofit dedicated to providing gap services to the unsheltered community. I like to say that CTH is Small in terms of staff size but Mighty in terms of impact. In 2022 our South Bay Street Medicine program provided emergency resources + medical care to 1500 + unsheltered folks across South Bay San Diego. In 2022 our Project Refresh mobile shower program provided over 1200 + showers and we provide over 11,000 annual meals to the unsheltered community throughout South Bay San Diego. I think what sets Community Through Hope apart is that we provide services that are tangible, real, and with little to no barriers, everything we do is trauma-informed and about accessibility. I would venture to say that in our field we have one of, if not the most diverse staff in the County tackling the unsheltered crisis (with over 90% of our staff being POC) and entire leadership team being POC). We also do this with no local government contracts. We are grateful to be supported by the Arlene and Michael Rosen Foundation (none of our work would be possible without their support).
What matters most to you? Why?
That Community Through Hope prevents as much death on the street as possible in South San Diego, That the unsheltered crisis is treated as the most pressing issue we are facing in San Diego County.
That any solution to the crisis lead with compassion and followed directly by impact and results.
That crimination stops being a way to address the unsheltered crisis.
And as a leader in the nonprofit space that I prioritize supporting young black and brown leaders and make sure there is room for more of us and that with the space made comes with real equity.
It will take addressing all of this to truly be able to address the unsheltered crisis.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://communitythroughhope.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communitythroughhope/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/communitythroughhope.org/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CTH465
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfxnU_98HLPZBxjS2rnkJPw
Image Credits
Deion Williams
Alyssa Tolentino
Sean Posada
