San Luis Obispo church gives more than $50,000 to homeless center project

Members of Mountainbrook Community Church in San Luis Obispo have donated $50,643 toward the future Homeless Services Center at 40 Prado Road, further reducing the amount of money needed to construct the 20,000-square-foot facility.

The Homeless Foundation of San Luis Obispo County, which is raising money for the project, needs about $400,000 more to build the center, said Jim Famalette, chief operating officer of the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, which will operate the facility.

A ceremonial groundbreaking is being planned for Nov. 2 at the site. Construction could start by the end of the year on the center, which will consolidate homelessness services in the city of San Luis Obispo and double the number of beds available in the city, replacing the Prado Day Center and the 49-bed Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter.

John Spatafore, board president of the Homeless Foundation, said about 80 percent of the money to build the approximately $4.4 million center has come from the community, with the rest coming from the city and county.

Mountainbrook staff have historically given to global projects but felt compelled this year to look for needs in the community, according to a news release from the church. The donation was likely the largest single offering the church has ever made, Executive Pastor Jon Schliep said.

“I think part of what excited our congregation the most was the fact that this could be an ongoing relationship (with 40 Prado),” Schliep said. “We’re trying to get this completed really so we can continue to partner and continue to find ways for people to serve the people in need in our community.”

The church congregation learned more about the need during a June service. The $50,643 raised by the congregation was matched with money from a $250,000 donation from an anonymous donor, which was announced in May. “We were blown away,” Famalette said of their donation.

Plans call for a single-story facility with a kitchen, laundry facilities, showers, lockers and storage, a classroom for children and community rooms. Separate dorms for men, women and families will be built, with space to accommodate up to 150 beds if needed.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided, as well as case management, mental health counseling and drug and alcohol services. To learn more, go to www.40prado.org.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "San Luis Obispo church gives more than $50,000 to homeless center project."