New Night Shelter for homeless in the San Fernando Valley

Thanks to the warm hearts of charitable organizations, homeless families will have a clean,  comfortable, and warm place to sleep in the city of Pacoima, California.

The Greater Community Church in collaboration with the organization Hope of the Valley, has launched a night shelter for the homeless,  and It will be up working during the  Winter months, homeless families will also receive supportive services from volunteer professionals who will be on site.

The facilities have an area of about 60 square feet, with a capacity for 100 people, they will also receive nutritious dinner and breakfast,  warm beds linens, and pillows. The Pastor of the Church, Dr. Dudley Chatman explains that all this is made possible by volunteers and donations they received. A team of social workers and volunteers from the Greater Community Church and Esperanza del Valley will also be onsite helping homeless families.

According to Pastor Chatman, the night shelter program began December 11, 2014, and every night is full of people of all ethnicities and ages. Esther R., the 72-year-old Latino woman is one of the first homeless people who benefited from the night shelter, she arrived from Mexico in 2002, her closest relatives died and now she has no family or friends support, Esther’s only friend is her wheelchair which helps her mobilize.

Since the opening of the night shelter, she has been coming every night for a bed, pillow, blanket, and warm food.  A jump in the number of Los Angeles County residents who became homeless in the last two years defied the national trend of a modest decline in the overall homeless population, according to federal estimates. Los Angeles County’s homeless population rose 15% from 2011 to 2013, to  57,737, a total second only to New York City

The night shelter at the Greater Community Church will serve until April of 2015 and is located at 11066 Norris Avenue, in the city of Pacoima, California, It is open from 6:00 pm to 7:00 am.