Interfaith Community Services and Community Resource Center Announce Merger

Interfaith Community Services (ICS) and Community Resource Center (CRC) will merge with the vision of becoming the premier social service organization serving the North County region of San Diego. On Friday, June 14th, the membership of Interfaith voted to approve a merger plan previously approved by the boards of ICS and CRC. ICS and CRC will come together beginning July 1, 2013 and the merger will be completed December 31, 2013.

Christine Carrick, Chair of the ICS board, and Duane Nelles, Chair of the CRC board, issued a joint statement saying: “We are both strong, successful organizations. We are merging because together we can better serve those in need throughout North County.” Christine Carrick will chair the new board and Silas Harrington Esq. will be vice chair. Duane Nelles will chair the Board Transition Committee and will be an officer of the board and member of the Executive Committee.

Richard Batt, CEO of ICS, will become the Chief Executive Officer of the combined organization. Batt said: “Together we will improve and expand services and save overhead costs. Individually we are strong and combined we will be extraordinary. Our merger will help us assist more people and families in need throughout the region to become self sufficient.”

“Individually we are strong and combined we will be extraordinary.”

Laurin Pause, the CEO of CRC, who previously announced her retirement effective July 1, said: “The problems and conditions of poverty, homelessness and domestic violence are broad issues. This merger will create solutions that are effective both locally and regionally, and it deepens the partnership we have already had with ICS.”

All programs of CRC and ICS will continue and some will expand, particularly those services designed to help families in need become self-sufficient. The identity and names of both ICS and CRC programs will continue. All service sites will continue and new sites will be added to increase accessibility.

“This merger will create solutions that are effective both locally and regionally, and it deepens the partnership we have already had with ICS.”

Community Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that has been the primary provider of comprehensive social services to the North County Coastal region of San Diego County since 1979. The mission of CRC is to provide families in need and victims of domestic violence with safety, stability, and a path to self-sufficiency. Solutions include critical services in the areas of domestic violence shelter and recovery, food programs, job assistance, transitional housing and homelessness prevention. The agency has an estimated annual budget of $4.2 million and employs 50 persons.

Interfaith Community Services is a nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of programs to help hungry, homeless, and low-income people in North San Diego County. Programs include food and basic needs, shelters and housing, employment services, family and social services, children and youth programs, senior services, veterans programs, and addiction recovery. Each program is designed to “help people help themselves,” by empowering individuals to regain self-sufficiency. The agency has an annual budget of $10.4 million and employs 160 persons.

For detailed information about the merger, including frequently asked questions, please visit our page, Merger With CRC.

Interfaith food and basic needs manager, Jerry Morgan, joins Hunger Action Day in Sacramento

Jerry Morgan joined a group of about 600 anti-hunger advocates from across California participating in the annual Hunger Action Day in Sacramento.

Interfaith’s program manager for basic needs was among a contingent from San Diego’s Hunger Advocacy Network who visited the state capital May 22 to urge lawmakers to support its agenda of anti-hunger legislation.

This year’s participants were seeking support for four bills proposed in the state Assembly or Senate. The respective bills would make it easier for Medi-Cal recipients, veterans, unaccompanied homeless youth and individuals convicted of drug felonies to obtain eligibility for CalFresh, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps).

Morgan and other anti-hunger advocates met with Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside) and staff members of Assemblywoman Marie Waldron (R-Escondido) to make their points.

“We go up there to educate first. There are so many bills the representatives have to be aware of. They depend a lot on their staffers to give recommendations (about legislation),” said Morgan. “Our responsibility is to educate the staffers to bills that affect hunger.”

Interfaith is one of 18 stakeholders in the San Diego Hunger Advocacy Network, which supports the statewide advocacy efforts, among them Hunger Action Day. Members of the collaborative got together about six months ago to determine the bills on which to focus this year.

“I’ve done this for a number of years. Every time I do it, it reinforces the fact that if we don’t advocate for these things, nobody else will,” said Morgan. “The people these bills affect aren’t people who go to Sacramento and advocate.”

