The Building Heroes Project at UCLA
Government Administration - , ,
The Building Heroes Project at UCLA Employees
The Building Heroes Project at UCLA Details
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority estimates that between 50,000 and 60,000 people are homeless each night in Los Angeles. The rate of homelessness has increased by 23% in the last year, and more people live below the poverty line in LA than anywhere else in California. The number of people living in adverse conditions is rising, but most remain ill-equipped to deal with dangerous circumstances when they arise.Building Heroes was formed with several goals in mind: to provide the underserved population with the knowledge to recognize and intervene when medical emergency arrises, to help lower the amount of pre-hospital deaths in that community, and to better understand what is an effective way to teach these populations.We work with several low-income clinics and homeless shelters to provide participants and staff with the means to both recognize a medical emergency and respond appropriately so that they protect themselves while helping others. Our classes are tailored to those living on the streets and/or with limited resources. We also offer free American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED certification to both the staff and members of homeless shelters. This not only provides those working at homeless shelters with increased ability to serve those in their care but also helps individuals become more competitive in the job market. We also make sure that participants have the necessary equipment for handling any medical emergencies they might come across. Using scientific literature and recommendations from ER doctors our organization crafts and distributes first aid kits made specifically for those living on the street. Finally, working in conjunction with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health we conduct research on understanding the effectiveness of emergency medicine education in this demographic.
