LAKEPORT, Calif. – This season Hope Harbor Lake Ministerial Association Warming Center opened Dec. 10.
As of Jan. 9, the first full month, they have served 44 individuals. Fourteen of their guests are women and 30 are men. The youngest is 23 and so far the eldest is 66.
Eight have self-identified as veterans. All eight veterans have asked for assistance with additional referrals.
Twenty-two other guests have also asked for referral assistance.
The center has received three guests direct discharged from local hospitals and several guests with mental health barriers.
In the first month they have helped four guests obtain California identification cards. They also have helped two guests obtain medical appointments and medication refills.
They found part-time temporary work for one guest so far and are working to connect two guests with family in other states. Four guests have asked for help in obtaining a primary care physician.
The longest any of our guests have lived in Lake County is 50 years. Fifty percent of the guests have lived in Lake County for more than 10 years, 61 percent have lived here for five years or longer with the average residency in Lake County being 14.2 years.
The number of guests on any single night has ranged from 3 to 14. The center can accommodate up to 24. Center staff has a variety of theories as to why they numbers have not reached capacity and they anticipate a clearer picture will take shape as a result of the 2019 Lake County Continuum of Care for the Homeless Point In Time Count, which took place on Tuesday.
The center has 37 volunteers actively serving at Hope Harbor, with others behind the scenes, plus four interns and four employees. Among these 45 men and women, seven have self-disclosed that one reason they serve at Hope Harbor Warming Center is because they have been homeless before and this is a way to give back.
One aspect of hospitality and community building is that guests, volunteers and employees all eat dinner together. Each night they have served between 10 and 25 meals.
Partner agencies include: Worldwide Healing Hands and the Lake County Health Department, which provided basic medical checks for guests as well as free flu shots; Project Restoration, which supports the internship program and two hospitals: Adventist Health Clear Lake and Sutter Lakeside Hospital, which have each committed to funding assistance.
Kelseyville United Methodist Church is the center’s fiscal sponsor, managing payroll, donations and taxes.
Lake Transit is providing bus passes to and from the warming center to any location within Lake County.
New Hope Fellowship is this season’s host and while they have more than a dozen churches participating in one way or another, New Hope has the single largest number of volunteers from any one church or agency.
Four restaurants provide food on a regular basis: Park Place, O’Meara’s, Judy’s Junction and Rosie’s Catering.
Center staff also reported that they have received word that for the first time they will receive a Continuum of Care grant allocation in April.
April is the end of the center’s season and the grant will help with the year round work and startup funds for next year.
The center is currently running under budget but it also is running lower on funding than they have been at this point in previous years.
Center staff reported that they need approximately $25,000 to be adequately funded through the end of April.
Donations can be sent to Kelseyville UMC at P.O. Box 446, Kelseyville CA 95451 with Hope Harbor on the memo line.
For more information on Hope Harbor Warming Center please call Director Michael Kimbell-Auth at 707-533-0522.
Hope Harbor Warming Center reports on services offered this winter season
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