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InnVision, which operates the Urban Ministry outreach program for homeless people in Palo Alto, along with a winter shelter that rotates among area churches, two local food programs and a shelter with 60 beds in Menlo Park, must raise $500,000 by Dec. 31 to continue operating some of those programs.
“We know we have to raise $500,000 and it’s not looking good,” Christine Burroughs, InnVision’s CEO, said. “Because of the economy, people are giving less.”
About half of InnVision’s revenue comes from donations from individuals and corporations.
The Clara-Mateo Alliance Shelter, located in a building on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Menlo Park, will most likely have to suspend services, Burroughs said. The shelter has 60 beds for individuals and families with children.
“We’ll eventually have to move from the VA regardless, because of the lease costs,” Burroughs said.
The agency is also looking at reducing its services at the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto, where its staff provide services to the local homeless population. The winter-shelter program that rotates among churches and the food programs are mainly staffed by volunteers and likely won’t be affected, Burroughs added.
The financial crisis for InnVision comes at a time when the demand for its services is increasing, Burroughs said, because of the number of families who have lost their homes. The Santa Clara County-based agency has provided shelter and services to 20,000 people so far in 2008, which is 4,000 more than last year.
The Palo Alto and Menlo Park programs serve about 3,000 people a year.
The Opportunity Center in Palo Alto, which has 88 low-cost apartments for formerly homeless people, was hailed as a great success when it opened in September 2006 and was supported with grants from Palo Alto and other local governments. But ongoing support for the center “has not materialized as hoped,” according to Burroughs.
People wishing to donate to InnVision can do so via the agency’s website at www.InnVision.org or by calling Burroughs at 408-213-5170.
