By Mike Kinney
On Saturday, July 22, San Pablo City Councilmember Arturo Cruz and others will host a “Crossroads” event to provide a one-stop shop of services to people experiencing homelessness at Hope Church.
The event will offer free showers, haircuts, care bags, clothing, hot meals and ample resources from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church located at 1860 Tyler St. in San Pablo.
Cruz said the event will also feature employment opportunities, healthcare services, county services for food assistance programs and re-entry programs. People in need can sign up for housing, as well.
“We want to be sure the homeless sign up for housing, so they can focus on their health and finance issues,” Cruz said.
The Councilmember said the plan is to hold a Crossroads event twice per year in West Contra Costa County, rotating to different cities starting in San Pablo and Richmond.
“The organizers of the Crossroads event saw the need to help bridge the gap between homeless individuals and resources to improve their current situation, so we came up with the concept of having a one stop shop event that will provide them with many resources to help them get their lives back on track,” Cruz said.
Organizations participating in Crossroads will include nonprofits that do outreach to the homeless community, such as C.O.R.E. S.O.S, Bay Area Rescue mission, HOPE Church and GRIP.
“We also have support from the City of San Pablo, San Pablo Police department, Supervisor John Gioia, Assembly member Buffy Wicks office, and Congressman John Garamendi,” Cruz said.
