Gabriela Cares for the Homeless

January 25, 2018

Gabriela befriends a child at Nelson before giving him a vision screening.

Gabriela always had an interest in health care. In her junior year of college one of her professors suggested that she look into Health Education as a career. She decided to gain work experience in the field at her school as a College Peer Educator. Shortly after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Rutgers University, she was hired at Care for the Homeless (CFH) as a Health Educator. “At first glance I saw the dedication that CFH’s medical providers have. It was truly remarkable and left a memorable first impression on me,” said Gabriela. “I started working at CFH with the same dedication that I saw in my peers and could not wait to use her skills to help homeless individuals,” she continued. Born and raised in a small valley in Ecuador, Gabriela’s first language is Spanish, a skill she uses to communicate with many CFH clients.

Gabriela provides a mother at Jamaica Family with her child's vision results

One client who Gabriela usually speaks to in Spanish is Marisa, who has a history of diabetes in her family. Both of her parents and her adolescent son suffer from the illness. “When I first met Marisa she said, ‘I know everything there is to know about diabetes, I don’t want to die from it,’” Gabriela said. Gabriela has been working with Marisa for the past six months. She says Marisa is very knowledgeable about her medications and taking them on time, but she was very unaware of the amount of physical activity that is needed to improve her overall health. Gabriela started working with Marisa by taking small steps—literally--which includes education on what is considered exercise and how much Marisa should be getting. Together, Gabriela and Marisa created an exercise plan. Marisa was reluctant at first, but she now does 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, and has lost 5 pounds! “She is eager to be healthier, very positive, and is always happy to come into the clinic. She always has a smile on her face.” Gabriela said.

Gabriela says she feels proud when she sees a patient move towards a healthier lifestyle. Similar to Marisa, Gabriela often sees her patients’ progress from having an uncontrolled health condition to a one that is self-managed more efficiently. She is also proud of the progress her department has made since she started working at CFH. When she started back in 2011, the Health Education department focused primarily on prevention and intervention of HIV. Since then, CFH has expanded its services to also focus on chronic disease management and special care such as, podiatry, dental and vision. “Being a part of these positive changes is extremely rewarding,” she said.

Gabriela says "Yes, I Care for the Homeless"

Gabriela wants people to understand that it is too common of a practice for homeless individuals to be judged by others. She says “I believe homelessness is a public health crisis. If we viewed it as such, maybe (as a country) we could intervene from a public health perspective as we have done for other public health issues such as HIV/AIDS,” she said. She believes on-going efforts to create awareness and work towards tangible outcomes is the best way to fight homelessness. We hope these ladies are an inspiration to you because YOU help make this possible!

With your support, people who are experiencing homelessness will continue to receive health education from members of our Health Education team, such as Gabriela. Your gift today can change a life and make a difference. Thank you!