Community Partner Spotlight — Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Episcopal Community Services (ECS) of San Francisco is the city’s largest provider of emergency shelter and shelter behavioral health services. For 30 years, it has helped homeless and very low-income people every day and every night obtain the housing, jobs, shelter and essential services that each person needs to prevent and end homelessness. It assists over 8,300 homeless and low-income people annually.
Programs
ECS works to end the vicious cycle of homelessness through provision of shelter and two meals to over 525 people every day as well as through its supportive housing program, which consists of nearly 900 units that provide homes to about 1,200 formerly homeless individuals. Offered at all of the sites are case management, mental health services, job counseling, and access to adult educational and vocational services. With over 97% of formerly homeless tenants in its program shown to retain housing, ECS has received national recognition from groups like Corporation for Supportive Housing.
A hot lunch, case management, and community services are provided to low-income elders 60 years and older in the Canon Kip Senior Center. Over half of the participants are currently or formerly homeless.
ECS also operates a 6-month program called Conquering Homeless through Employment in Food Services (CHEFS). Coordinating with volunteering professionals, the program provides classroom instruction, hands-on kitchen training in institutional and restaurant settings, job counseling, and placement with coaching and follow-up. 70–75% of CHEFS graduates secure employment and a place to live.
Involvement with the Center
The Berkeley Board Fellows is assisting ECS articulate their intended impact and theory of change by suggesting metrics and creating a ‘dashboard’ for the Board to track performance.
The ECS looks forward to using the metrics measurement to evaluate the effectiveness of its work and communicate to constituents its successes and validate their current and ongoing support, both volunteer involvement and financial support.
