As the flashing lights of the Orange County Fire Department illuminated the deserted streets of downtown Orlando and the face of an overdosed woman in the sidewalk of a church parking lot, the first night of a long awaited dream came to a close, showcasing the realities that the homeless population face in this city. According to a study published in the 2011 edition of the International Public Health Journal, “more than 80 percent of homeless people have at least one chronic health condition and more than 50 percent have a mental health condition.” It was with these statistics in mind that University of Central Florida biomedical sciences students Andrew Aboujaoude, Jennifer Carvel and Alexis Ghersi decided to put in motion the Hearts for the Homeless Orlando initiative. With a multi-faceted focus, H4H Orlando seeks to address the needs

Impact| Page 14

HeartTo

HeartAn organization founded on compassion helps homeless people in Orlando take care of their health

By Ariadna Santos

Photo by Mike GramajoHearts for the Homeless started serving the Orlando community in August 2016, and by the end of October, they had over 75 members in the organization and served over 50 people.

of the at-risk homeless population by providing blood pressure measurements and serving as a platform for college students with a desire to leave their mark in their communities. After volunteering for months with the weekly food share with Straight Street Orlando, a nonprofit focused on providing support to the poor and homeless population, they became aware of the issues and the lack of resources of this population. “I was approached by a homeless guy that said the health system had failed him,” Aboujaoude said. “He has HIV, and his family died of cancer. So, he had all these medical bills.” It was in October 2015 that they decided to start looking for support and mentors that would help them bring this idea into action. The journey was nothing short of tumultuous, especially when it came to finding people who saw their vision and goal to give back to the community.

“Most adults are focused on if it doesn’t make you any money, then it’s not worth it,” Ghersi said. “We’re nothing like the previous generation, and that’s what sets us apart.” What began as a thought quickly became an 11-month project that ended up at the Clinton Global Initiative University, an initiative created by President Bill Clinton in 2007 to engage college leaders in different social issues throughout the world. “When we first started, the important people thought it was a horrible idea,” Aboujaoude said. “LEAD Scholars believed in us.” Through preparation, research and proposals, the team was one of 20 teams from 1,200 participants at the CGIU 2016 who were awarded funds from the Resolution Project, a partner of the Clinton Foundation, said Stacey Malaret, director of LEAD Scholars Academy. “I said I think that’s a great idea,” Dr. Malaret said. “Especially since it was very low cost but had great rewards. A lot of projects that we see through CGIU or that we see is high cost and not as great rewards. So, it is really unusual to find a program that really does not cost much but has such a great effect on our Central Florida community.” With about eight to 10 volunteers, the H4H Orlando team heads to the parking lot of St. George Orthodox Church three Tuesdays out of the month with tables, chairs, blood pressure monitors and hearts filled with compassion. As they listen to the stories this community has to share, they meet people like Mark Baker, 53, whose soft-spoken voice and

Impact| Page 15

black fedora hat hides an inspiring story of his rise from homelessness to now a volunteer for Straight Street Orlando. “I’ve been on this side, so I know what it’s like,” Baker said. “A lot of these people can’t afford going to the clinic or hospitals. If we didn’t have this, we would starve.” The needs of this population continue to rise, but only through initiatives such as H4H Orlando will the problem come to a close. “I hope that one day, nobody shows up to my feedings [and] that nobody needs help and that none of this is necessary.” said Tanya Grose, food share coordinator for Straight Street Orlando.

“We’re nothing like the previous generation,

and that’s what sets us apart.”

- Alexis Ghersi

Photo by Ariadna Santos

Dr. Stacey Malaret (left), Alexis Ghersi (center), Jennifer Carvel (lower right) and Andrew Aboujaoude (upper right) demonstrate a blood pressure reading at the LEAD Schools Academy.