It’s the busiest time of year for Melissa Recore and her colleagues at UMass Memorial Health's Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Project.
"Not having your basic needs met, not knowing where you can sleep that night, whether you'll be safe, that impacts your mental health," said Recore, who serves as the associate vice president of access for UMass Memorial Health's Community Healthlink. "So, we're also seeing that trickle in among our emergency services teams too, with individuals that are homeless, feeling hopeless and stuck."