The Homeless Coalition of San Benito county opened its temporary winter shelter on Nov. 1. The shelter staff have had a maximum of 14 clients staying the night, but the numbers tend to grow as the evenings turn colder and rainier.
Executive Director Cindy Parr-Messina said one of the greatest needs at the homeless shelter right now is donations of warm clothing such as jackets, especially for men.
The agency is one of six that will be partnering with the Community Foundation For San Benito County and the United Way as part of the 12 Days of Giving, which launches Saturday at the Lights On Celebration and ends with a finale on Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tiffany Ford.
Parr-Messina said the needs at the shelter are increasing in terms of more need for mental health and medical services.
“We are waiting to see if we can get an intern from Behavioral Health,” she said, noting that they generally have a counselor visit for an hour a week.
New this year, clients of the homeless shelter will have access to medical and dental services on site. The San Benito Health Foundation has a mobile clinic that will visit the migrant camp on Southside Road, where the homeless shelter leases space from Nov. 1 through the spring.
The shelter still has 19 days available for volunteers who would like to cook and serve food, with some dates available in December through March 31, when the shelter closes for the season.
Parr-Messina said she wanted to recognize the San Benito County’s Sheriff’s department for its continued support of the shelter even with staffing cuts.
“They don’t have as much staff, but they still make the point to make safety checks,” she said.
Birdies for Charity
The Homeless Coalition for San Benito County, along with a few other nonprofits in San Benito County will again be participating in the Monterey Peninsula Foundation’s Birdies for Charities fundraiser. CASA of San Benito, Chamberlain’s Children Center and Pinnacles Partnership in San Benito have signed on for the fundraiser. Nonprofits can still sign up to participate through Dec. 1.
For the fundraiser, nonprofits that are a registered 501(c)(3) can conduct a pledge drive based on the number of birdies made by PGA Tour professionals during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Donors can also make a flat donation. The Monterey Peninsula Foundation will provide a 20 percent match to the soliciting charity for what they raise. The charities can also compete in a closest-to-the-pin competition to earn the opportunity to be represented by one of the teams – the San Francisco 49ers or San Francisco Giants – in the Charity Shoot-Out on Feb. 5 to earn up to $50,000 more. Donors will also be entered into a raffle.
For details on signing up for Birdies for Charity, visit http://www.attpbgolf.com/charity/birdies-for-charity or call Sarah Hayes at 831-649-1533.
