Providing Services to Homeless and Needy Persons
Paso Cares is a nonprofit organization that provides services to the homeless and needy persons in the greater Paso Robles area. Presently, we operate a warming station that provides temporary shelter to the homeless on nights in which rain and/or temperatures 35-40 degrees or less is forecast. We also provide dinner Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. at 2345 Riverside Avenue (City pump station on the southwest corner of Riverside Avenue and 24th Street) in Paso Robles.
Five local churches have offered to host the warming station on different nights of the week, and clients are transported to the churches via Ride-On vans. Persons desiring to stay at the Warming Station MUST be present at Peoples’ Kitchen (2345 Riverside Ave.) by 5 p.m. on any night that the warming station is open. Persons who desire to stay at the Warming Station will be screened for general sobriety, peaceful demeanor, and absence of being listed on the Megan’s Law register.
On December 27, Paso Cares’ storage shed, which is kept at 2345 Riverside Avenue (southwest corner of Riverside Avenue and 24th Street) in Paso Robles, was broken into and several items of supplies for our warming station were stolen. It was necessary to remove the remaining supplies from the shed, as it was no longer secure or weather-proof. Paso Cares had to suspend operation of its warming station until the shed could be replaced with a more-secure storage facility.
On January 8, Paso Cares received the donation of a 20 foot long shipping container, which has been placed at 2345 Riverside Ave. Not only does the shipping container offer a more-secured storage facility for our warming station supplies (sleeping bags, lanterns, tarps, sleeping pads, cleaning supplies, and “blessing bags” – with things like socks, toiletries, and non-perishable healthy snacks), it is large enough to accommodate client’s personal belongings (bicycles and other items), which cannot be taken to the warming station sites. The shipping container was donated by Ritter Construction.
Additionally, in response to local media’s reports of the vandalism of our shed, several people in the community have been very gracious in donating sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, funds and other items to Paso Cares to assist us in our work. Further, we have been graced with many more donations of time to prepare and serve meals and to chaperone at the warming station.
