Press Release:

Holiday Event Provides Glasses for Homeless San Franciscans

SF CARES and Project Homeless Connect (PHC) are hosting an event on December 19^th from 12-4pm at Old First Presbyterian Church (1751 Sacramento St near Van Ness) to provide prescription eye glasses and other health opportunities for low income and homeless individuals.   Additional monthly Health and Vision Events will be hosted at Lutheran congregations throughout San Francisco with the goal of giving away 1,200 pairs of prescription glasses by December of 2014. 

"Glasses make it possible for individuals to fill out job and health forms, read for pleasure and tangibly improve their lives," Pastor Megan Rohrer, of SF CARES, remarked, "We hope our event will help people build with a relationship PHC’s Every Day Connect Resource Specialists, who will follow up with participants after the event to help them continue to improve their quality of life."

“Collaborating with like minded partners in caring those who are vulnerable is the common sense means of being effective.  As for us, loving the neighbor in the best way possible is our goal,” said Pastor Daniel Solberg, of SF CARES.  “We are excited to partner with the city, local businesses and other San Franciscans to do our part to help those who are homeless and in need.”

Services expected to be provided include: eye exams and prescription glasses, portraits, free lunch, books and toiletries, flu shots for individuals with Medicare (provided by Walgreen’s), nurses for asking questions and other health related services.

"We hope this project will inspire others to do what they can to help people experiencing homelessness and hunger  in San Francisco," said Emily Cohen, Director of Programs and Project Homeless Connect.

SF CARES is a collaboration of St. Paulus Lutheran Church, The Night Ministry, Welcome and the Faithful Fools Street Ministry; all faithful organization who are working together in order to increase our ability to help the underserved in San Francisco.  We are particularly passionate about providing opportunities, resources and support for individual who are poor, homeless, formerly homeless and experiencing mental health or brain disorder issues.  

Project Homeless Connect’s mission is to connect homeless San Franciscans 
with the care they need to move forward. PHC’s Every Day Connect  works directly with those seeking services, seven days week, 365 days a year. The purpose is to connect those in need with the appropriate providers and hard-to-access resources they need to move forward toward their goals.

Contact Information:
Pastor Daniel Solberg, 415-673-8088, Solberg@saintpaulus.org
Pastor Megan Rohrer, 415-827-2587, megan@welcomeministry.org

Emily Cohen,  855-588-7968, Emily.Cohen@sfdph.org

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Press Release: SF CARES Thanks the City of San Francisco for Hosting LGBTQ Connect

SF CARES thanks the City of San Francisco, Bevan Dufty's Housing, Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement (HOPE) Office and Project Homeless Connect (PHC) for hosting the LGBTQ Connect on October 7, 2013 at the LGBT Center.  LGBTQ Connect will both help LGBTQ individuals continue connecting to services that can help them find more stable housing and provide an opportunities for the organizations who serve the LGBTQ community to work with the Department of Public Health's programs and help expand the continuum of care.

"Many LGBTQ individuals come to San Francisco believing it will be safer and more welcoming than their hometown or families" said Pastor Daniel Solberg, of SF CARES. "Projects like LGBTQ Connect will help to stabilize individuals who underestimate the cost of housing or the costs of their health care and medications, and how long it will take to find a job."

Pastor Megan Rohrer, a transgender member of SF CARES, remarked, "The LGBTQ homeless are undercounted and underserved in San Francisco and we are delighted that this particularly vulnerable population is getting some much needed care and attention."  

Services expected to be provided at LGBTQ Connect include: vision, dental, legal, DMV reduced fee vouchers, STI testing, housing services, employment, youth services, senior services.

"With all the negativity about the homelessness in San Francisco, we want to make sure that people pay attention when something inspiring and hopeful is happening," said Solberg.

