MARTINEZ, CA – SHELTER, Inc. of Contra Costa ranked among the top 10 most effective nonprofits working to end homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. SHELTER, Inc. was the only nonprofit named from Contra Costa County.
Philanthropedia, a division of Guidestar, enlisted 100 experts from 78 different organizations to review over one hundred organizations working in the field of homelessness to determine who was making the biggest positive impact in the Bay Area. Experts considered the following areas during their evaluation: temporary and permanent housing, hunger, mental health, substance abuse, family support, re-entry and foster care.
In Contra Costa County, an average of 7,500 men, women and children are homeless yearly. This past year, SHELTER, Inc. has helped prevent or end homelessness for over 6,500 individuals, almost half of whom were children.
“At SHELTER, Inc., we strive to end homelessness for each family. Every family and individual is unique in their needs and situations and we have a group of dedicated staff, donors, and volunteers who take the time to hear the stories, to be compassionate and to make an impact,” says Executive Director, Tim O’Keefe.
Last year, SHELTER, Inc. prevented 474 at-risk families from losing their home, welcomed 293 families into temporary housing with services to help them change their lives and celebrated as 73 percent of adults who completed the Employment Services program found work or increased wages.
“One person showing kindness, offering help, can make a whole world of difference that can inspire others,” says Ruwani Jayasinga, SHELTER, Inc. board member, donor, and volunteer. “Volunteering keeps me humble as I learn from clients and am inspired by their stories and courage.”
For over 25 years, SHELTER, Inc. continues to change lives with the support of the community. Thousands of volunteers and donors give tens of thousands of hours of their time and money to ensure that SHELTER, Inc. is successful. For every dollar received, 87 cents goes directly towards programs that provide homeless individuals and families with a variety of services, such as employment training, case management, tutoring, nutrition, parenting classes and more.
Philanthropedia is an online resource for potential donors who seek more information about an organization they would like to support. The information gathered by Philanthropedia is meant to provide donors with access to information that will make a bigger difference in their charitable giving. The online resource was founded on the belief that experts, such as foundation professionals, researchers and nonprofit senior staff, were the best suited at holistically evaluating nonprofits. Last April, Guidestar, a nonprofit aimed at encouraging charitable giving by advancing transparency, acquired Philanthropedia.
ABOUT SHELTER, INC.
SHELTER, Inc. is an independent, charitable, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1986 to alleviate Contra Costa County's homeless crisis whose mission is to prevent and end homelessness for low-income residents of Contra Costa by providing resources that lead to self-sufficiency.
