Winter weather can be especially dangerous for homeless individuals and families.
A wide range of programs attempts to meet the continuing need for shelter and food for homeless people in Santa Cruz County.
The Association of Faith Communities (AFC) Leadership Council reestablished the Interfaith Satellite Shelter Program in the winter of 2012. The program was renamed “Faith Community Shelter” in 2014.
Faith Community Shelter currently operates seven (7) nights per week, sheltering up to nineteen people each night of the week. Administration is provided by the board of directors and a “Sponsor’s Group” consisting of representatives of the participating churches. The Sponsor’s Group includes representatives from Calvary Episcopal Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Peace United Church of Christ, Holy Cross Catholic Church, The shrine of St. Joseph Catholic church , Star of the Sea Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley, The Episcopal Church of St. John The Baptist, Resurrection Catholic Community and the Salvation Army.
Faith Community Shelter operates seven nights per week at Peace United Church of Christ, Calvary Episcopal Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, The Star of The Sea Catholic Church, the Shrine of St. Joseph, United Methodist Church, St. Philip Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church of St. John The Baptist, Resurrection Catholic Community, and The Salvation Army. The participating churches provide an evening meal as part of an ongoing community meal or as a special meal for the overnight guests and a take-out breakfast in the morning. Many of the churches prepare meals for the shelter or provide other support services.
In Scotts Valley, meals are provided by St. Phillips, St. Agustine, Covenant Church and Regeneration Church.
The Association of Faith Communities council members represent Community Covenant Church of Scotts Valley, Calvary Episcopal Church, Peace United Church of Christ, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Resurrection Catholic Church, Santa Cruz Revival, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, the Episcopal Church of St. John The Baptist, Twin Lakes Church, Homeless Services Center, Homeless Garden Project, Applied Survey Research, Homeless Persons Legal Project, Oral Histories Project, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Universal Church of Baba’s Kitchen, and other organizations.
Here are additional resources for the homeless.
WINTER SHELTER
Until April 8.
Pick up site: 1220 River Street 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Must be at the pick-up site for entry to the
shelter; no walk ons at the shelter site.) Intake and storage at the pick-up site. Buses will take members to the VFW Hall on 7th Ave., Santa Cruz. Buses will return members to the pick-up site the next morning.
HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER
Homeless Community Resource Center
115B Coral Street, Santa Cruz
A loosely affiliated group of faith-based and secular organizations providing basic food and shelter to people experiencing homelessness. They have evolved into four emergency and transitional housing shelters for nearly 230 people, a medical clinic, and a 12-bed medical respite care facility.
TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS
Paul Lee Loft-Year round shelter for 50 people.
Page Smith Community House-up to 18 months of supportive housing for 40 people.
Rebele Family Shelter provides emergency shelter for 28 households with children.
Recuperative Care Center is a medical respite program for 12 homeless individuals discharged from inpatient stays at local hospitals.
HOMEWARD BOUND provides bus tickets for participants who have verified housing opportunities with family members or employment opportunities somewhere else in the county.
PAJARO RESCUE MISSION
111 Railroad Avenue, Watsonville
831-724-9576
[email protected]
www.teenchallengemontereybay.org/Pajaro_Rescue_Mission/Pajarorescuemission_.htm
Nightly shelter for up to 35 homeless men in a Christian community.
GRACE HARBOR MEN’S HOMELESS SHELTER
104 Grant Avenue, Watsonville
Days/Hours of Phone Service:
831-724-9576: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Nightly shelter for up to 35 homeless men in a Christian community. Dormitory atmosphere, dinner served by Salvation Army,
GRACE HARBOR WOMEN’S and WOMEN WITH CHILDREN HOMELESS SHELTER
Call in advance for availability: 831-288-5699 or 831-722-2074
Nightly shelter for up to 28 homeless women (and limited women with children)
COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES
Encompass Community Services
542 Ocean Street Suite K, Santa Cruz
831-459-0444
RIVER STREET EMERGENCY SHELTER is a 32-bed emergency shelter for homeless adult men and women. Shelter staff work with residents to achieve self-sufficiency goals and connect with community resources for obtaining benefits, physical health services, employment, and housing.
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT:
Casa Pacific is a 12-bed residential program for individuals with mental illness and substance abuse issues.
El Dorado Center (EDC) is a 16-bed, community-based treatment program for individuals in need of intensive residential services. Transition House is a 10-bed crisis residential program for individuals in crisis who are in need of an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization.
2ND STORY
Second Story is a six-bed house which serves as a respite and a voluntary opportunity for individuals to learn to use relationships to move out of old roles and patterns.
SUPPORTED HOUSING:
The Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center (SCCCC) and CFSC, its partner corporation, own and operate over 130 beds in duplexes, apartments, and multi-bedroom homes throughout the County in order to provide stable, permanent, affordable housing for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
THE DOWNTOWN OUTREACH WORKER engages homeless individuals in the downtown Santa Cruz area and connects them to needed resources such as mental health or substance abuse treatment, social services, physical health services, financial benefits, transportation, meals, emergency shelter and longer term housing.
JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH HOME
St. Francis Soup Kitchen
205 Mora St., Santa Cruz
831-459-8046
A shelter for homeless women, children and the terminally ill, www.stfrancissoupkitchen.org
