Founded in 1983, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco operates two year-round shelters for homeless adult women and men in San Francisco. Along with hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, and clean, warm beds, ECS's The Sanctuary and Next Door shelters offer on-site health services, support groups, recreational activities, and access to programs to assist them in moving toward housing and increased stability. ECS also collaborates with to provide 80-100 nightly shelter beds and meals from November to March. Coordinating with the , ECS staffs an 11-person roving behavioral health team that serves residents with the most acute need in five San Francisco shelters. The staff includes mental health specialists, bilingual case managers, and substance abuse counselors. The shelters also partner with to provide additional on-site health services.
Supportive housing
ECS provides supportive housing to over more than 1,300 formerly homeless men, women, and children. The eleven sites offer on-site support services such as case management, health education, employment counseling, food pantries, after school care, and community activities because the majority of tenants suffer from mental or health disabilities, HIV/AIDS, substance use issues, and literacy and/or vocational barriers. The on-site support services enable 96% of tenants to stay housed and improve their quality of life. Partnering agencies include , , and . ECS's Canon Kip Community House, built in 1994, was San Francisco's first new-construction supportive housing site. ECS's Canon Barcus Community House is lauded as a model site by the . ECS's Bishop Swing Community House, built in 2009, was awarded certification as a green building.
ECS's Canon Kip Senior Center serves over 1,200 very low-income and homeless seniors and adults with disabilities. The program targets seniors with mental health, substance abuse, or physical health issues who are not linked with other systems of care. Seventy percent are currently or formerly homeless, and 40% are Filipino elders from the surrounding community. The Center provides Monday-Friday hot lunch, daytime programs, and ongoing case management. The Center partners with , , , , , and to provide on-site health services and education and social programs.
CHEFS is a 5-month culinary training program that prepares homeless adults for gaining employment in the food service industry. CHEFS is a social enterprise of Episcopal Community Services that prepares congregate meals for its shelter, senior and education programs and caters to local tech firms , , and . Professional chefs from over 30 restaurants volunteer as instructors in the CHEFS classrooms or as supervisors for CHEFS student interns. The AdultEducation Center enables homeless and low-income adults to sharpen their literacy skills, advance their education, prepare for GED exams, and learn important job skills. provides a part-time teacher in the Center.
Volunteer Program
Over 2,400 people volunteer yearly with ECS. They come from companies like , , , , , , as well as nonprofit or religious organizations like and . Volunteers serve meals, mentor youth, supervise student interns, distribute food bags, lead games, and help in many other ways.
