It's Hard to Learn When You Don't Have a Home

Monarch-School.jpg

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, is joined by Erin Spiewak, CEO of the Monarch School, a K-12 school for homeless students in San Diego. With over 2,300 homeless students across the County, Monarch School serves 300-500 students without a place to call home each school year out of their Barrio Logan campus.

Erin shares with Greg her journey with the Monarch School starting as a volunteer, about how motherhood has affected her emotional connection to her work, and truly how important helping our homeless students succeed in the classroom is.

Calls to Action:

  • Support the Monarch School! To view their donation wish list, please click here.

  • School staff: Be attentive to the needs of your homeless students. It’s hard to learn when you’ve slept in the back of a car, or skipped breakfast. Bring awareness to your school site, and ask your administrators how your team can best support these students.

  • Like Erin mentioned, the San Diego County Office of Education has Homeless Education Services available. To learn more, please click here.

  • Finally, to read Erin’s colleague Michael Gaulden’s book on his experiences with homelessness, please click here.