Alamedans are justifiably proud of the good work done by the Alameda Warming Shelter. The shelter, which is open from December through March, provides a safe place to sleep, as well as meals for Alameda’s unsheltered. The primary host site since 2019 is Christ Episcopal Church (CEC), which houses the shelter in their parish hall at the corner of Santa Clara Avenue and Grand Street.
In that same space, CEC also provides a year-round Shower Program that serves the unhoused. On Sunday afternoons, those in need can take a hot shower — soap, shampoo, conditioner and clean towels are provided, and participants receive new underwear, socks, and personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, and more.
Originally, the Shower Program was available from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays, and typically served about 16 guests, but as demand grew, those hours have expanded, with up to 28 guests taking advantage of a 15-minute shower. Even with that expansion, some people must be turned away. It’s a simple math problem. Two showers are available at a time. Fifteen minutes per person. That’s eight guests per hour, meaning it takes over three hours to serve 28 individuals.
Reverend Stephen McHale noted the increased demand, and in a recent social media post, laid out a plan to expand this vital service.
“Lately we can’t keep up with the crowds of nearly 30 folks, so we plan to build a third shower in our Parish Hall. Laundry is also a real challenge for this community, so we’re building two commercial laundry units as well.”
The Warming Shelter receives funding from the City of Alameda, and utilizes employees from Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco. The Shower Program relies entirely on volunteer staffing from both inside and outside the CEC congregation, and is completely funded by CEC. So, as you can imagine, the $35,000 dollars needed to complete the expansion project is a bit of a heavy lift. So Rev. McHale and CEC are looking to the community to help finish the fundraising.
“We’ve raised $20,000 to cover the cost of construction so far, but we estimate that we’ll need $15,000 more,” he said. “We’re looking to the community to close the gap. If you’re in a position to support this project, please go to Give to Christ Church online, select ‘Give to Homeless Ministries’ and put ‘Shower Project’ in the memo.”
If you’d like to donate supplies, CEC has a wish list that you can help to fulfill. You’ll find needed items and links on their Homeless Ministries web page.
The shower program is always in need of volunteers. If you can spare three to four hours one Sunday a month, you can really make a difference. For more information, please email [email protected].
I’ve been volunteering at the Shower Program once a month for about a year and a half. There’s no proselytizing, no evangelizing. Just folks lending a helping hand. Three hours a month makes a huge impact — not just on those being served, but on those serving as well. Hope to see you there.
Scott Piehler hosts and produces Alameda’s only weekly news digest podcast, the Alameda PostCast. Reach him at [email protected].
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