SF CARES is a collaboration of St. Paulus Lutheran Church, The Night Ministry, Welcome and the Faithful Fools Street Ministry; all faithful organization who are working together in order to increase our ability to help the underserved in San Francisco.  We are particularly passionate about providing opportunities, resources and support for individual who are poor, homeless, formerly homeless and experiencing mental health or brain disorder issues.  
Related News Links:

• S.F. To Host 1st LGBTQ Connect For Homeless, SF Gate, September 22, 2013.

Contact Information:
Pastor Daniel Solberg, 415-673-8088, Solberg@saintpaulus.org
Pastor Megan Rohrer, 415-827-2587, megan@welcomeministry.org

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Homeless Vision Project Needs Your Support

Support The Project Here

Moved by biblical stories that restore sight and the ways the vision can improve the quality of life, work prospects and health of homeless and low income individuals, the Homeless Vision Project will create vision events in 10 cities across the United States and enable at least 400 individuals to obtain prescription glasses by the end of 2014.

This project not only helps fix a tangible barrier between many individuals and employment, it enables homeless folk to hear "yes" and have a good experience with local service agencies. Often times this helps individuals who have been chronically homeless for a decade to learn about the ways that support systems have approved and accept the help they may have previously rejected.

One of our events will take place on the Big Island of Hawaii where native Hawaiians are 4x's a likely to have diabetes. Our vision care will not only help 40 individuals obtain free prescription glasses, but also screen for ocular diseases and degeneration.

Locations will be chosen based on the need in the area, the ability to partner with congregations and non-profits who will follow up with the individuals after the event, alignment with other programs led by Welcome and the locations of donors (any city or region with donations of $2,000 or more will become a site of a vision event).

Click Here to Support the Project

Vision Event a Success

Reposted from the Project Homeless Connect Blog:

EDC Vision Event

April 4, 2013 · by phcsf · Bookmark the permalink. ·

Photo by Jamey Thomas, 2013

One of the things we’ve been excited about lately is the expansion of services within our Every Day Connect program. With this new program and its growing capacity, we’ve been able to focus our efforts on helping people locate important resources, not only through daily, one-on-one assistance, but through small-scale events. This year, one of the focuses for these small events is vision. At the end of February we were thrilled to collaborate with UCSF, LensCrafters’ OneSight program, and St. Paulus Lutheran Church to provide prescription glasses for 18  participants.
While vision might not be the first thing you think of when you’re imagining critical services for the homeless, it only takes a moment’s reflection to realize just how crucial sight is to so many aspects of our lives. Whether you need to read a lease or government forms, help your children with their homework or perform basic job duties—being able to see is at the forefront of pretty much everything we do.
As Sandra, one of the participants at the Vision Event put it, “I was embarrassed before I got glasses. I always needed help reading things in stores and filling out paperwork. I felt frustrated and misunderstood, like people thought I was stupid.”
With her new pair of glasses, though, Sandra immediately felt more capable and motivated.

I never thought about getting a job [before getting glasses]. But now that I can actually see, I want to do something more with my life. I feel like I can do anything now.

–Sandra, EDC participant

Sandra went on to explain that she plans to take some computer classes to sharpen up her skills and then begin her job search.
This is already the second Vision Event since EDC began in October 2012, and we’re not lacking in ambition for 2013. We know that a pair of glasses truly can change a person’s life, and we’re grateful for all your support as we continue to help people improve their lives.

Volunteers Needed at the Hospitality Hour Program at St. Francis Lutheran Church

 
A partnership of St. Francis Lutheran Church and Welcome in San Francisco, The Hospitality Hour Program serves breakfast every Sunday at 7:30am to the homeless and hungry living in the Casto/Duboce Triangle Neighborhood.  

Why this Meal is Important? 56% of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco do not have enough food to regularly take their medications.  For many HIV+ individuals, their food insecurity are due to limitations on income that are a part of local and state health care requirements.  The Hospitality Hour provides breakfast and hospitality to some of the most vulnerable residents of San Francisco.

