Friends In Deed

Ecumenical Council Pasadena Area Churches

Who We Are

The Pantry

Bad Weather Shelter

The Women’s Room

Homeless Prevention

Other Programs

Ecumenical/Community

Friends and Members

How you can help

Resources

Contact Us

Friends In Deed - ECPAC
A trusted community leader
striving to reduce poverty and homelessness in the Pasadena area.

Who we are

About Friends In Deed • Board of Directors/Staff • Pressroom

Friends In Deed:
Improving the quality of life for low income and homeless individuals and families

In Northwest Pasadena hunger is on the rise, as food and transportation costs increase. Those with limited incomes feel squeezed. With nothing else to cut out of their budgets, families reduce the purchase of food.
• In Northwest Pasadena the median family income is $27,350.
• Forty percent of families with children below 5 years of age live below the federal poverty level.
• 62% of families are among the working poor.
Children, the disabled and the elderly suffer the most when resources are scarce.

Homelessness is another problem in Pasadena. The Official Homeless Count of 2008 in Pasadena found that 983 homeless adults and children live on the streets on a given day.
Because of high rents and other social problems, many fall into homelessness through eviction. One out of 146 people in Pasadena is homeless!

Despite the increasing struggle to get by, low income and homeless Pasadena know they are not without support. They have at their side, Friends In Deed.

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT POVERTY
The purpose of Friends In Deed is to provide basic services to improve the quality of life for low income and homeless people. Under the 501(c) 3 of the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Churches, this church- and community-supported organization responds to the needs of low-income persons in the community.

HOW DO WE BRING ABOUT LONG TERM CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY?

ECPAC/Friends In Deed continually advocates for justice
in the areas of homelessness, housing and other issues affecting those with limited resources. We work together with grassroots and government organizations on
behalf of the members of our community.

WHAT MAKES FRIENDS IN DEED UNIQUE?

Friends In Deed facilitates church and community partnerships to provide coordinated and effective social service to those in need. An outreach of Pasadena churches, Friends In Deed has established relationships with the religious community, other community agencies, business and the government. Our motto is “Doing together what we cannot do alone.”

Board of Directors and Staff

Board of Directors 2008
The Rev. Canon Colville Smythe, President Pro-tem
Jeanette Mann, Vice President, Pasadena City College Trustee
Ed Corser, Treasurer, CFO, Los Angeles County
Rev. Paige Eaves, Pastor, Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church
Katherine Ellis, retired school teacher, Secretary
Elwood Hain, retired Law Professor, Whittier College
Jackie Jacobs, Vice President of Instruction, Pasadena City College
Rev. Marlene Pomeroy, Co-Pastor, First Congregational Church, Pasadena
The Rev. Canon Colville Smythe, retired Episcopal clergy
Walter Wright, Executive Director, Dupree Leadership Center
The Rev. Canon Michael Bamberger, Immediate Past President
Pamela Marx, Attorney, Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc.

Administrative Staff
The Rev. Patricia O’Reilly, Executive Director
Roz Lindstrom, Administrative Assistant

Program Staff
Lauren McGrew, Pantry Coordinator
Araceli Lopez, Homeless Services Coordinator
Jackie Knowles, The Women’s Room, Coordinator
David Kotce, Director, Bad Weather Shelter
Corinne Kershaw, Bookkeeper

Pressroom

Check out the great article about The Women's Room in the
July 24 issue of The Journal!
http://www.pasadenajournal.com/id90.html

July 22, 2008 Pasadena Star News:
The Cupboard is Bare. Lead article
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_9955190

July 14, 2008 Pasadena Star-News
Friends in Deed expands
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_9883066

July 18, 2008 The Pasadena Star News
Check out the scoop on our camp program!
Photo Gallery: Friends In Deed Sends Kids to Camp PASADENA - Twenty- one excited local children left Friday for five days of fun at the Circle V Ranch Camp near Santa Barbara, through a program sponsored by Friends In Deed, which helps needy families in Pasadena. For most of the children - ages 7 to 14 - it was their first opportunity to attend summer camp.
Rosie Cazares, a fifth- grader at Franklin Elementary School in Altadena, said she was "excited" but was unsure of what to expect from her first camping trip. The students will return Wednesday. - Sarah Reingewirtz
(c) 2008 Pasadena Star-News. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.