News - Local - South County

Friday, Jun. 20, 2008

Some homeless people afraid they may have to resort to stealing and scavenging if People's Kitchen doesn't find new home soon

People’s Kitchen in Grover Beach seeks a new space from which to serve the homeless population

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If it weren’t for People’s Kitchen in Grover Beach, Andrew Bassett said, he and other homeless people in the South County would be stealing, digging in trash cans and picking fruit off plants from neighborhood yards to eat.

That’s why the 49-year-old is holding out hope that the nonprofit organization that feeds the homeless seven days a week finds a new home and continues to operate as it has for about 20 years.

It’s unclear whether that will happen, though. The group now has to vacate its temporary home at the end of July and doesn’t know where it might land.

“Something like this protects us,” Bassett said. “Having a place indoors keeps people warm in bad weather. And these meals have saved my life.”

People’s Kitchen provides meals for 50 to 100 people from noon to 1 p. m. daily. The group served meals at Central Coast Baptist church on South Ninth Street for 13 years until 2005.

It then moved to the Grover Beach Assembly of God church on Rockaway Avenue, where it stayed for two years. But in 2007, neighbor complaints about loitering and alleged drug crimes at the site prompted the city to push the group out of the church.

The county agreed in February to lease a facility at 16th Street and Longbranch Avenue in Grover Beach to People’s Kitchen for $500 per month for three to six months. County Supervisor Jerry Lenthall allocated money from his community project fund to cover the rent for the organization.

But the county now intends to renovate the building to use for office space.

People’s Kitchen received an extension this week on its move-out date from the county- owned building. It has until July 31 instead of July 6.

The nonprofit group likely won’t shut down its volunteer meal service. But it could be forced to operate outdoors in public parks if it can’t find a new building, organizers said.

“We’re still looking, and we hope something comes through,” said Betsy Ehrler, a program coordinator. “Having a nice, warm place that’s indoors provides a safe haven for people for at least an hour during their day.”

As People’s Kitchen continues its search for a new home, South County government leaders continue their efforts to build a large-scale resource center for homeless people.

“In the short term, we need to find a location for the People’s Kitchen, and we’re trying to work on something more permanent for a resource center,” Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals said.

In February, leaders from Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach and Oceano — and Supervisors Lenthall and Katcho Achadjian, who represent the South County — held a meeting to discuss ideas for a center in the South County where the homeless could find shelter, food, and mail and phone services.

A group of service providers and churches are still working on coming up with possible sites before a second meeting is scheduled.