Today we’d like to introduce you to Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share the story with us. Perhaps you can start by giving our readers a brief overview?
Our Mission Statement
Friends in Deed is an interfaith organization that provides supportive services to meet basic human needs, so our homeless and at-risk neighbors can rebuild their lives.
COMPASSION CONNECTION DIGNITY
Our History: Building Bridges in Pasadena for over a Century
“Doing together what we cannot do alone” is Friends In Deed’s vision of its role in Pasadena, with a focus on partnership and collaboration to meet our neighbors’ needs. The collaboration of the people of our member congregations, a foundation for our organization today, began in 1894 when leaders of local congregations came together to build bridges over common issues and community concerns.
1946-Achieved Non-profit Status
The challenges of World War II encouraged new congregations to join and we became a council of local churches. We received nonprofit status in 1946 and are a 501(c)(3) organization. In 1961, a local woman of vision, Mara Moser, looked around the Pasadena community and saw many neighbors in need of food, shelter and support. In her garage, she started the “Friendly Visitors”—a service mission that we soon adopted—to donate clothes and food to those in need. As the program grew, the Pasadena community chose a new name, Friends In Deed. Seeing the growing needs of single mothers, Friendly Visitors formed “The Mothers’ Club” in 1962, which soon became an independent community program.
In 1978, the community built the current Friends In Deed House at the corner of Washington and Los Robles for offices, a clothing program and a food pantry. Known then as the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Churches, in 1988 we expanded our operations to take over Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter. Various homeless service programs including rental assistance, summer camp support for youth, and school supplies for local students have been among our programs.
In 2007, we opened The Women’s Room, an innovative day program serving homeless women. This program provides respite and needed services, including laundry, showers, health check-ups, computer access and classes. We built on these services in 2009, enhancing homelessness prevention as part of our panoply of programs.
In 2010, we expanded our partnership with local congregations to become interfaith. As we build bridges across communities of faith, we see more work to be done in the greater Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley area.
With our dedicated staff leveraging the volunteer efforts of many community members, we will continue working together to accomplish what cannot be done alone, bridging the gap between those in need and the resources needed to meet those needs.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Since we are 126 years old, there have been struggles along the way! We have undergone many different transitions as an agency, from being a very small, clergy run nonprofit to now operating as a million-dollar organization serving thousands of people are year. We have worked through financial challenges, leadership transitions, growth in the homeless and at-risk populations. Through it all, we have been supported by amazing volunteers, a dedicated staff, congregations and community partners. We are very grateful to be able to serve our community in such a meaningful way.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
FRIENDS IN DEED PROGRAMS AND STORIES
Friends In Deed is 126 years old. We have been serving the homeless and most vulnerable members of our Pasadena community since 1894. We provide five main programs, all of which incorporate our mission of compassion, connection and dignity.
The Food Pantry, which operates like a small market, allows an average of 350 households a week to “shop” for the foods that they and their families will enjoy. We don’t give them a bag of food, but rather allow them to choose for themselves, always offering as much fresh fruits and vegetables as we can. Thanks to community partnerships with LA Regional Food Bank Trader Joe’s, Grocery Outlet, farmers markets, Food Forward and hundreds of volunteer food drives, our pantry is stocked with healthy foods each week.
The Women’s Room is a signature program of FID, providing a day refuge for homeless and at-risk women in a safe and welcoming community. We serve an average of 25-35 women daily, most of whom are seniors, offering them the dignity of a shower, laundry services, meals and support. We offer a variety of classes, opportunities for art and other creative outlets, case management, field trips and many community professionals volunteering to provide manicures, haircuts, massage, therapy and chiropractic services, just to name a few. It is truly a life-saving place for many of the women.
From the day after Thanksgiving until March 1, we run a Bad Weather Shelter, providing a warm meal and safe place to sleep for over 100 chronically homeless individuals a night. We partner with the Pasadena Covenant Church and are weather activated—meaning we are open when it will be 40ish degrees or raining, from 8pm-7am.
Our Homeless Prevention Program provides short and medium-term rental assistance for those people facing eviction. There are thousands of people one paycheck away from becoming homeless. We offer case management, life-skills and financial assistance to try and keep people housed. In the past year, we have kept nearly 30 people from being evicted.
Our Street Outreach and Housing Location program is our newest, beginning in 2018. Our team spends their days on the streets, engaging and building relationships with some of the most chronic and difficult individuals, hopefully convincing them to accept services that can lead to housing. Our Housing Locator is spending his day seeking out landlords and trying to find units to offer those individuals ready to be housed. We have successfully housed 20 people in the past year.
Two Success Stories
David is a hard worker, someone who likes to help out however he can, fixing broken windows, painting old walls, gardening around the house, whatever needs doing David is your man. That all changed when he sustained a back injury at his job of over 20 years. Suddenly David found himself unable to work, with doctors telling him he wasn’t likely to ever be able to hold down a manual labor job ever again. Fast forward over a year and David is close to receiving a settlement from his employer but, in the meantime, is on the cusp of being homeless. He came to Friends In Deed after receiving an eviction notice at his apartment complex and, having already used up his savings to get by, was unable to pay it and afraid he would soon be out on the street. Friends In Deed is working with David to make sure he can stay in his home until his settlement is resolved and he can once again support himself.
Ms. Rosemary has been coming to The Women’s Room regularly. She is in her eighties and has been living in her car. She was abandoned as a child and spent her earlier years in an orphanage, and then bouncing from foster home to foster home. She eventually ran away and ended up in LA. After her husband died, and after years of working in banking, she became a home-health aide, living in-house with her clients. When her last client died, she found herself without enough resources and homeless. She is the kindest and sweetest lady, never complains, always has a smile on her face. Thanks to the work of The Women’s Room staff, I am thrilled to say that Rosemary is now housed in a women’s only shared living townhouse in Pasadena. She moved in last week, also with tears in her eyes.
We have many other large success stories like these, and also smaller ones, where a person feels loved, cared for and gets basic daily needs met. For the large and the small, working hand-in-hand with our hundreds of volunteers, we are truly “doing together what we cannot do alone.” We would love for all of you to visit Friends In Deed and see firsthand the difference we are making in people’s lives. Thank you!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The success of Friends In Deed is due primarily to the amazing staff, dedicated volunteers, an active board of directors and community support. Personally, I am grateful to the many mentors and colleagues that helped me to guide our organization in a successful direction, both within the Pasadena community and my larger network. There are too many to name.
Contact Info:
- Address: 444 East Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104 - Website: www.friendsindeedpas.org
- Phone: 626-797-2402
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fid_pasadena/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsInDeedPasadena
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fid_pasadena?lang=en
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