How Can You Help? Individual and group volunteers are needed every Saturday from 9:30am-1pm to sort food donations and prep food and every Sunday from 7:30-9:30am to serve food, eat with guests and help us clean up.  You can help once, annually, monthly or weekly.  Let us know your coming or simply join us at St. Francis Lutheran Church (152 Church St.) Volunteers need to push the button marked "parish hall" on the front gate to enter the building.  

Ready to start volunteering?  Email sfcares@welcomeministry.org and let us know you're interested in volunteering at the Hospitality Hour on Saturdays and/or Sundays.

Want to learn more about this and other opportunities to volunteer at SF CARES programs?  Fill our our Volunteer Information Form and will help match you to available opportunities.

Hosts Needed at the Friendship Banquet

A program of St. Paulus Lutheran Church in San Francisco, The Friendship Banquet serves a restaurant quality three-course-meal every Tuesday at 4:30pm to individuals living with HIV/AIDS who make a reservation each week.  

Why this Meal is Important? 56% of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco do not have enough food to regularly take their medications.  For many HIV+ individuals, their food insecurity are due to limitations on income that are a part of local and state health care requirements.  The Friendship Banquet provides restaurant quality meals and hospitality for some of the most vulnerable residents of San Francisco.

How Can You Help? Hosts are needed to prepare a three course meal for about 45 guests.  You can sign up to help once, once a year or once a month.  Groups bring the ingredients and cook or heat prepared food at St. Mark's Lutheran Church (where the meal is served).  If you're interested in hosting a meal, but costs are a barrier, the SF CARES volunteer coordinator can work with you to get many of the ingredients for the meal donated.  

Ready to host a meal and want to set up a date?  Email sfcares@welcomeministry.org and let us know you're interested in hosting a Friendship Banquet.

Want to learn more about this and other opportunities to volunteer at SF CARES programs?  Fill our our Volunteer Information Form and will help match you to available opportunities.

Why Should I Care About SF CARES

Our Vision

SF CARES is a collaboration of St. Paulus Lutheran Church, Night Ministry, Welcome, and the Faithful Fools Street Ministry. All faithful organizations whose hearts are focused both on addressing poverty and all the issues that come along with it and on bringing people together by serving one another in San Francisco.    

  

We are particularly passionate about providing opportunities, resources and support for individuals who are poor, homeless, formerly homeless and experiencing mental health or brain disorder issues.  Among other things, our collaborators grow and distribute fresh produce, feed communal meals to hundreds each month in a variety of venues, advocate for those we serve, accompany and provide pastoral care for thousands of people each year. SF CARES provides support to each of the collaborators by assisting with volunteer recruitment, scheduling, training and nourishment; facilitating the sharing of assets; and providing a framework for the collaborators to assist and support one another.

  

SF CARES offers people the opportunity to explore what kind of service they are being called to do. We have volunteers who live outside and we have volunteers who are rich. People living in the City and the suburbs, youth, seniors and everyone in between serve with SF CARES.

SF CARES helps volunteers find the service opportunities that are right for them. We offer training for the mind and nourishment for the soul to help our volunteers serve to the fullness of their abilities, find fulfillment in the work they do with those we serve, and avoid burnout. SF CARES' philosophy that we all have something to teach and that we all have something to learn, along with our practice of blurring boundaries between those who serve and are served, allows for genuine relationships to form and our volunteers to be blessed by those we serve, even as they offer their own blessing of service.

 

Developing A Heart For Service:

Every Sunday:

• 2p.m., Open Cathedral * Civic Center, (the plaza at Leavenworth @ McAllister) Lunch is offered for anyone who wishes to participate.  Worship attendance is not required to participate in the lunch.

