Stockton Shelter for the Homeless Saved!

Photo by Zak Baker

St. Mary’s Dining Room assumes operational responsibility for the Shelter for the Homeless.

The city's ongoing housing crisis opened a new chapter last month as city and county leaders met with members of the press and public to address concerns regarding the potential closure of the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless. City manager Harry Black took to the podium first and laid out a basic timeline of events. Mayor Kevin Lincoln and Robert Rickman, chairman of the county board of supervisors, followed him closely and expressed their confidence that the city would resolve the issue despite Harry Black describing the situation as “fluid.” 

Around July 18, the city was alerted by the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless that they would cease operations on or around August 15th. City leaders declared a state of emergency on July 31st and then rushed to brainstorm several contingencies; the most promising one involved St. Mary’s Dining Room simply taking over operations at the Shelter. However, this plan seemingly did not come without pitfalls. According to Harry Black, the shelter is leased from the city, and The Stockton Shelter for the Homeless must agree to sign the lease to St. Mary’s Dining Room. At the time of writing, they are reportedly refusing to agree with the city's terms, redlining the contract in ways described by Harry Black as “not acceptable” and “completely unrelated to the matter at hand.” 

After several weeks of back and forth, the city and the two charities seemingly arrived at an agreement. The Stockton Shelter for the Homeless agreed to vacate the premises by August 15th, and the city’s fears that the situation may devolve into a protracted legal battle were abated. St. Mary’s Dining Room will now operate the shelter going forward, ensuring that the 250 individuals served by the shelter are not left out in the heat. 

While many allegations have been thrown back and forth by all parties involved, the two charities and the city were able to set aside their differences and continue to provide essential services to those who need them most. In this spirit of cooperation, we contacted the Volunteer Center on campus to learn how you, the Pacific student, can help fight the housing crisis. Volunteer Specialist Jessica Serrano Sotelo was extremely helpful and explained how to get involved.

 If you are the leader of a Registered Student Organization or a Greek Organization and want to schedule an event for your group, the Volunteer Center can help coordinate that. If you want to lend a hand, the Volunteer Center has launched the One Bus, One Cause initiative. This program allows students without vehicles, or those who prefer not to drive, to contribute their time and effort by removing the transportation barrier. Upcoming One Bus, One Cause events include a volunteer opportunity with the Black Urban Farm Association on September 29th.  

For those looking to donate directly to St. Mary’s Dining Room, College Corps is conducting an underwear drive with drop-off locations all across Pacific’s Stockton campus. For more information, please email collegecorps@pacific.edu or on Instagram @pacificcollegecorps.

For more information about volunteer events and opportunities, follow @pacificvolunteercenter on Instagram, visit the Volunteer Center in Sears Hall, or call 209.946.2384.