It all began with a desire to start a resource center in Santa Monica, California. We wondered what
might be the best location and decided, "Why not ask the homeless on the street what they think?"
So we did.
Day after day we hit the streets. Through surveys and interviews, we began establishing
relationships with the homeless and tried to help them any way that we could. Unexpectedly, they
began to say that the kind of help we were offering was really making the difference. After only a few
weeks we had helped several homeless people reconnect with their families to the point that they
were able to go home. Several more homeless went into housing or programs.
A full-time outreach developed. It wasn't about the location of a building, but 'being there' with the
right resources everyday. One homeless guy said, "Hey man, this is as real as it gets. You're taking
it to the street." A great new intervention model was formed, and the idea came straight from the
homeless on the street.
Dr. Ron Hooks is the founder and Executive Director of the West Coast Care Foundation, Inc.
(WCC). Ron has more than 15 years of direct experience working with homeless individuals.
He was the Executive Director of Providence House, an inner city rehabilitation center, in San
Francisco’s Tenderloin District for 10 years. Ron also served as an Adjunct Professor at Patten
University in Oakland, CA.
Since October of 2006, WCC has directly helped more than 800 persons
to transition off the streets of Santa Monica, CA. Hundreds more have
found new direction to transition out of homelessness on their own.
Dr. Hooks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Earth Science, a Master of Arts in
Psychology, Master of Arts in Biblical Studies with a Counseling
Concentration, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology.
might be the best location and decided, "Why not ask the homeless on the street what they think?"
So we did.
Day after day we hit the streets. Through surveys and interviews, we began establishing
relationships with the homeless and tried to help them any way that we could. Unexpectedly, they
began to say that the kind of help we were offering was really making the difference. After only a few
weeks we had helped several homeless people reconnect with their families to the point that they
were able to go home. Several more homeless went into housing or programs.
A full-time outreach developed. It wasn't about the location of a building, but 'being there' with the
right resources everyday. One homeless guy said, "Hey man, this is as real as it gets. You're taking
it to the street." A great new intervention model was formed, and the idea came straight from the
homeless on the street.
Dr. Ron Hooks is the founder and Executive Director of the West Coast Care Foundation, Inc.
(WCC). Ron has more than 15 years of direct experience working with homeless individuals.
He was the Executive Director of Providence House, an inner city rehabilitation center, in San
Francisco’s Tenderloin District for 10 years. Ron also served as an Adjunct Professor at Patten
University in Oakland, CA.
Since October of 2006, WCC has directly helped more than 800 persons
to transition off the streets of Santa Monica, CA. Hundreds more have
found new direction to transition out of homelessness on their own.
Dr. Hooks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Earth Science, a Master of Arts in
Psychology, Master of Arts in Biblical Studies with a Counseling
Concentration, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology.
Heart for the Homeless
Ron Hooks
Homeless Advocate
Executive Director
Homeless Advocate
Executive Director
