In an ironic twist of fate, San Jose Home Makers who have spent the better part of two years providing furnishings to almost 400 needy families in nearing poverty areas will be without a home to manage deliveries; donations and offer assistance come August.
“We have stopped doing large pickups. We have asked everyone who wants to donate to hold on for a couple of weeks,” said Pam Stamey, co-founder of the organization. “We feel certain that we will get a space.”
An otherwise positive circumstance has yielded this unfortunate situation for San Jose Home Makers who was donated the convent as office space by Nolan and Sheila Lopez of Catholic Charities. However, Redland Migrant Association will bulldoze it in August to make way for a free childcare center for nearing migrant families. “So we understand, but we have nowhere to go,” Stamey expressed.
In time of need, San Jose Home Makers has still made itself useful to its community. Just throughout the third week of July, six families were helped. One family living in a utility trailer needed a refrigerator after theirs broke and as a result the mother lost all her insulin.
Upon delivery, San Jose noticed how much more the family was in need of after moving out of the trailer to an unfurnished space for less rent. They proceeded to provide beds, a dining table, chairs, a couch and more. “That is what usually happens. They will ask for very little but when we get there we find out that they need so much more,” Stamey explained.
San Jose Home Makers has received support from Fr. Bill and St. Stephens Catholic Church and is grateful to the 30 volunteers who keep the organization working. They pray that someone will find it in their charitable heart to offer a space large enough to accommodate storage for furniture drop-offs.
“Our ideal place would be about 5,000 sq. ft. with bay doors for drop off and deliveries. It would be air conditioned and have a bathroom,” Stamey explained. When allowing herself to really dream she’d also like space for Sister Sarah who runs the free clinic at San Jose and will also be homeless come August. “We would love to keep her with us,” Stamey said.
For more information visit the Facebook page by typing San Jose Home Makers Facebook in the Google search engine. To offer a space, contact Stamey directly at 300-7984. For donations contact Jan Boucher at 541-0841.
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