By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
When floods devastated Southeastern San Diego in Jan. 2024, displacing thousands, recovery became a community-driven initiative that continues today. Among those still showing up is JIREH’s mobile health clinic, delivering care and resources to survivors where systemic aid has fallen short.
“Disaster recovery is not straightforward; it is a step-by-step journey with ups and downs and periods of progress coupled by periods of setbacks,” said Samantha Williams, CEO of JIREH Providers Inc.
More than 1,200 residents, many of whom are low-income, were displaced, and almost 5,000 businesses and homes were damaged from a historic atmospheric river that slammed into San Diego. Nearly 250 people were rescued by emergency services from flash flooding. Three storm-related deaths in the county were reported.
As a community-based healthcare provider, Williams says the storm left a “significant and multifaceted” impact on the community’s health, wellness and spirit.
More than a year and a half later, recovery efforts from the disaster are still underway, with up to 300 families still displaced. The prolonged crisis has exposed several holes in how local government responds to disaster, particularly in addressing the needs of marginalized communities.
“Disaster recovery is much more than the city rebuilding streets and homes; it’s helping to rebuild lives, “ Williams emphasized.
From the moment the storm hit, JIREH Clinic has worked side-by-side with survivors for the past 15 months. Going beyond just the quick fixes, Williams’ work through JIREH helps fill the gap and raises awareness of the social, physical, mental, financial, and spiritual aspects of healing from a natural disaster.
About JIREH
Emerging from the pandemic, JIREH has focused its mission on making healthcare resources accessible to marginlized communities. Currently, Black households are 70% more likely than white households to lack insurance coverage, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. For Williams, this disparity fuels her work.
Team JIREH administering clinical services within the community. Photo Courtesy: Samantha Williams
Williams’ vision for JIREH also aims to ease her community’s distrust within the healthcare system, adapting many basic services provided by a standard brick-and-mortar clinic instead to fit an accessible and culturally representative mobile setting.
Services provided include education, vaccinations, testing, preventive care, minor treatment procedures, and referring patients to trusted healthcare options.
Boots on the ground healthcare
Strategic partnerships amplify JIREH’s community impact, especially in crisis. When floods devastated the area, the mobile clinic joined forces with groups like the Southeastern Disaster Response Team and the Jackie Robinson YMCA to address urgent needs.
As donations started coming in through the Jackie Robinson YMCA, JIREH aided in the distribution of those items to flood victims and assisted folks with rides to storm shelters and medical appointments.
JIREH’s efforts also included crisis counseling, medical screenings, resource navigation, supply distributions and disaster case management to flood victims in their time of need.
JIREH’s contributions didn’t stop there. They hosted a series of community wellness events in the hardest hit neighborhoods, such as Shelltown and Southcrest. With three chefs on the team, JIREH was instrumental in distributing home-cooked meals, among other resources, to neighbors in need.
Beyond meals and health resources, the pop-up events aimed to foster community, comfort and hope.
“There are so many stressors related to the other environments displaced victims have been put into—whether it is a hotel, shelter, or a family member’s house. We wanted to give them a sense of peace, even if it was just once per week,” says Williams.
Mental health impacts of the storm
Described as a public health emergency, the storm’s mental and emotional toll was significant, Williams said. The loss of homes, possessions, and in some cases, the loss of loved ones, has resulted in prolonged psychological suffering for some.
“Sometimes when folks look at the flood and they think about what people lost, we don’t often really acknowledge that it was life and death for some folks, and they have been left with a very, very traumatic experience,” said Williams.
Looking back & forwards
Recovery efforts today from JIREH largely entail showing up, checking in to assess changing needs, and ensuring no one impacted feels forgotten or unheard.
“One story that stays with me is visiting a woman who had been displaced with her grandchildren. She shared that for weeks, no one had come to check on her until JIREH knocked on her door. She said, “You made me feel like I wasn’t forgotten.”
“Moments like that remind me that our work is not just about services—it’s about restoring dignity and hope,” said Williams.
Today, Williams says the most urgently needed resources among flood victims are mental health support, housing referrals, and continued access to primary care.
Goals for 2025 entail upgrading their mobile health care vehicle, expanding partnerships with senior recreation centers and other organizations like the Jackie Robinson YMCA, attending more youth health resource events in the community, and getting further involved in the maternal health space.
In a moment when health equity faces unprecedented political and systemic challenges, JIREH says it is tripling down on its mission to deliver truly accessible, culturally responsive care. That commitment, they say, starts with showing up.
