August 25, 2020 newsletter

Dear Friends of Harbor House,
Who could have predicted the year we are experiencing?
The global pandemic has affected so many people in so many different ways. Our local homeless are struggling to survive the pandemic and the now the heat. The elderly and those who are medically compromised are being housed at a local motel and the County is covering the cost. We are very grateful to the State of California for the funds to do this.
In addition, Harbor House has been housing several other homeless who do not qualify for the County program but need a bed for a night or two due to the heat, illness, surgery, or if there are children involved.
I am sure many of you read about the local homeless woman who walked onto the 23 freeway in the early morning hours on Thursday, August 20. She posted on social media her intention to take her own life and she succeeded in killing herself that morning. Her sad death highlights for all of us the need for mental health services for those who are suffering. She was a tortured soul and many in our community tried for years to support her.
Another of the current needs in our community is for rental assistance for those families that have lost their employment and income and cannot pay their bills. The very first priority in fighting homelessness is keeping people who are housed in their homes. The families who have lost their jobs and their income are our neighbors. They have served us in restaurants, bagged our groceries, cleaned our houses, and babysat our children. Some owned businesses that have shut down.
These are troubled times. We pray for peace in our community and in our country. We pray for an end to hatred and racism. We pray for those who are suffering most in our world and for mercy on the part of those in leadership. No matter what the news tells us, or the polls, or homeless counts, I have no doubt that in God’s mind man is heading somewhere.
We need your contributions now more than ever. None of the important work we do every day could be done without the amazing support and unmatched generosity of this wonderful community.
Gratefully,
Denise Cortes
Director
Harbor House
dcortes@harborhouseto.org


“We seek a compassion that stands in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgement at how they carry it.”                                                                                                Fr. Greg Boyle