There are moments in our outreach work that remind me why collaboration really matters, and a recent experience at a Black History Month block party in Bayview was one of those moments.

There, Street Outreach Services (SOS) had the opportunity to partner with UCSF Roving Nurses to provide mobile medical care and with Felton Institute, who hosted the event, in a way that felt both meaningful and overdue. Although SOS launched rapid STI testing services last year with the help of our AmeriCorps member, Emily Jiang, it is still a relatively new service for our program. Being able to offer testing directly from our mobile clinic at this event felt like a real step forward.

On that day, unhoused and marginally housed community members attended the block party for all kinds of reasons. Some came for the food, music, and fun. Some came specifically for rapid testing for Hepatitis C, syphilis, or HIV, while others wanted a quick wellness check or chance to talk through health concerns they had not been able to address anywhere else. Some just needed hygiene kits, which SOS provided, while others connected with UCSF Roving Nurses for vaccinations. For SOS, it was not just about providing accessible health services, but about showing up in a way that felt approachable to the community- as part of a celebratory block party.

What made this possible is the ongoing partnership SOS has with Felton Institute’s Bayview Drop-In Center. The Bayview community continues to face large gaps in accessible health resources because of long-standing inequities, but Felton helps fill that gap. The Drop-In Center is a consistent and trusted space where people can stop in, feel welcomed, and get connected to support. Part of this support includes medical services, coordinated by Felton twice a month, which create regular opportunities for care that might otherwise be out of reach. SOS is a regular part of their onsite medical offerings, on the third Friday of each month, which helps build consistency and trust over time with Drop-In Center guests.

Our SOS partnership with Felton is not new, but it continues to grow. Last year, we worked together on World AIDS Day to provide STI testing and outreach, and that collaboration helped lay the foundation for what we were able to do at the Black History Month block party. Each event builds on the last and strengthens relationships with the Bayview community. Continuing to expand our SOS mobile STI testing services is something we take seriously and are proud of the progress we’ve made so far. We know this work depends on strong community partnerships that help us connect with communities at highest risk.

We’re so grateful to Felton Institute for being a trusted presence in Bayview and coordinating meaningful events that bring people together. And we’re thankful to UCSF’s Roving Nurses for bringing their care and expertise to events like this with us. This is what community health can look like when organizations come together and stay committed to the work- it reminds us what can happen when we’re connected, collaborative, and centered on the people we serve.

Together We’re Stronger