Costa Mesa homeless advocate passing the torch

A Costa Mesa homeless advocate who helped spearhead several new aid programs announced that she will be leaving her post later this month.

Becks McKeown is stepping down from her role as director of the Trellis Homelessness Initiative on April 15.

Trellis, formerly called the Churches Consortium, is a group of area Christian churches that advocates for the homeless, immigrants and education.

McKeown, a United Kingdom native, began her work with Costa Mesa’s homeless more than five years ago or, as she puts it, “living and breathing homelessness for five and a half years.”

“It’s been a crazy adventure,” she said.

McKeown, who recently married and changed her last name from Heyhoe, helped transform the way Costa Mesa addresses its homeless population. In addition to her work at Trellis, she served on the city’s Homeless Task Force and is now on its Network for Homeless Solutions.

Many well-intentioned people used to hand out food and clothing at parks, McKeown said, but the effort wasn’t effective in the long run. Now it’s “less about charity and more about community development,” she explained.

These days, volunteers are building relationships with the homeless, reconnecting them with their families throughout the United States and sometimes even covering their travel expenses to do so.

McKeown also helped open Trellis’ “check-in center” at The Crossing Church on Newport Boulevard, where the homeless can store their belongings for a time so they can attend job interviews or other appointments.

“That’s been a part of the shift,” she said. “We’ve really educated churches about what’s effective when it comes to homeless issues.”

In her role, McKeown oversaw training programs and various homeless awareness projects, like the “housing first” model that seeks to take the most vulnerable off the streets and move them directly into supportive housing developments.

“It’s been all volunteer-based, which has been crazy,” she said. “Nobody’s paid to do it.”

McKeown isn’t sure how many homeless people she and her army of volunteers have helped. But, she notes, it must be “dozens upon dozens upon dozens ... it’s been incredible to know their stories.”

McKeown joked that she’s been working for a “subprofit,” not a nonprofit. She thanked her supporters for helping her scrape by and cover her basic living expenses.

One of them even cryptically gave her $70. She found it in her freezer.

Ian Stevenson, Trellis’ executive director and a pastor at The Crossing, will be replacing McKeown.

McKeown and her husband said they don’t plan to leave the area. As for what she’s going to do next, she isn’t sure.

“I’m sad to leave,” she said. “I have mixed emotions. It’s been incredible to have been a part of this.”