A lifelong surfer, Sean Geary is happiest in the midst of ocean swells that are bigger than buildings. Perhaps that’s because he understands the delicate balancing act that comes with unexpectedly soaring to incredible heights on top of a wave, only to be crushed by it moments later.
A few days before Christmas in 1994, Geary’s first trip to Mavericks in Half Moon Bay — a popular surf location that is home to some of the biggest and most challenging waves in the world — ended with Geary riding a 20-foot wave on a bodyboard.
“To my knowledge, it was the first time a person bodyboarded out there,” said Geary, showing video footage on YouTube of the iconic moment three decades ago, which an onlooker captured. “The next day, same conditions, same time of day, Mark Foo, one of the top five big-wave surfers, drowned there.”
“They knew that once I was housed, I could maintain it. But the steps were too big for me to take on my own”
It wasn’t until much later that Geary began to understand the high and low tides that ruled his life, when he was diagnosed as being bipolar with ADHD. Geary’s dual diagnosis made it difficult to manage his medications and appointments.
In 2019, at age 51, he slipped into homelessness. The stress of being unhoused exacerbated his condition, according to his case worker, Marina Hernandez, who said that Geary needs routine to thrive. At the time, Geary was employed at a restaurant in San Francisco, but struggled to keep up with the Bay Area’s high rents. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, he lost that job as a result of pandemic closures.
In spite of his own struggles, Geary found purpose in advocating for others in similar predicaments. Two years after losing his job, he became the lead plaintiff of a successful lawsuit against the city of Pacifica that struck down a law that banned RV parking within city limits.
“We scored a lot of wins for low-income Pacificans,” Geary said proudly.
And this summer, Geary managed to end his stint of homelessness. He credits the support he received from staff at the Pacifica Resource Center, who he said not only believed in him, but also helped him access resources that were available to him but that he struggled to navigate while living on the streets.
“They knew that once I was housed, I could maintain it. But the steps were too big for me to take on my own,” said Geary.
The social services organization’s staff helped Geary apply for assistance from the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which works throughout the year to help house, care for and nourish Bay Area residents.
While Geary was eligible for a housing voucher and was even able to secure his own apartment, he did not have the savings to leave behind the RV that he called home in recent years. In July, Season of Sharing helped Geary bridge the gap by providing him funding to cover his security deposit, first month of rent and new furniture for his new apartment in Pacifica. He moved in just a few weeks before his 55th birthday.
“I’m so happy not to be a homeless senior citizen,” he said.
While Geary’s story is not uncommon in the Bay Area, where more than 35,000 people are counted as homeless on any given night, it demonstrates the vulnerabilities of living unhoused and the barriers that many face when it comes to maintaining shelter and housing.
Geary said that people who have not experienced homelessness may not realize how difficult it is to get through a single day.
“Being homeless is expensive. You don’t have refrigeration. You can’t store your leftovers. You have to carry everything around with you. Water itself is heavy. You can’t stay hydrated,” said Geary.
In 2019, at age 51, he slipped into homelessness. The stress of being unhoused exacerbated his condition, according to his case worker, Marina Hernandez, who said that Geary needs routine to thrive. At the time, Geary was employed at a restaurant in San Francisco, but struggled to keep up with the Bay Area’s high rents. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, he lost that job as a result of pandemic closures.
In spite of his own struggles, Geary found purpose in advocating for others in similar predicaments. Two years after losing his job, he became the lead plaintiff of a successful lawsuit against the city of Pacifica that struck down a law that banned RV parking within city limits.
“We scored a lot of wins for low-income Pacificans,” Geary said proudly.
And this summer, Geary managed to end his stint of homelessness. He credits the support he received from staff at the Pacifica Resource Center, who he said not only believed in him, but also helped him access resources that were available to him but that he struggled to navigate while living on the streets.
“They knew that once I was housed, I could maintain it. But the steps were too big for me to take on my own,” said Geary.
The social services organization’s staff helped Geary apply for assistance from the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which works throughout the year to help house, care for and nourish Bay Area residents.
While Geary was eligible for a housing voucher and was even able to secure his own apartment, he did not have the savings to leave behind the RV that he called home in recent years. In July, Season of Sharing helped Geary bridge the gap by providing him funding to cover his security deposit, first month of rent and new furniture for his new apartment in Pacifica. He moved in just a few weeks before his 55th birthday.
“I’m so happy not to be a homeless senior citizen,” he said.
While Geary’s story is not uncommon in the Bay Area, where more than 35,000 people are counted as homeless on any given night, it demonstrates the vulnerabilities of living unhoused and the barriers that many face when it comes to maintaining shelter and housing.
Reach Laura Waxmann: laura.waxmann@sfchronicle.com
At Season of Sharing Fund, we believe that an unexpected financial crisis should never mean losing your home. Preventing homelessness isn’t just kind—it’s also the most effective way to keep our communities thriving. 100% of your donation keeps Bay Area residents housed, cared for and nourished.