Thanks to the Home Depot Foundation for their support of Veterans Assistance of San Diego

This past Wednesday, Veterans Assistance of San Diego, a division of Interfaith Community Services, was blown away by the generosity of the Home Depot Foundation, employees of the local Oceanside and Vista Home Depot stores, and even employees from Home Deport vendors, who all showed up at 6am at our Veterans housing complex in Oceanside to conduct more than $50,000 of general improvements to this critical program.

KUSI was there to cover the event, but what made it special was the sincerity and kindness of so many dedicated local volunteers from Home Depot. Our profound thanks to everyone involved. You’ve made a difference in the lives of our veterans!

Interfaith launches new community newspaper

At Interfaith, we know there is amazing work for good being done every day right here in the towns and neighborhoods of North County. This work is being done by hundreds of nonprofit organizations, by faith communities, and even by for-profit businesses who want to utilize their resources to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

We think this is real news, and we think it isn’t reported often enough in mainstream media outlets, so we wanted to create a publication dedicated to putting these stories front and center.We think this is real news, and we think it isn’t reported often enough in mainstream media outlets

We’ve also noticed lots of people aren’t aware of the resources that exist for getting help. Chances are you know a family struggling to make ends meet, or a senior fighting to get by on a tiny, fixed income. Or perhaps you know a person suffering from mental illness, addiction, or disability. Maybe you are that person in need. If so, we wanted to create a resource that would provide information about where and how people can get the help they need.

Home Depot Foundation and Volunteers Set To Spruce Up Veterans Quarters

Veterans Assistance of San Diego, a division of Interfaith Community Services, is one of several organizations in the county to be selected by the Home Depot Foundation for its 2013 Community Building Invitational.

On June 5, 2013, around 100 volunteers from area Home Depot stores and its vendor partners will spend a day of service fixing up the three veterans housing complexes on Division Street in Oceanside.

On that day, more volunteers will work on other projects around San Diego County.

Beginning early in the morning, the volunteers at the Division Street units will change window coverings to provide more privacy for the veteran residents, redo pantry cabinets, replace ceiling fans, install shelving in laundry rooms, storage areas and bedrooms and bring in furniture for some of the units.

They will also help with landscaping and will fix and install some fencing and barbecue grills, among other projects.

In all, the value of the materials and labor provided by the foundation and its vendors is estimated to be between $48,000 and $75,000.

“Sometimes prayers do get answered,” said Bernard Gabriel, director of Veterans Assistance of San Diego, a program of Interfaith Community Services. “They told us that a lot of what we do they really love. … It’s a big savings for Interfaith Communty Services.”

“Sometimes prayers do get answered,” said Bernard Gabriel, director of Veterans Assistance of San Diego, a program of Interfaith Community Services. “They told us that a lot of what we do they really love. … It’s a big savings for Interfaith Communty Services.”

Each year, the Home Depot Foundation holds a three-day service event in cities across the country. About 600 volunteers are expected to participate in the June 5 projects organized by Interfaith, America Legion Post 149 in Escondido, Habitat for Humanity San Diego and Volunteers of America Southwest.

Interfaith Community Services provides a wide range of programs to help hungry, homeless, and low-income people in North San Diego County. Programs include food and basic needs, shelters and housing, employment services, family and social services, children and youth programs, senior services, veterans programs, and addiction recovery. Each program is designed to “help people help themselves,” by empowering individuals to regain self-sufficiency.

San Diego County Selects Interfaith for New Family Self-Sufficiency Grants

Interfaith Community Services is the recipient of a pair of six-year Family Self-Sufficiency contracts from the county of San Diego to provide social services to residents of Coastal and Inland North County.

The Family Self-Sufficiency grants will contribute to our effort to create an unprecedented level of regional collaboration for social services throughout North County

“The Family Self-Sufficiency grants will contribute to our effort to create an unprecedented level of regional collaboration for social services throughout North County,” said Richard Batt, Interfaith’s Executive Director. “We’ve established new partnerships with other agencies to significantly improve the effectiveness and the reach of social services – not only at Interfaith, but across the region – and this grant will greatly empower that collaboration.”

