San Jose Homeless Health Fair Offers Flu Shots, Voter Registration
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – Hundreds of the homeless turned out for a free health fair in San Jose on Friday. Volunteers were giving out flu shots as well as voter registration information.
The free flu shots were just one of dozens of health services offered to the homeless in downtown San Jose.
Steve was at the fair looking for a haircut and a good jacket.
"Something like this set up is amazing. To have people pouring out from their heart, just to help those of us who are out here and just on down times," he said.
Santa Clara Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese spoke at the event. "It is a huge disappointment for us and something that we elected officials view as a crisis. That we have 6,500 homeless here in Santa Clara County today," Cortese said.
Cortese encouraged the crowd to help change things by registering to vote.
"They're citizens, they're residents here, which they are. And they're over 18," Cortese told KCBS. "That's the qualifications, and just because you don't have a mailbox in front of the tent that you sleep in doesn't mean you can't vote."
Cortese is campaigning for Santa Clara County's Measure A, which supporters say could help end homelessness with nearly a $1 billion in housing projects.