Ken Williams walked the streets of Santa Barbara for more than three decades, reaching out to the poor and the marginalized in our community. He did this long before street medicine was a buzzword and before multiple agencies began looking into the causes of chronic homelessness. Ken provided comfort and compassion to a part of society that many choose not to acknowledge.
I met Ken in 2004 at Casa Esperanza. It was easy to see that he was the guy who understood the system of social services better than anyone. Ken was skilled at helping individuals obtain Social Security and thus secure income in order to obtain housing. Many of the people he helped were veterans, for whom he had a deep concern, as he himself was a veteran. I think it’s safe to say that his time in Vietnam dictated his long and successful career as a social worker in Santa Barbara.
Since his death on June 10, 2018, social media has been buzzing with accolades to Ken and the work he accomplished. What I hear over and over from his colleagues is that “Ken taught me so much.” Ken’s fortitude and firm passion for social justice defined his work. Never did I witness him lose his cool or become angry with his clients.
