A Conversation On The The Causes & Consequences of Homelessness
Homelessness is consistently ranked as one of the highest priority concerns among residents in San Diego County. The Oceanside Sanctuary has worked for decades to serve the needs of homeless persons in downtown Oceanside and minister relief to them. But we are beginning to explore bigger questions:
What are the causes of homelessness?
What other social challenges are created by homelessness?
What policy changes could positively impact homelessness in North County?
Join our Justice Works Team for a live-stream panel discussion with local advocates for unhoused persons as we begin to explore how we can work toward systemic changes that can help solve this problem.
RSVP Today For The Zoom Link
Our Guests For This Conversation
Merlynn Watanabe
Think Dignity
Kuni Stears
H.E.A.L. Network
Leea Pronovost
Unicorn Homes
Dennis Larkin
H.E.A.L. Network
Our Hosts For This Conversation
Jennifer Nations
UC San Diego
Rev. Jason Coker
The Oceanside Sanctuary
Merlynn Watanabe
Merlynn serves as Think Dignity's Programs and Operations Manager, where she oversees the implementation and operations of the MOD Squad programs, bi-annual Survival Supply Distribution events, and the Basic Dignity Coalition community meetings, and supports the needs of other programs as assigned by the Executive Director. She is also responsible for managing Think Dignity's social media and general marketing efforts and developing and maintaining internal structures and procedures for monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
Merlynn holds a Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Studies from the University of San Diego and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Soka University of America.
Leea Pronovost
Leea was born and raised in Springfield Massachusett. Early in her career, she was a quality engineer in the Aero Space Industry. She left mechanical engineering to become a telecommunications engineer which she did for 37 years, in one form of high tech or another.
In her teens, she became very interested in religion and spirituality. While being raised a very strict Roman Catholic she struggled with who she really was, as she was identified male at birth and this was completely against her religion.
After a near death experience in 2006, she wondered what life was truly about, and came to the conclusion she could not live her life for others. She came out and told everyone that she could not live the lie anymore and had to be true to herself. At that point she started living her life. After truly making the decision she became an activist and advocate for the trans community. She volunteers for the detention project at the Transgender Law Center, is a team leader for operators at the Trans Lifeline. Now works as a Case Manager for Unicorn Homes program at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center.
Kuni Stearns
Kuni maturated and has lived in San Diego California for 40+ years. He worked in the Hospitality industry for 20 years, then semi-retired, leaving the workforce during the 2008 downturn. He then became unsheltered in 2018 and stumbled into advocating for the unsheltered community while still homeless in 2019. Kuni currently still advocates for our unsheltered neighbors proliferating understandings from a lived-experience person's perspective. Participating with Homeless Experienced Advocacy & Leadership (HEAL) Network, Lived Experience Advisers, San Diego Housing Federation's Policy Committee, 3 Committees for the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, and academic institutions endeavoring to affect modifications to reduce homelessness & help implement solutions.
Dennis Larkin
Dennis was a successful entrepreneur for 16 years. A Founder and CEO., he built a mid-size drug and alcohol treatment enterprise in Orange County (100 beds, 10 residential facilities, and a 25K square foot treatment center) that was regarded as one of the best in California.
Then everything came apart.
When the dust settled and the destruction was over, Mr. Larkin found himself living out of his car on the streets of San Diego, needing acute medical care for 13 months before finding housing.
For the last few years, he has been a passionate voice committed to improving the lives of the unhoused and those who have aged out of our society. Presently, his purpose is to help guide developing organizations at the grassroots level to create solutions, tools, policy, and mindset, to build coalitions that address the unique challenges presented by an unhoused population within their communities.
Mr. Larkin contributes to a number of different industry organizations, including H.E.AL. Network -(Policy Committee), P.A.C.E ( Participant Advisory Board Committee), and The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (Aging and Homelessness Committee)
He is a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, with additional certifications in Gerontology, and Criminal Justice. He studied for a BA in applied behavioral sciences at the University of Arizona and holds several additional graduate certifications from the University of Pennsylvania related to the field.
Mr. Larkin is a Vietnam-era veteran(Marine Corps). He is also a widower.
Jennifer Nations
Jennifer Nations is a researcher and lecturer at UC San Diego. Prior to this, Jennifer worked as a researcher and organizer with the Scholars Strategy Network. In her research and advocacy work, Jennifer works to improve public policies in order to alleviate poverty and promote wellbeing for all. Her current work is focused on housing precarity in San Diego County and strengthening fiscal democracy in California's cities. Jennifer lives in Oceanside with her family.
Rev. Jason Coker
Jason is the Lead Pastor at The Oceanside Sanctuary in North San Diego County and member of the Human Development faculty at Cal State San Marcos, where he teaches human services leadership, social policy, and therapeutic interviewing. Jason earned his Masters in Intercultural Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife Jenell live in Oceanside.