We Care in Turlock has been awarded a state grant that will allow the organization to open the emergency shelter earlier and stay open longer than in previous years.
We Care was awarded a Housing and Community Development Emergency Solutions Grant in the amount of $166,091. The grant will be used to open the emergency shelter in September and keep it open through May for the next two years, said We Care’s Interim Executive Director Sandy Singh. We Care will open this season on Sept. 15 and close on May 31, 2017.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development provides the grant funding to organizations that address homelessness through a variety of avenues. The grants are awarded for one or two year time periods.
We Care was founded in 2003 by a group of volunteers and has been operating an emergency cold weather shelter for homeless men. Last season We Care gave 7,097 shelter nights to 217 unduplicated guests, Singh said. In addition to the emergency shelter, We Care provides transitional and affordable housing programs for individuals and support services and programs to assist people leave homelessness behind.
While the grant will allow the shelter a prolonged season, the responsibility of feeding the homeless men still falls upon the non-profit agency.
“We are determined to serve dinner every night and encourage local families, businesses and organizations to sign up to serve on our website,” Singh said.
To volunteer to serve dinner at We Care visit wecareturlock.org.