The Homeless Services Center needs help transporting the homeless from their center at 115 Coral Street in Santa Cruz to the many churches who shelter them nightly and have been doing so since 1985. For 20 years, the Homeless Services Center has provided this transportation, but now — for the third year in a row — they have lost their Federal Emergency Shelter Grant. They can no longer afford the transportation costs, which amount to about $10,000 per month.
The center is appealing to churches and others who have buses and drives and would be willing to donate a bus and driver one or two nights a week to come to their rescue.
Director Rowland Rebele recently wrote the following:
Knowing we have been “serving the least of these,” as our Lord said, has been a blessing to all of us who have been in this program for the past 20 years. We hope and pray that, for the want of nightly transportation, we will not have to give up this vital service. I frankly cannot imagine the hardships we will force on these folks if we have to discontinue the program for lack of transportation to and from the churches.
The Board of Directors of the Homeless Services Center has agreed to fund the program through November 15, but they have decided they absolutely must cease providing the transportation at that time. They have agreed, however, to continue screening the clients nightly to make sure those who board the bus are clean and sober, and they will also continue to provide a monitor to accompany them to the churches and stay with them all night, if they can only find the transportation.
If this need strikes a chord in your heart, why not talk to your pastor to see what your church might be able to do?
For more information, contact the Homeless Services Center at 831.316.5000.
