The Vestry, at our January meeting, voted unanimously to open our parking lot to Safe Park Los Angeles
for evening overnight auto parking for homeless women and or women with children. After eleven months of
researching the program and addressing all the challenges we could think of, the Vestry has decided that
Safe Parking LA (SPLA) is the right ministry for this congregation. This ministry seemed to us the next
step in expanding the help we give to some of the most vulnerable people in our community and always
doing so in Jesus name.
What will Prince of Peace be offering:
-
Overnight parking for 10 cars (in assigned spaces) from 6pm to 6am daily.
-
Our guests will be women and women with children.
-
A guard will check in each guest and ensure that participants follow the service hours.
-
We will invite our guests to use the Food Pantry, join the Community Dinner, and invitations will be
shared to join worship, Sunday School, and Youth ministries.
What Prince of Peace receives in return for our hospitality:
-
A security guard (paid by SPLA) is assigned to our parking lot and campus for 12 hours a day
to assure the safety of our guests and that the rules of living on our campus are followed.
-
We are in the process of obtaining a grant to upgrade our shower room and the bathroom on
the south end of Taylor Hall which will be open to our guests.
-
SPLA pays $500 a month to offset increased costs of water and electricity.
-
A current Eagle Scout project is in process of installing a security gate on the west and
south entrance to our parking lot.
A few more details:
-
This is a month to month letter of agreement between SPLA and Prince of Peace.
-
All cars must have current registration and current insurance.
-
Prince of Peace is named as a co-insured by SPLA with a liability of 1-3 million dollars.
-
Currently our campus has transient homeless challenge in the evenings (with numbers of people
camping overnight regularly). Our new security will make sure this no longer happens and provide
security service for our entire campus.
-
Transients and addicts will not be the people we serve with SPLA. Our guests will be newly homeless.
Many are employed with children in local schools.
-
All guests are background checked and the screening is extensive.
-
All guests work with a social worker to qualify for low income housing.
-
Lynn Gilson, a member of the Vestry will be the point person of contact for this ministry.
The video below (a CBS report) provides a glimpse into the problems that homeless living in their vehicles
face here in Los Angeles.