Other agencies that offer food, shelter to the needy Other agencies that offer food, shelter to the needy (December 03, 2003)

The following agencies also provide food and shelter to those in need. They are not part of the Holiday Fund, so gifts and checks should be sent directly to the organization. All need gifts of money. Most have wish lists that include food, clothing and volunteers.

** Bread of Life EPA serves meals to some 250 people per day, including homeless, families with young children, shut-in seniors, children, working poor, and recently unemployed, four days a week; it also has a clothes closet, and special activities for children. To reach: 1852 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, CA 94303; 326-9797. Send donations to P.O. Box 52070, East Palo Alto, CA 94303.

** Ecumenical Hunger Program provides emergency food, clothing, household essentials, and sometimes financial assistance to families in need, regardless of religious preference, including Christmas baskets for 1,400 households. Special needs at this season include warm clothes and blankets. To reach: 2411 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA 94303; 323-7781; www.ecumenicalhunger.org.

** St. Francis Center helps about 500 families per month with services ranging from food and clothes to showers and laundry; it operates a literacy program, a community garden, and a 24-unit apartment for low-income families; and it provides gifts to almost 500 children at a Christmas party. To reach: Contact Sister Christina Heltsley, St. Francis Center, 101 Buckingham Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063; send donations to P.O. Box 7134; 365-7829; www.stfrancisrwc.org.

** The Urban Ministry of Palo Alto , now a subsidiary of InnVision, provides food, shelter, clothing, care, and counseling to homeless and low-income people on the Midpeninsula. Each year it provides 22,000 free hot meals, 17,000 bags of groceries, and 4,800 nights of housing through a shelter that rotates among Palo Alto churches. Other services include a morning drop-in center, housing referrals, a clothing closet, transportation vouchers, and an emergency assistance program. To reach: Contact Brooke Scharnke, 853-8697. Send donations to P.O. Box 702, Palo Alto, CA 94302; www.umpa.org.

** The Veterans Emergency Social Work Fund meets emergency needs of some 400 or 500 veterans each year at the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital, who are in-patients or out-patients awaiting admission, relocation, or discharge. To reach: Contact Frank Schleifer, Voluntary Services, Veterans Hospital, 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, 94025; 617-2753.

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