Encompass Blog
Personal Care Café How Much Stuff Gets Passed Out?
For some time now Encompass Homeless Ministry has been hosting at
“Personal Care Cafié” at
Martha’s Kitchen and on Lincoln Avenue under the 280 overpass,
next to Ranch Town Recycling.
The Personal Care Café is not a station where pre-filled
bags are passed out,
but rather a display of products from which people
can pick and choose.
Here is a graphic illustration of just how great the need is.
The picture on the left shows what was on hand at 4:00 p.m. on
September 4th; the picture on the right shows what
was left at 5:15, just an hour-and-a-quarter later. We do not
have a count of the number of people who stopped by, but we do
limit each person to only one item of each type.
But there’s a problem.
Ranch Town Recycling
is no longer accepting cans and bottles.
This is a huge loss for those in need.
As Joe told me today, “What am I going to do?
That little bit of money allowed me to get some extra food and a drink…
I don't know what I am going to do.”
We have been looking for an alternate site and as soon as we have it
finalized I will update the information.
Almost anything that your use in your personal care regime
is used by those in need,
everything from family size to hotel size.
There is one product ingredient that is better left out and that is alcohol.
So, mouthwash and aftershave are not needed.
People are choosing them not for the intended use
but rather for the alcohol content.
These products can be dropped off at
Hope Lutheran at
2383
Pacific Drive Santa Clara, CA, Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and
3:00 PM.
We can also use products for the mobile shower
and laundry trailer that can be seen at various locations
such as the GSA office and
Martha’s Kitchen.
The mobile shower unit can always use personal care kits
to pass out to patrons in need at their other locations.
These kits are very basic as space to store the kits is limited.
The shower kit consists of a small bar of soap
as well as a small bottle each of shampoo, conditioner and lotion.
The tooth care kit should contain a travel tooth brush,
small toothpaste and floss.
There is an additional need for feminine care kits consisting of wipes,
tampons and pads.
Kits may be dropped off at
Hope Lutheran Church,
located at
2383
Pacific Dr., Santa Clara, CA, Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and
3:00 PM.
The staff of
Dignity on Wheels,
the shower trailer ministry, has requested 75 shower kits,
25 tooth care kits and 10 feminine care kits per week.
These kits will be collected at
Hope Lutheran Church,
located at
2383
Pacific Dr., Santa Clara, CA, Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and
3:00 PM.
Encompass hosts a Personal Care Café
every Wednesday at
Martha’s
Kitchen, from about 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Feel free to stop by and see what going on.
Dinner at Martha’s is between 4 and 5 and is open to all.
Eating at Martha’s is a great way to gain an understanding
of what life is for people who live under extreme economic uncertainty.