The services that will be provided include employment and job-readiness training, financial literacy, education, transportation and nutritional education and access to benefits and health care as necessary. Interfaith will partner with seven subcontractors to help fulfill those obligations, and may extend its network of partnerships in the years ahead.

Interfaith’s partner agencies include: Community Resource Center, Community Housing Works, Second Chance, Escondido Education COMPACT, Vista Community Clinic, North County Health Services and Catholic Charities.

“Bringing together organizations that are individually impactful gives all of our services greater reach and greater depth,” says Laurin Pause, Executive Director of Community Resource Center. “Each of the partner agencies in this collaboration has expertise in particular areas—from basic services to self-sufficiency in the form of permanent employment and asset building such as auto loans,” added Pause. “This partnership increases access to services that can change lives.”

Interfaith Community Services had been a subcontractor under the previous grant-holder, providing services exclusively in inland North County. Its selection to coordinate FSS services for all of North County is “a real vote of confidence from the County,” said Christina Entrekin, ICS director of social services. “Our goal is to help people recover from adversities and become self-sufficient”, she said. “I think for Interfaith it is a real recognition of the good work we do when we’re awarded grants totaling $725,000 annually.”

Family Self-Sufficiency is a federal anti-poverty and community-based case-management program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD provides funding for grants awarded by counties across the county. The program’s design is to help recipients of subsidized housing vouchers pursue educational and career goals. Services provided through the grant are geared toward keeping people housed and employed, explained Entrekin.

“The most exciting part for us is to go out and reach people in communities where they live. We will be able to hire and place client advocates and vocational case managers in both urban and rural areas and in Indian communities,” said Entrekin. “We’ll meet people where they are, rather than expecting them to come here for services.”

Interfaith was awarded $185,000 to serve Coastal North County and $167,000 for Inland North County for the remainder of the year. The full-year grants, renewable through 2017, are for $371,000 a year for coastal services and $354,000 for the inland area.

Interfaith Community Services, sponsored by over 300 faith centers, provides a wide range of programs to help hungry, homeless, and low-income people in North San Diego County. Programs include food and basic needs, shelters and housing, employment services, family and social services, children and youth programs, senior services, veterans programs, and addiction recovery. Each program is designed to “help people help themselves,” by empowering individuals to regain self-sufficiency.

SDG&E Grant Will Help Teach Teens Technology

Thanks to a grant from San Diego Gas and Electric some North County youth will be able to parlay their technological expertise into summer employment, helping clients of Interfaith Community Services.

SDG&E will provide $10,000 to the Teens Teaching Tech Program, an initiative of Interfaith Community Services and the Escondido Education COMPACT. The grant, from the utility’s Inspiring Future Leaders initiative, will cover wages for young people from the COMPACT and the Working Pirates program in Oceanside who will be hired to teach computer skills to ICS adult clients.

The program will give the technologically savvy teens and young adults the chance to gain work experience while sharing their knowledge with adults who lack computer proficiency.

We are going to hire our youth clients, pay them wages, give them a professional work environment and have them work with adults who need help with their computer skills

“We are going to hire our youth clients, pay them wages, give them a professional work environment and have them work with adults who need help with their computer skills,” said Olga Diaz, director of employment services for Interfaith Community Services. “Many adults are not comfortable with computers but they don’t want to go to a full class, they just want some tutoring.”

Eight to twelve teens will be selected to work as technology coaches in computer labs in Oceanside and Escondido this summer. They’ll benefit from mentorship from ICS staff members who will assist them with proper workplace etiquette. Meanwhile, the training they provide will enhance the employability of the adult clients they help.

