ST MARYS CENTER
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Mission Statement
St. Mary’s Center is a community of hope, healing and justice dedicated to improving the well-being of Seniors and Preschool Families in West Oakland by meeting basic needs for food, housing, and social connection. We build on a strong foundation of direct service provision with participant-led advocacy that amplifies the voices of people directly impacted by hunger, homelessness, and inequity, to create a more just and caring society.
About This Cause
Overview of Organization: An independent non-profit social service organization with headquarters and five service locations along the San Pablo Avenue corridor in West Oakland, California, St. Mary’s Center answers basic needs and offers hope for more than 1,000 Seniors and 40 Preschool families every year. St. Mary’s Center (SMC) is a primary agency providing outreach and direct support services to homeless, homebound, and otherwise isolated seniors in downtown and West Oakland, many of whom require high levels of care coordination. We annually provide services to around 1,000 adults 55 and older. Our programs include homeless senior services that encompass intensive case management; day services for housed and homeless seniors; a senior community center that serves a hot meal six days a week; three senior transitional housing facilities. Many of our clients are challenged by untreated mental and physical health issues and have been chronically homeless for a few years, some for decades. Social workers stabilize seniors through intensive case management and recovery services, helping them obtain an income, access food, healthcare, shelter, and co-creating long term plans with seniors to find and keep permanent housing. St. Mary’s Center Food Program served over 17,845 meals annually. Meals for our seniors include breakfast and dinner 7 days a week and lunch 6 days a week for emergency winter shelter guests. Breakfast and lunch are also provided for homeless and housed seniors not staying at the shelter Monday – Friday and dinner for low-income seniors in the community age 55+ on Sundays. SMC also distributes emergency food for seniors and families with children through our Mercy Brown Bag, Family Bag, USDA, and Emergency Food program two to three times per month. Seniors for Hope and Justice is the primary advocacy program at St. Mary’s Center. Volunteers for the program are current and former clients of St. Mary’s Center who are mentored and given opportunities to advocate for themselves and to speak up for others in a variety of settings involving city, county, and state government. All participants are over 55, extremely low-income, and many are formerly homeless or at high risk for homelessness. Seniors for Hope and Justice continually works with partner agencies to provide insight into issues of concern, invite experts to meet with the community, receive training, and sit on local commissions and boards. St. Mary’s Center’s Council of Elders also conducts ongoing weekly meetings to educate and train seniors on issues that directly impact them, including decriminalizing homelessness, food advocacy, increasing SSI benefits, and expanding affordable housing. In addition, we have a preschool that has provided educational enhancement, social skills, and kindergarten readiness for low-income children for nearly 50 years. St. Mary’s Preschool serves 40 neighborhood families with preschool education, a parent support group, referrals for outside trauma and child development services and is certified by the State of California. St. Mary’s Preschool provides a “whole child” preschool experience with a three-pronged approach that provides (1) a play-based curriculum; (2) a Parent Support Program; and (3) a rigorous in-service program for our teachers. Our Preschool earned a Quality Rewards Improvement System 5-star rating recognizing our experienced, talented teaching team and commitment to continuous improvement.