GRIP wants to enhance the services we provide our clients, but we need volunteers to better realize daytime babysitting and child care, resident evening meal service, afternoon and evening academic tutoring and enrichment programs for youths and adults. Click on our volunteer link or contact us to learn more of how you can volunteer.

GRIP provides a comprehensive service delivery system for homeless families and individuals. Over the past twenty-five years, GRIP emerged as a major service provider primarily serving West County 's homeless population, but many from other parts of Contra Costa, Alameda, and other Counties as well. GRIP's service delivery system is administered through three core programs, described below.

GRIP’s successful development of a $3.5 million integrated services facility – the new “Souper Center” Family Housing and Supportive Service Center - opened July 2006.  The 12,000 square ft. structure houses the Souper Center; Resource Center; and, the new Family Housing Program, providing 75- year-round beds for emergency shelter and transitional housing upstairs from supportive and basic services and meals service.

In 2007 alone, GRIP sheltered 209 people, 63 families with 117 children, fed, with 2,856 volunteers lunch to 53,535 people - for a daily average of 160 hungry clients. Our Resource Center provided information and referrals, advocacy, training and other services to1,393 individuals, 100 families, 516 individuals, 93 families, and 136 children, and personalized case management to 274 people, of whom 207 (76%) are disabled and 98 live with mental illness. We served 60 families in Emergency and Transitional housing, and 42 moved into independent or transitional housing via our Family Housing Program.

The Souper Center kitchen:

For over 20 years the Souper Center has fed hungry and homeless individuals and families nutritious, noonday meals. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. -12:45 p.m., 365 days each year. Volunteers with staff help serve lunch to everyone who comes to our doors, and breakfast and dinner as well, to the residents of our upstairs shelter.

The West County Resource Center:

A multi-service center, in its 11th year of operations, the West County Resource Center provides basic services, case management, referral services, and a wide range of on-site activities and auxiliary services provided through collaborative service providers. Office hours are 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.                                           Click here for more information.

The GRIP Family Housing Program:

This program is an expansion of GRIP's long-standing Emergency Winter Shelter Program which provided 30-35 shelter beds for homeless families hosted by GRIP member congregations over the past 13 years, operating 20 weeks each year during winter months. With the opening the new GRIP Family Housing and Supportive Services Center Facility, our new Family Housing Program provides 75 beds of emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless families year-round. The beds can be moved into a number of configurations in the dorm-like setting, allowing various sized families to be together and semi private.

Permanent Housing Program: In March 2007, GRIP began operating a permanent housing program for eight dual- diagnosed mentally ill and chronically homeless individuals at a rental unit adjacent to the “Souper Center.

Children's and Enrichment Programs:  Partnering with First 5 California, the Richmond Public Library, and others, the Family Housing Program is incrementally adding programs geared specifically to our younger residents, and especially those aged 0-12. Starting in April 2008, GRIP FHP staff implemented a creative arts program, in May a birthday and special occasion program that acknowledges birthdays with gifts and provides projects for holidays and special occasions. We are launching Story time at the Shelter  with the Richmond Public Library - this is for all children, but particularly geared towards those aged 0-12, and will be held during the time we offer GED class with our LEAP partner here at the Center, thereby providing education and enrichment for the children and  freeing parents to fully focus on their class at the same time. In the planning stage is a therapy workshop for children of all ages, designed to promote self esteem and develop behaviors that will lead to success in all their endeavors. Children will be encouraged to express fears, concerns, goals through filmed interviews.

All of these services are now centrally operated at the new GRIP Integrated Family Housing and Supportive Services Center, GRIP's new integrated services facility in central Richmond.

Read about some of our clients' stories here.