A San Jose shop owner has discovered that for the unhoused, a bicycle isn't just a reliable way of getting around; it can be a lifeline for a fresh start. As a kid, Jim Gardner would take apart a bicycle and put it back together for fun. Today, that skill helps create a cycle of hope. "I've seen magical, magical things happen," he said. It all started when Gardner was navigating a rough patch in life. With a physics doctorate and two engineering degrees, he had worked in nanotechnology and...

A local nonprofit that helps the families of critically sick children, is asking for some help of their own.      There With Care says they're dealing with a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources. And they're hopeful some generous donations will keep them from needing to cut back.   What they're saying:    Since July, 6-year-old Postino Ware Junior and his dad have been at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital hoping for a new heart.   "We're here waiting. He's been added to the list....

A startling trend has hit Santa Clara County over the past two years - more people have fallen into homelessness  for the first time and can’t find a way out. Santa Clara County’s  2025 point-in-time count  found 4,650 people have been homeless for a year or longer, with a disabling condition that makes maintaining work or housing difficult, known as chronic homelessness. That’s a 21% increase from 2023, when there were 3,833 chronically homeless residents county-wide. The county  surveyed...