BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 The community comes together to remember lives lost in our homeless community, while volunteers prepare for the annual point-in-time count, a one-night effort that helps determine funding for local homeless services.<\/p>\n
We see these people every day \u2014 they live right here in our community. And during the winter months, many face cold, hunger, and uncertainty. I spoke with a homeless woman we\u2019ll call Mary, who knows the harsh reality of living on the streets.<\/p>\n
Mary is just one of the many part of the homeless community, and she says, \u201cSometimes they don\u2019t have families. They don\u2019t have people to remember them. They don\u2019t even have anything. You say, \u2018Hey, where is Sharah?\u2019 And you find out, \u2018Sharah died of pneumonia.\u2019 It\u2019s so sad. Right now I have a cold, and I\u2019m scared. I need to get to the doctor, but I don\u2019t even have insurance or medical care or anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the homeless community is still there, and with the daily uncertainty of survival, some lose their lives on the very streets they call home.<\/p>\n
Theo Dues is the Regional Director at Mercy House and he says, \u201cI think the community in general is quick to recognize that we have a homeless crisis in this community, but they\u2019re not so quick to recognize that many times people in the homeless community are victimized. They die on the streets. We pay a lot of attention to their lives on the streets, but today we pay attention to their deaths on the streets. It\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Union Cemetery, the community gathered for a vigil honoring those who died alone on our streets. White doves soared into the sky \u2014 a powerful symbol of lives lost \u2014 as flowers were gently placed and voices fell silent, pausing to remember every soul who passed while experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n
Organizers say now is a great time to start preparing for the point-in-time count of the homeless \u2014 a one-night effort that provides critical data to help local agencies allocate shelter beds, food, and medical services to those who need it most.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Moreno, Director of Housing and Supportive Services at Capk, she tells me, \u201cIt\u2019s very important for us because our funding and resources are based on our census. Now, we realize that it is not a full, complete count of our homeless population, but it is the count on any given night.\u201d <\/p>\n
According to CAPK, in 2025, 2,606 people were counted sleeping on the streets during the point-in-time count. Mary is one of them \u2014 and she says she hopes she will survive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019ll get too cold, and it will happen to me.\u201d Mary said.<\/p>\n