Every Thursday

• 10a.m, 11a.m. Faithful Fools (234 Hyde) Bible Study
• 12:30p.m., 3:30p.m. Faithful Fools (234 Hyde) Write On! Creative Writing Group
• 5:30p.m.,  Open Cathedral Mission, (Mission and 16th St. BART station)

Saturdays

•  9a.m. - 5p.m. Faithful Fools (234 Hyde) Street Retreats, Walk the Tenderloin meditatively with the question of what connects each of us and what holds us apart.  Generally on the third Saturday of the month.
•  3p.m.- 5p.m.Faithful Fools (234 Hyde) Meditation
• 7p.m. Faithful Fools (234 Hyde)Movie Nights Generally the second Saturday of the month.
• 1p.m. every third Saturday, St. Francis Lutheran (152 Church St.) training on how to best serve individuals who suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues.   Please call 415-673-3572 ahead of time to RSVP.

Every Third Saturday:

• 1:00p.m - 3:00p.m. Urban Ministry Training Series (152 Church St) Come join us to learn about a variety of topics to improve the safety and welcome of your urban ministry or program. Everything from maintaining good boundaries to dealing with challenging guests to what is the most helpful menu for your feeding program to nourish your guests and reduce waste.

Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday

•  9:00 a.m. Faithful Fools (234 Hyde) Meditation

Any Night

• 9:45p.m. Night Ministry Walk Around, Come and join the Night Ministers for an evening and experience firsthand the ministry to our lonely, anxious and forgotten sisters and brothers in Christ.  (Call 415-441-0123 in advance to schedule a night walk.) 
• Have a Speaker, Invite a Night Minister or someone from Welcome to come talk about what we do.

 

Volunteers Needed: 

Let us know you are interested in any of these opportunities by filling out the

Volunteer Interest Form

Every Night:

• 10pm - 2am, Crisis Line Counselors, at Night Ministry

Every Tuesday:

• 1-4:30p.m., Servers, Cooks, Dishwashers, Clean up, at the Welcome Center (at Old First Presbyterian Church, 1751 Sacramento St at Van Ness - parking free with validation at the Old First Parking Garage) 
• 2-4p.m., Companions at the Welcome Center (at Old First Presbyterian Church, 1751 Sacramento St at Van Ness - parking free with validation at the Old First Parking Garage).  Companions sit and talk with our guests while they eat. 
• 2-5p.m. Set up, Serving, Clean up, at the Friendship Banquet at St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 1111 O'Farrell.  We also welcome churches and other organizations to sponsor a meal.  Costs range, but usually fall in the $200 - $250 range.

Every Wednesday:

• 10-2p.m. Gardeners, at the Free Farm, (at Eddy and Gough). Everyone is welcome and there are many tasks for people of all skill levels and physical abilities (please note that the site has limited wheelchair access at this time.) A free vegan lunch is offered at each workday except Sundays. 
• 10a.m - 2p.m.Senior Program, (152 Church St), activities, lunch and hospitality for seniors are provided at St. Francis Lutheran Church.  We are looking for people to help serve the meal, to sit and visit with our guests, and to assist them as needed.  We can use kitchen help from 10a.m. until 1p.m.and folks to help clean up from 1p.m. until 2p.m.

Every Thursday

• 5:30p.m. - 6:30p.m. Bring Food for 70to Open Cathedral Mission (Mission and 16th St. BART station)

Every Saturday:

• 9:30am-1:00, Hospitality Hour Preparation, (152 Church St) Food sorting and some prep work.  Come help us sort donated food and do some of the prep work for Sunday's meal.
• 10-2p.m. Gardeners, at the Free Farm, (at Eddy and Gough). Everyone is welcome and there are many tasks for people of all skill levels and physical abilities (please note that the site has limited wheelchair access at this time.) A free vegan lunch is offered at each workday except Sundays. 
• 4-7:30 p.m. [2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month only], Hosts, Servers, Cooks, Dishwashers, Clean up, at the Welcome's Community Dinners (at Old First Presbyterian Church, 1751 Sacramento St at Van Ness - parking free with validation at the Old First Parking Garage).  We also welcome churches and other organizations to sponsor a meal.  Costs range from $200 - $600.

