Join our movement this Fall as we make a difference in the North Park community! |
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Partnering with the San Diego Food Bank:
Uptown Is A Super Pantry!
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We are excited to announce that Uptown is now helping a new group of neighbors in need. Uptown has partnered with The San Diego Food Bank to become a Super Pantry! We have also partnered with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, our host church where the Center is located, for additional food distribution. We now distribute food for hungry families with kitchen access who are needing extra assistance. There are no conditions or requirements to receive the food. Both walk-ups and drive-thru are welcome.
Our drive-thru food pantry is offered at the corner of Landis and 30th Street from 4:00 to 7:00pm on Mondays and Fridays. St. Luke’s is providing walk-up food distribution Thursdays from 11:00am to 1:45pm in the church’s community garden area.
Currently, we are providing non-perishable food items such as: spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, canned chicken, tuna, chili, soups, fruit cups, and pancake mix, as well as other donated items as able. We have also recently purchased and installed commercial refrigerators and a freezer that will allow us to store frozen meats and dairy items at the Center for distribution.
Since opening as a Super Pantry at the beginning of September 2020, we have distributed approximately 50 food kits, but we know the need is much greater.
Please help us get the word out to your friends, neighbors, and communities that might be in need of support!
If you are interested in assisting our efforts, we can always use volunteer support as well as donations. Visit our website or our facebook page for more information. Thank you for being part of the important work of feeding hungry families in need.
Read the full article featuring our Super Pantry on KPBS with NPR here!
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Current Center Needs. Aligned with our continued response to COVID-19, we are currently in need of food, face masks (medical and non-medical grade), and any/all in-kind donations. Click here for donation details.
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Get to Know Our Volunteers |
We have amazing volunteers, and we can always use additional support in the vital services we are providing to our neighbors. Watch these interviews with two of our incredible, long-time volunteers on why Uptown. |
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Volunteer Highlight: Candace Claar |
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Uptown’s passionate volunteers, Candace Claar, wondered if there was a way to get this year’s COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments (“stimulus checks”) to our clients. Candace found out that the checks were automatically sent to those who had paid taxes or received some form of Social Security income; however, the process was more complicated for those who did not meet these criteria. Candace went on a campaign to help our clients apply. After working through the complexities of the process, she became the on-site expert in guiding clients through the stimulus check applications.
Candace estimates that, through the combined efforts of herself and Alisan Rowland, Uptown’s Executive Director, approximately 200 clients received Economic Impact Payment checks. This represents $240,000 in much-needed emergency income to our clients during this nationwide pandemic! Thank you, Candace!!
This type of effort represents the best of the work that the volunteers at Uptown perform. It is a time-intensive effort, but the impact on our clients’ lives and our community is immense.
If you are inclined to volunteer, now is a great time. The impact of COVID-19 has limited many of our regular volunteers, many of whom are vulnerable during these times, so we need your help! Help is needed several days a week.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, visit our website or call Alisan at 619-542-9344 to discuss our current needs.
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Uptown Gala Update: We're Going Virtual! |
We are so looking forward to our virtual gala, coming February 20, 2021! While we will so miss celebrating in-person, we're excited to come together virtually. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements.
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A Word From Our Executive Director |
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When I was growing up, my Uncle Dave was the one adult who was always willing to play with us kids when the family got together. Uncle Dave was fun and kind and loving with the young children of the family, and my cousins and I enjoyed our time with him.
My uncle grew up in foster care. My mother and all of her siblings (4 sisters and 2 brothers, including my Uncle Dave) were placed in foster care when my grandmother died from cancer - they were not placed with my grandfather because of domestic abuse.
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As my uncle got older, he started to hear voices. He grew more and more concerned that people were trying to harm or murder him. Eventually, he started to believe that even his sisters and brothers wanted to harm him. Believing that he was unsafe, he left home hitchhiking, and for years no one in the family knew where he was or how to locate him. It was only through the kindness of others that my uncle survived several years of living on the streets. When he finally returned home, his siblings were able to help him purchase a trailer in a mobile home park.
Just this last Christmas, his daughter brought his grandchildren out to visit him (pictured, right). I felt such gratitude that my uncle, who loves his children more than anything, was able to spend time with his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.
During the years my uncle was experiencing homelessness, I was never able to help him, but now I have the opportunity to help the people who come to Uptown Community Service Center. Like my uncle, every person who comes to Uptown has a story. As the new Executive Director of the Uptown Community Service Center, one of my goals is to create new partnerships with other non-profit agencies and faith communities who have a desire to help the homeless community. In this way, we hope to help to create and improve pathways for people who are trying to get off the street and improve their lives. Although sometimes people who live on the street lose hope, my uncle is proof that it’s possible for people to get off the street and have a better quality of life. I’m just grateful that I have the opportunity to work with the excellent Uptown volunteers to continue to provide quality services to our Uptown clients. ·
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Get Involved!
Volunteer for 3-hour shifts on a regular or on-call basis. Get started here.
Donate Goods in-person at our center. Travel-sized hygiene supplies, men’s clothing, underwear, socks, backpacks, sleeping bags, and blankets are always in big demand. Please check our website for COVID-19 updates prior to donating.
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Shop at smile.amazon.com and choose Uptown Faith Community Service Center as your charity. Shop through smile.amazon.com to ensure Uptown receives all donated funds.
Donate Money online, in-person, or through Uptown’s fundraising events. Donation details here.
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