Christian Social Concerns Update

Christian Social Concerns (CSC) had 573 more client interactions in 2019 compared with 2018. In the 149 days CSC opened its doors to clients, 6,159 clients were served within 2,605 households. Our client’s households are comprised of single homeless men, homeless women, homeless families, single men, single women, couples, and families with children struggling to cover the increasing cost of housing and other essentials living in one of the most expensive areas in the country. We served 1,017 seniors this year. CSC served 295 homeless women, 369 homeless men, 129 homeless families, 600 families with 1,411 children. A total of 6,039 people received food in 2019 for a total of 3,680 bags of food. CSC is staffed entirely by volunteers from St. Mary’s, our community, and other area churches contributing a total of 2,952 volunteer hours. First Presbyterian of Monterey provides a volunteer driven van for food pick-up from the Food Bank of Monterey. Our total expenses average $3.24 per client contact. We spent a total of $21,886.

Each of our clients is unique. Our volunteers cherish hearing their stories and helping them through their challenges. In addition to our primary focus of providing food, we are thankful to offer clothing and toiletries in “The Store Next Door” as well as occasionally assist with emergency lodging, gas/bus cards for medical appointments and job interviews etc., and various other needs.

CSC is thankful for the time, money, food donations, and prayers you have given to Christian Social Concerns and this important ministry of St. Mary’s to the community. We are especially thankful for the generous financial support from St. Mary’s, Carmel Rotary Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, and The Carmel Doll & Toy Study Group. CSC is investigating a partnership with local elementary schools and churches to provide weekend food bags for children who are living on the margins but whose family is unable to come to CSC during regular hours. If you would like to show your support for CSC this year with gifts of money, food, or time, your contribution is welcome! Please contact Sarah Schramm for information on how you can be part of CSC.

Submitted by:                Sarah Schramm, Christian Social Concerns Coordinator
Statistics provided by:   Carolyn Bluemle
Budget Provided by:      Rick Baldwin