The Santa Clarita Valley-based homeless shelter, Bridge to Home, is seeking both food and monetary donations to continue its efforts to provide services and feed the population affected by homelessness in SCV.
Amid COVID-19 concerns, the shelter has had some of its fundraising events canceled, which were funds the shelter was relying on to keep the shelter open.
“Our homeless neighbors need a place to stay and be safe off the streets,” Bridge to Home Executive Director Mike Foley said. “We provide that service, so closing is not an option.”
Bridge to Home is a 24-hour homeless shelter that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner to 80 people a day, transitions individuals affected by homelessness into permanent supportive housing and provides other supportive services to this population.
The shelter is following all COVID-19 guidelines from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which screens every person, according to Foley.
In the past, different congregations and organizations have helped serve and pack these meals, but due to COVID-19 concerns, many are choosing to stay home and self-isolate. These meals are provided 100% by volunteers and recently the shelter has begun to experience “holes” in their meal services, according to Foley.
“Any groups who can step up and help provide our meals, we are incredibly grateful,” said Foley. “(Seeking) anyone who has the capacity to provide meals and fill some of these holes.”
On average, it costs about $600 to provide 80 meals each meal period, Foley said.
BTH is also seeking any caterers or restaurants who would be interested in donating food for a meal.
“We would love to have any donations, of any amount, that we can put to a fund to cover and make sure that all the people that we serve have the food that they need,” said Foley.
Donations will also go toward keeping the shelter’s services running.
“Our efforts to provide people with permanent supportive housing and permanent housing are not on hold,” said Foley. “Our case managers and our navigators are continuing their work, and we’re working as rapidly as possible to continue to get people off the streets because that work cannot stop.”
In the height of the pandemic, BTH has been able to provide two families with homes and transitioned a woman into permanent supportive housing, Foley said.
“There’s no other choice, but to stay open,” said Foley. “We need to keep all of our operations going.”
For more information about Bridge to Home or to donate, visit btohome.org.For all local coronavirus-related stories, visit: signalscv.com/2020/03/covid-19-coverage-summary.