“SDG&E is proud to partner with hundreds of organizations like Interfaith Community Services that are dedicated to developing the next generation of diverse and prepared leaders.  Interfaith’s Teens Teaching Tech (T3) program builds leadership skills in youth, who in turn teach our veterans and job seekers find employment.  This is a great and innovative program that we are honored to support.” said Pedro Villegas, Director of SDG&E Community Relations.

“SDG&E is proud to partner with hundreds of organizations like Interfaith Community Services that are dedicated to developing the next generation of diverse and prepared leaders.  Interfaith’s Teens Teaching Tech (T3) program builds leadership skills in youth, who in turn teach our veterans and job seekers find employment.  This is a great and innovative program that we are honored to support.” said Pedro Villegas, Director of SDG&E Community Relations.

Interfaith Community Services provides a waide range of programs to help hungry, homeless, and low-income people in North San Diego County. Programs include food and basic needs, shelters and housing, employment services, family and social services, children and youth programs, senior services, veterans programs, and addiction recovery. Each program is designed to “help people help themselves,” by empowering individuals to regain self-sufficiency.

North Coast Church cancels Sunday worship to serve the community

One of Interfaith’s member congregations, North Coast Church, canceled all church services for an entire weekend April 27-28 in an epic effort to unleash compassion on North County through 250 community improvement projects throughout the area. 7,000 volunteers tackled 250 service projects for what has come to be known as ‘Weekend of Service’. 

“Church is about so much more than what happens inside our church walls,” said Charlie Bradshaw, North Coast Church executive pastor. “It’s about following Jesus’ example to live out our faith in tangible ways. We want to be the modern-day hands and feet of Jesus in our community.”

About 7,000 volunteers from North Coast Church rolled up their sleeves to collectively complete approximately $1.5 million in billable labor at parks, public schools, homeless shelters and community centers. One of those properties, was Interfaith’s Family Housing programs in Escondido. Volunteers helped renovate old garden spaces and provide some much needed sprucing up for the yards.

Another area North Coast identified was Oceanside’s Libby Lake neighborhood, where four teenagers were recently shot in a tragic incident that reflects escalating violence in the area.

“The young girl who died in the latest shooting was one of our teens,” said Jimmy Sigueroa, coordinator for Project REACH for teens at the Libby Lake Resource Center. “It really affected us, and the teens want to respond in a positive way. This service day comes at just the right time.”

The teens in his program will work alongside North Coast volunteers Saturday morning to paint the Center’s teen room. They will also build desks for the community computer room where the kids work on homework, job resumes and college applications.

“I’m so happy my kids will be working with North Coast,” Sigueroa said.”This shows people care about these kids and want to invest in their future. The kids are really excited about taking ownership of this.”

Similar projects are planned for nearly every corner of North County San Diego County at multiple nonprofits and community service areas. In addition to construction, landscaping and painting, light-duty projects included encouragement for local seniors and a spa day for 100 low-income women.

This is the fourth Weekend of Service for North Coast, which is a biannual event. North Coast is a multi-site church with about 9,000 attending weekend services at campuses in Vista, Carlsbad and Fallbrook. Interfaith’s is incredibly grateful for the work North Coast’s leadership and congregation have put into this amazing service project. The impact on the community has been remarkable.

Interfaith Choir & Orchestra rock the house at California Center for the Arts!

There aren’t many genuine “variety shows” still left these days, but if you were at the California Center for the Arts on March 9th, you were treated to an unforgettable night of musical variety and celebration by some truly amazing performers.

The San Diego Interfaith Choir and Orchestra – headed by Executive Director Justin Gray – has been putting on these shows a few times a year for a couple of years now – and every show is different. Last weekend’s performance didn’t disappoint, with a dizzying array of singers and musicians all donating their time to support the work of Interfaith Community Services.

Nearly 1000 people packed the house to see Gray’s all-volunteer professional ensemble perform classic and classical musical numbers, including some of their own arrangements, alongside visiting troupes like the North County Children’s Choir, the Jewish Men’s Choir, JumpStart3, the Timbre Handbell Ensemble, along with featured solists Mary Jaeb, John Polhamus, Ric Henry, Alexis Alfaro, and Ken Bell.

