Anna concludes her yearlong fellowship on health care for people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. She compares her experiences in San Francisco and Salt Lake City and reflects on the people and lessons that shaped her year. Although the future of American homelessness appears dismal, Anna shares ways to engage with this population in day-to-day life. Tackling homelessness and health disparities for unhoused people will require many solutions, all at once.

Anna talks with Kristi, a Fourth Street Clinic patient who is halfway through a yearlong addiction recovery program. Her path through trauma, homelessness, and drug use has built her resilience and ultimately steered her towards greater happiness. They discuss the influence of her Mormon upbringing and her present spirituality on her psychological and physical wellbeing. Kristi hopes to use her experiences as a former injection drug user, an individual with Hepatitis C, and a woman in recovery to guide others in the future.

Anna interviews Juan, a patient at the Fourth Street Clinic who conveys a contagious gratitude for where he is today. Two weeks into a detox program has put him on the cusp of recovery. After years of living on the streets of Salt Lake City, Juan expresses a distinct sense of belonging to the homeless community and describes his struggles with gout, mental health issues, and addictions. He shares his hope for a future that is much brighter (and healthier) than his past.

From her quarantine with COVID-19, Anna discusses the evolving impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. homeless population. Are people experiencing homelessness more susceptible to the virus? Will the number of homeless Americans rise? How should vaccines be distributed to a population that faces so many barriers to health care?

Anna concludes her work at the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center in San Francisco by interviewing Uma, a case manager who shares the wisdom that she has learned from her unhoused clients and from her own life. As we enter the new year, Uma’s lessons on combating discrimination, building motivation in others, and self-acceptance offer guidance to all of us who faced new and unfamiliar challenges in 2020.

Anna interviews William, who has spent much of his adult life fighting off homelessness in San Francisco. He discusses the safety and health threats he experienced in shelters, as well as the purpose he found while writing poetry and helping others out of the cycle of homelessness. However, William remains equally familiar with the tragic endings of those who never break the cycle.

Anna talks to Ennis, a former staff member at the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, about the decades he spent struggling with homelessness and addiction in San Francisco. Ennis discloses how he found the motivation to get housed and clean and eventually, to help others get better, too.

Anna speaks with Emily, a Nurse Practitioner at the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, about diving into a complex patient population straight out of school and learning to build the trust of her wary patients.

Anna introduces her goals for the podcast and the voices which she aims to promote. This season examines the challenges and triumphs of healthcare for people who are experiencing homelessness through the lens of the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, a community-based clinic and drop-in center in San Francisco, California.