MCC sponsors coat drive to support Fort Bragg’s unsheltered residents
Mendocino Coast Clinics (MCC), in collaboration with the Mendocino Coast Hospitality Center, is supporting community health with a coat drive to help local unhoused residents endure chilly temperatures and rainy conditions. The MCC Street Medicine team, which organized the drive, is currently seeking donations of warm men’s jackets—the bigger, the better.
Homelessness is a significant and growing problem, locally and nationwide. Mendocino County has one of the highest concentrations of unhoused people in the state, with more than 1,000 for every 100,000 residents. Here on the coast, officials estimate that between 75 and 160 unhoused people live in or around Fort Bragg, depending on the time of year.
In 2018, in response to the growing homelessness on the Mendocino Coast, MCC and the Hospitality Center launched the Coastal Street Medicine program. MCC medical personnel travel to the Hospitality Center to provide free medical services such as check-ups, wound care, and referrals for additional care. They can also make appointments for medical and dental care at MCC. The Hospitality Center provides a safe, comfortable, and confidential environment for those who are reluctant to visit a traditional clinic or hospital. Led by MCC registered nurse Jillian Koski, the Street Medicine program now serves more than half of the local homeless population.
When the weather turned cold in early November, Koski noticed that many of her patients were in need of warm clothing. She began emailing colleagues asking for sweaters and jackets. She received a deluge of donations.
When MCC Executive Director Lucresha Renteria learned about the coat drive, she was pleased that her team took action, but not surprised. “Stepping in and stepping up to fill a need in the community, big or small, is part of our culture here at Mendocino Coast Clinics,” she said. “This coat drive, and really the entire Street Medicine Program, are examples of that principle in action.”
Koski said, “Folks here at MCC were so quick to pitch in. Before we knew it, we were overloaded with warm clothing. We stopped accepting donations for a while, but we’re seeing the need again, especially for warm men’s jackets since most of our Street Medicine clients are men.”
Koski encourages anyone interested in donating new or lightly used men’s coats to drop them off at MCC or the Hospitality Center (and to mention that they are for Jillian). MCC is located at 205 South Street in Fort Bragg and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Hospitality Center is located at 101 N. Franklin Street in Fort Bragg and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and 1 to 3 p.m.
For those interested in supporting Fort Bragg’s unsheltered population in other ways, the Street Medicine Program has a wishlist of needed items, including wool socks, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen. Donations can be dropped off at the Hospitality Center.
“We’ve all enjoyed seeing our clients’ reactions when they’re able to have access to jackets and other basic items,” Jillian said.