Vanessa Graziano

I am the founder of Oceanside Homeless Resource, a nonprofit that helps families and individuals stay off the streets, especially those caught in the in-between while trying to find housing. My journey into this work began with my own lived experience. From 2012 to 2014, I struggled with addiction and homelessness, but in 2015, I graduated from recovery and decided to turn my pain into purpose. I started by making sandwiches with my daughter and dog, dropping them off to people in need around Oceanside. I began volunteering with organizations like Stand Up for Kids, working with youth on the streets, and attending city council meetings to advocate for change. When COVID hit in 2020, I took nearly $100,000 in donations and opened a shelter in a Carlsbad motel, creating an incredible healing community. We raised almost a million dollars through my daily storytelling on social media, showing the community the real faces of homelessness. We later opened a 12-bedroom shared housing facility that brought together seniors, disabled individuals, single moms, and families. I'm also a substance use counselor, recovery coach, and E4 trauma certified coach. I worked as a counselor at the same recovery center where I graduated in 2015, helping about 100 women through their own journeys. Now I'm writing books like 'Invitations to Heal' and 'The Trauma Tumbleweed: Becoming Your One True Love,' creating content and workbooks to help people recognize and heal from their trauma and limiting beliefs. I speak at high schools and colleges, work with the County of San Diego on street medicine, serve on the Continuum of Care Board, and continue to mentor people through social media and personal connections. As a single mom of three, I show up every day to help others remember their strength and become their one true love.