St. Luke’s Episcopal Church – Relief
AreYouANonprofit: Yes
Legal-name: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Previous-name: Jane Gould
Address: 525 E 7th St.
City: Long Beach
State: California
Zip: 90813
Tax-id: 95-1768855
Organizational-status: 501(c)(3)
Url-167: http://stlukeslb.org
Officer: The Rev. Jane Soyster Gould, Rector
Annual: $737,008
ContactName: Jane Gould
Title: Rector
Tel-952: 562-436-4047
SecondaryPhone: 978-886-3757
Email-765: jgould@stlukeslb.org
GrantPurpose: Allow continued operation of St. Luke’s Shower Program during COVID-10 Emergency
TotalCost: $14,150
Requestedamount: $10,000
Periodoftime: April-June, 2020
Audienceserved: unhoused & food insecure
Demoofaudience: 150 for food racially diverse; 30 women mostly Af-Am & Euro-Am for showers; 75 men mostly Af-Am, Euro- Am, Latinx for showers
Numberofserved: 150 food; 105 sign up for clothes & showers; usually provide 75 showers
District: District 1
Funding: Immediately
1. What disaster recovery service have already been provided? : Every Saturday for more than 25 years, St. Luke’s has provided showers, clothes, and food for unhoused adults. Our volunteers have continued to maintain these services within the guidelines of COVID-19 restrictions. The realities of COVID-19 require our using more pre-packaged/ prepared food, our needing more custodial time and supplies, and limiting our available volunteers.
2. What disaster recovery service will be provided by this grant? : The grant will allow us to replace our two water heaters, which are no longer equal to the numbers of people we are serving. For the last several weeks, the three men’s showers have lost hot water repeatedly during the course of the morning. For men sleeping on the streets in our recent cool, wet weather, the discomfort and indignity of a cold shower is unspeakable. Given the numbers needing to take showers, we can’t wait for the water heater to recover. Two new water heaters would allow us to guarantee a steady supply of hot water to the showers. In addition, COVID-19 eliminates our ability to have guests share shower amenities, which means we need to supply an individual amenity kit to each person– toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, disposable razor, comb, deodorant. Also, we need to pay for additional custodial time given the additional requirements arounds laundering towels, and cleaning and disinfecting the courtyards, bathrooms, and showers. Finally, with unhoused people experiencing more limited access to meals and food preparation restrictions transforming for the safety of volunteers and guests, we must use more single serving, prepared foods.
3. What organization and or individuals will you assist? : For food and volunteers, we partner with other churches such as Los Altos UMC LB, St. Francis Episcopal PV, St. Gregory’s Episcopal LB, the Garden, and St. Matthew’s RC LB. However, we have lost 80% of our volunteers because many are over age 65 or provide principle care for an elderly parent. Julie Lie and UCO have always been good thought partners, and now Julie is volunteering with us and helping with blankets. Some young adults connected with COVID-19 neighborhood assistance networks have joined our volunteer corps. Since October, 2019 we have been seeking a corporate partner to fund the two new water heaters but have had no luck. In June, 2019 the Munzer Family Foundation affirmed the importance of our work but said that they prefer to fund “transformative projects” and not charity.
4. What other disaster recovery funds have you received? What amount?: None. We have been in touch with Alma Castro, currently assisting LB Health Department & Homeless Services, who surveyed our needs but has been unable to provide any assistance thus far. We also are working with Southern California Food Bank to see if we might access single serving food that does not require preparation.
5. What other disaster recovery funds have you applied for?: None.
File-BOD: 1585332056-LBCF_BoardofDirectorsStLukes.pdf
File-budget: 1585332056-LBCF_budget_StLukesShowers.pdf
File-ceoletter: 1585332056-LBCF_StLukesSignedLetter.pdf