And a piano playing cat!

It truly was an unforgettable night for a truly great cause. Interfaith wishes to thank all the performers listed above as well as the dozens of non-musician volunteers who worked to make the night so fun and successful. We look forward to the next concert!

Check out the videos below of the North County Children’s Choir performing on March 9th and and special Harlem Shake video we made just for fun!

Music for a mission

Achieving interfaith harmony is a dream for many and a reality for the San Diego Interfaith Choir and Orchestra. That makes it a perfect partner for Interfaith Community Services.

The recently renamed ensemble is teaming up with ICS to help the needy. The orchestra plans to donate proceeds from its upcoming March 9 concert and future performances to assist with Interfaith’s efforts to aid the homeless.

The idea to help others grew out of the orchestra’s participation last spring in a fundraising concert to help an Escondido boy in need of an islet-cell transplant.

“We had the opportunity to help someone,” said Cathy Gray, a violinist and the orchestra’s personnel manager. “Then (after the concert), we said, ‘Hey, let’s partner with someone we can help and make it our mission to help the needy.”

Given the orchestra’s name, which it changed in 2012 from San Diego Mormon Choir and Orchestra, a tie-in with ICS was a logical choice.

Previous performances at interfaith Thanksgiving services in Escondido and the presence on the ensemble board of the Rev. Faith Conklin, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church and a devoted ICS supporter, made the partnership with ICS an easy decision.

“We just felt good about it,” said Gray.

The feeling was mutual.

“They really are incredible,” said Jason Coker, Interfaith’s director of communications. “The first time I heard them at the interfaith service, I was just blown away by the quality of musicianship. There really are world-class musicians and choir singers participating in this.”

That professionalism is by design. The group was formed in April 2010 by Gray and her husband, Justin, the longtime music director at Welk Resorts. Their idea was to provide an opportunity to perform for high-quality musicians who aren’t necessarily able to pursue professional careers.

Many in the group are professionals who are volunteering their services to the orchestra. About 50 instrumentalists and 100 choir members are on the roster. They play and sing when they are able.

“Our mission statement is to do something fun and have a high-level opportunity for people who don’t normally have them, to bring together people of different faiths and to use the proceeds to benefit Interfaith Community Services,” said Justin, the orchestra’s conductor and musical arranger.

The orchestra performs a mix of music ranging from sacred hymns and classical standards to rock ‘n’ roll and novelty pieces – sometimes all together.

“We really want to do something different. We tell people if they want to hear a Beethoven symphony, go down to Symphony Hall and have a nice evening of culture. If you want to mix things up, come hear us,” said Justin. “You may not like everything in the concert, but you will like something.”

The orchestra does do Beethoven, but not always in a way people might remember.

“At one concert, we started with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and on the repeat, we put in a banjo solo,” said Cathy.

Everything they do is designed to entertain and to demonstrate the high caliber of musicianship.

“We’re not the San Diego Symphony, but we’re going to be better than your average community orchestra,” said Justin.

“We’re not just another orchestra. When people hear us, they say, ‘Oh, my goodness,’ said Cathy, noting that some of the instrumentalists are in the San Diego Symphony.

The group performs two concerts a year, with weekly rehearsals beginning six weeks before the show for the choir and three weeks before for the orchestra. Auditions were held in January, but prospective musicians can set up a tryout by e-mailing justingraymusic@gmail.com.

The next concert is titled “Celebrating Creation.” It features the choir and orchestra performing selections from Haydn’s “Creation,” Saint-Seans’ “Carnival of the Animals,” unique arrangements of hymns from various faith traditions and a piece called “Catcerto,” by Mindaugas Piecaitis, based on the YouTube videos of a piano-playing cat.

The concert is at 7 p.m. March 9 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Tickets range from $12-$21. Visit sandiegointerfaithchoir.com or call the arts center box office at 800-988-4253.