BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — 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.
We see these people every day — 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’ll call Mary, who knows the harsh reality of living on the streets.
Mary is just one of the many part of the homeless community, and she says, “Sometimes they don’t have families. They don’t have people to remember them. They don’t even have anything. You say, ‘Hey, where is Sharah?’ And you find out, ‘Sharah died of pneumonia.’ It’s so sad. Right now I have a cold, and I’m scared. I need to get to the doctor, but I don’t even have insurance or medical care or anything like that.”
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.
Theo Dues is the Regional Director at Mercy House and he says, “I think the community in general is quick to recognize that we have a homeless crisis in this community, but they’re 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’s unacceptable.”
At Union Cemetery, the community gathered for a vigil honoring those who died alone on our streets. White doves soared into the sky — a powerful symbol of lives lost — as flowers were gently placed and voices fell silent, pausing to remember every soul who passed while experiencing homelessness.
Organizers say now is a great time to start preparing for the point-in-time count of the homeless — 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.
Rebecca Moreno, Director of Housing and Supportive Services at Capk, she tells me, “It’s 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.”
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 — and she says she hopes she will survive.
“I’m afraid I’ll get too cold, and it will happen to me.” Mary said.
CAPK says more volunteers are still needed for this year’s point-in-time count. Registration is open through January 9th — head to The Bakersfield Regional Homeless Collaborative's website to sign up.
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