Sundays:

• 7:30am, Hospitality Hour, Hosts,(152 Church St., just up from Market) Servers, Cooks, Dishwashers, Clean upat St. Francis Lutheran's Hospitality Hour.  Just now we are particularly in need of a volunteer to power wash the sidewalk at 9:00am.
•   10a.m. -12p.m. [first Sunday of the month only] Gardening with Temple Emanu-El, at the Free Farm, (at Eddy and Gough). Everyone is welcome and there are many tasks for people of all skill levels and physical abilities (please note that the site has limited wheelchair access at this time.) Lunch is not offered on Sundays.
• 2p.m to 3:30p.m. Bring Lunch for 100to Open Cathedral Civic Center
  (the plaza at Leavenworth @ McAllister)

Let us know you are interested in any of these opportunities by filling out the Volunteer Interest Form

Free Self Care Event - July 20th!

Congregational leaders, ushers, deacons and social ministry volunteers work hard!  In San Francisco,  welcoming all, also means caring for individuals with mental health, addiction and poverty issues.  

Welcome believes that the more care we can give the care givers who are supporting individuals living in poverty, the healthier everyone will be. 

So, on Saturday July 20th from 1-3pm at St. Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco, Welcome will be hosting our first Free Whole Body Self Care Event.  Participants should push the button marked "parish hall" on the gate pictured above to enter the event.

If the event goes well, Welcome will make free whole body care opportunities regular part of our monthly Safely Serving Project.  The July 20th event is made possible by a grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Care Abounds Program. 

Volunteer Interest Form

Mark Your Calendar!

Come join us on May 18^th at 2:00p.m. for a return production of Voices, Voices of Economic Hardship from Generations Past and Present.  Lizann Basham at Front Porch Spirit wrote this amazing piece of reader’s theater in 2011 and it debuted that year.  Last year, she was gracious enough to allow Night Ministry to use the script for a fundraiser and supported the volunteers we had from our Open Cathedral congregation who performed it.  The show was well received and this year we’ll be performing it again as a thank you to the various congregations and organizations who so kindly provide the lunches we serve after Open Cathedral each week.  Once again, we’ll have parishioners from Open Cathedral as our performers.

In addition to the churches that support Open Cathedral, we’d like to invite you to join us.  Don’t miss your chance to hear  this amazing production.  We will take an offering at the end of the show, but there is no admission.    Come support our performers and allow yourself to be both moved and informed by this production.

St.Mark’s Lutheran has kindly donated the hall in their Urban Life Center at 1091 Franklin Street for the performance.   There is parking in the St. Mark’s parking lot at 1111 O’Farrell, with the entrance on Gough St.  A short reception will follow.  Please RSVP here so we know how many goodies to have.

Third Saturday Trainings on How To Do Urban Ministry Well

Do you wonder how military budget cuts and the high rate of homelessness and unemployment amongst veterans can affect your community?  Want to learn what resources you can refer veterans and homeless veterans to in San Francisco?  Or, perhaps you want to know how your congregation can support the work of the VA in supporting homeless veterans.

Come and learn about resources available to veterans in our community as well as have a chance to ask an expert any questions you may have on this topic.  Welcome Ministry continues its third Saturday series on doing urban ministry well on April 20^th with a visit from Chris Windle, an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer with the San Francisco VA.

The Welcome Ministry invites ushers, deacons, social ministry volunteers and anyone who is interested, to join us for our monthly trainings and support gatherings every 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm at St. Francis Lutheran Church (152 Church St).  The first hour we will learn, the second hour we will support each other and learn what is working at other San Francisco congregations.

If you would like to learn more or ensure that you get future updates about these trainings, please contact The Rev. Valerie McEntee at sfcares@welcomeministry.org.

Please RSVP to Valerie if you plan to come so we can be sure to have enough materials.  Please note, you will need to push "Conference Room" on the gate near the Memorial Terrace to be buzzed in when you arrive.

We look forward to seeing you on April 20^th.