Press Release | City of San Diego

Military Supports City’s Winter Shelter Program
Donation of 2,500 Blankets Warms the Hearts and Bodies of Shelter Residents

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego’s Winter Shelter Program today received a supply of 2,500 military blankets from the U.S. Department of Defense. The blankets arrived just in time to help warm occupants of the winter shelters during the last few weeks of the program’s operation.

The donation of blankets comes following a proposal made one year ago by the Uptown Faith Community Center to the U.S. Department of Defense. The Center’s proposal also included a request for blankets for the City’s Winter Shelter Program. The federal government notified the Center, and subsequently the City, last week that the proposal was accepted. Each of the Program’s shelters will receive enough blankets to accommodate shelter residents. A surplus of blankets is anticipated and will be offered to other homeless services providers or stored and used during the next season.

“The generous donation of blankets from the Department of Defense will provide shelter residents with an added comfort for the remainder of this year’s program and for many years to come,” said Sharon Johnson, the City of San Diego’s new homeless services program administrator. “This gift reminds us that the success of the City’s Winter Shelter Program is based largely on grants and contributions from public and private agencies, as well as the generosity of our citizens.”

The Winter Shelter Program provides food, shelter and social services including medical and mental health care to 450 homeless San Diegans each night during the coldest months of winter. This year the programs are located at three sites, each with its own social service operator.

• Vietnam Veterans of San Diego is serving 150 veterans in the Midway/Sports Arena area.

• Alpha Project for the Homeless serves 200 single adults on Newton Avenue and 16^th Street.

• The San Diego Rescue Mission serves up to 100 women and children in the emergency overflow facility located at 1150 J Street.

The City of San Diego also oversees the Cortez Hill Family Center, its first year-round transitional housing facility for homeless families in the downtown area. Operated by the YWCA, Cortez Hill provides a full range of services, including case management, as well as offering homeless families temporary housing for up to 120 days. The Center can serve 150 family members, usually consisting of mostly women and children, in 47 rooms and has been operating at capacity since opening in December 2002. Prior to the opening of Cortez Hill, the transitional housing program had been operating out of a vacant retail outlet on 12^th Avenue and Broadway for a year.

During the first 30 days of this season’s shelter operation, 312 veteran clients were housed at the Midway/Sports Arena location, 334 single men and women were provided shelter at the Newton site, and 129 women and children were provided emergency shelter. Additionally, 227 family members have stayed in transitional housing at the Cortez Hill Family Center to date.

In addition to the program operators, the City and the County’s Health and Human Services Agency, along with a number of other agencies, have provided more than 300 hours of supportive services. These services include medical and mental health care, employment and housing fairs, and substance abuse programs. There have also been various donations of clothing, books, hygiene products, and personal care items from the community.

The 2002-2003 Winter Shelter Program marks the 16^th consecutive year the City of San Diego has assisted the homeless community during the coldest months of winter. This year’s program began on Friday, December 13, with the opening of the 150-bed shelter for homeless male veterans in the Midway District.

To find out how to make contributions or volunteer to help the homeless in San Diego, visit htttp://www.sandiego.gov/homeless-services/providers.shtml for a list of homeless service providers in the area. For additional information on the City's Homeless Services Program, visit the City's web site at www.sandiego.gov or contact the Community and Economic Development Department at (619) 533-4233.

With an emphasis on the City’s urban core neighborhoods and low and moderate income residents, the City of San Diego’s Community and Economic Development Department strives to improve the quality of life and ensure a healthy economy in San Diego through job development, business development, neighborhood revitalization, public improvements, redevelopment, social services, and revenue enhancement.

Community & Economic Development