It’s heartening to see the serious efforts being made by the
city, county and local nonprofit groups to do something to help San
Benito County’s homeless. Particularly when, in the recent past,
the city and county governments took turns pointing the finger at
each other saying it was not their problem. While the politicians
squabbled, grant money that would have kept our homeless out of the
cold dwindled.
It’s heartening to see the serious efforts being made by the city, county and local nonprofit groups to do something to help San Benito County’s homeless. Particularly when, in the recent past, the city and county governments took turns pointing the finger at each other saying it was not their problem. While the politicians squabbled, grant money that would have kept our homeless out of the cold dwindled.
Now, however, in a renewed spirit of cooperation, Supervisor Pat Loe, Hollister City Councilmen Brad Pike and Doug Emerson, and representatives from two nonprofit organizations, Marley Holte Dinners and Fishes and Loaves, are making progress in establishing a temporary winter shelter in the San Benito County by next year.
The Homeless Taskforce last week agreed to form a committee of five people that will be the precursor of a non-profit board which can land grants, reach out to organizations and churches for help and perform the multitude of tasks necessary to set up a working shelter. In addition, the group has tentatively identified the migrant camp on Southside Road as a location for such a shelter.
Now that our leaders are making a solid effort to help the homeless, it’s time for the community to lend its various talents and resources to making the dream of a shelter a reality.
There are challenges ahead. One of the biggest is getting insurance needed to operate a shelter. There is the possibility that the taskforce members can land a grant, but the deadline to do so is looming. Another possibility, Loe says, is a nonprofit with liability insurance volunteering to help. We hope some group will step up.
Whatever your talents and resources, this is your chance to make a big difference for our poorest residents. If you are a member of a nonprofit or church that can lend a hand in operating a shelter, if you are an individual with grant writing skills, or if you have the time to help, please get involved.
Let’s be a community that’s measured by our compassion toward the less fortunate among us.
The Homeless Taskforce will next meet on April 1 at 2pm in the San Benito County Board of Supervisors’ chambers at 481 Fourth Street.
