Friends in Deed
"Doing Together What We Cannot Do Alone"
Friends of The Bad Weather Shelter
DEAR FRIEND:
My name is Rebecca Huang, and I am a high school senior. One night over dinner, my dad, who works for the City of Pasadena, was telling me about Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter, which offers homeless a warm meal and a place to sleep during the harshest times of the year. I had never known that such a program for the homeless existed, but thought it sounded like an excellent and essential one. But my dad also informed me that due to budget cuts, the city was not going to be able to fund the shelter after this year. The knowledge that the shelter would not be able to continue operation unless another source of funding was found bothered me. That night, my dad and I began thinking about how to launch the Friends of the Bad Weather Shelter, a campaign to raise money for Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter. This campaign is why I am now appealing to you for assistance.
Although southern California is known for its great weather, it does not always have such beautiful days. On two consecutive weekends in the winter of 1986-1987, the weather was so extreme that nine homeless people died in Los Angeles County, including one in Pasadena’s Memorial Park. These tragic deaths caused a strong outcry and prompted the founding of Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter, which is run by the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Congregations (ECPAC).
Operating the shelter, however, is a costly endeavor even with donated food and volunteer labor. Federal funds and private donations supply the shelter with some money, but the City of Pasadena provides more than half of the funding. Unfortunately, the city will be unable to continue funding the shelter very shortly. In order to prevent needless suffering and even deaths, the shelter must be kept running. The goal of the Friends of the Bad Weather Shelter campaign is to find “friends” to donate each year to make up for the $60,000 the city used to contribute annually.
I am asking you to please help alleviate suffering and prevent hypothermia-related deaths by becoming a friend of the Bad Weather Shelter. Make your donation online. Thank you for making your community a better place!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Huang
Letter from Pasadena Mayor, Bill Bogaard
Letter from Rev. Patricia O'Reilly, ECPAC Executive Director
Winter shelter funding in doubt (Pasadena Sun)
Suggested donation:
Business Friend: $600 a year.
Individuals - Suggested donation levels: $500, $250, $100, $50 per year.
You can also mail your check to ECPAC
Post Office Box 41125
Pasadena, CA 91114
earmarked FBWS.
How does the Bad Weather Shelter operate?
Homeless families and individuals are:
- Registered,
- Given a hot meal, and
- Either spend the night in the
Pasadena Covenant Church
(individuals) or are taken to other nearby churches for the night (families)
When is the Bad Weather Shelter in operation?
Every night:
January-February
Weather-activated:
day after Thanksgiving-December March 1-15
How much does it cost to run the shelter?
About $110,000 per year
What is the money used for?
-Homeless services tracking software,-staff,
-cleaning,
-transportation,
-food
What is the current need?
100 businesses or individuals to donate $600 per year to supplement existing federal funds and private donations.
Why is it important to keep the shelter going?
There are 1,216 homeless adults and children in Pasadena on any given day.
The number of Pasadena’s homeless has increased by 7% compared to the 2010 count.
Of the 1, 216 homeless, only 20% are in shelters or transitional housing programs, leaving 80% out on the streets, subject to harsh weather conditions.
Homeless people died of hypothermia during the winter of 1986-1987