Our Survival Outreach Services (S.O.S.) program began in 1998 by serving meals to the homeless in the San Fernando Valley. Today, that program has expanded to include mobile showers, case management, and access to life-essential social services in the community, such as resources for healthcare, housing, and employment.

For the clients that we work with through our S.O.S. program, each day presents a new set of challenges. The lack of stability they experience with food, shelter, and hygiene makes it difficult to maintain basic daily routines such as employment, doctor’s appointments and relationships with family and friends.

Our Homeless Navigator, Jim Brown, sees our program as a “positive interruption” in the lives of the clients that we serve. Last year, we provided an average of 300 meals and showers each month. For Jim, those meals and showers are a foot in the door, enabling him to connect with the chronically homeless. Through our program, clients are able to experience moments of stability and consistency in their weeks, as they regularly know when and where they can find food and a shower.

While our clients are on-site at our mobile shower program, they are also able to meet with Jim and receive case management. He works with our clients from week to week, building trust and connecting them with much needed resources like housing and employment. Jim is also there to advocate for them on their path to sobriety and mental healthcare.

We are looking for additional locations to host our mobile shower unit each week. If you are interested in learning more about what it would look like for your church or organization to partner with us as a host site, please reach out to Jim Brown at jbrown@erescuemission.org or at 818-691-2965.