Hank, like most people, believed that a trip to the hospital would help him. As one of the thousands of San Franciscans who faces mental health challenges and homelessness, he soon learned that was not exactly the case. Hank was treated for a psychiatric emergency, but hospitals are not built to do much more beyond that, so he was discharged back to the street and trapped in a cycle that exacerbated his mental health challenges.
Hummingbird Valencia, a new psychiatric respite center funded by Tipping Point, breaks that cycle by connecting people experiencing homelessness to long-term treatment and a path to permanent housing. In partnership with San Francisco’s Department of Public Health, Tipping Point invested $3 million to open Hummingbird Valencia, the project’s second location, as part of its Chronic Homelessness Initiative.
“It’s a blessing to be in the Mission District where it’s very needed,” said Michelle Sanchez, Hummingbird Valencia Project Director. “We want to engage people, welcome people, and make it as safe an environment as possible.”
The Salvation Army manages the building, and PRC/Baker Places operates Hummingbird Valencia as an extension of the first Hummingbird Place at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, opened in 2017. Hummingbird at SF General has successfully served more than 13,000 day-guests and residential clients combined, including Hank who is now able to receive ongoing treatment while living in an apartment with supportive services.
Your donation supports programs, like Hummingbird Valencia, that make a lasting impact on the lives of our unhoused neighbors.
