St Marys Center

Transitional housing: seniors 55 and older take the next step on their journey to a permanent home through st. Mary's center's transitional housing and comprehensive services. Program participants have individual rooms, and share bathrooms, kitchens, and common areas. Monthly program fees are capped at 30% of income. Transitional housing offers an opportunity to be sheltered while actively seeking housing, securing documentation, and preparing for independent living. Every senior is connected with a case manager, housing navigation and other supports. Weekly house meetings and individual work with case managers support the senior's individualized plan to become and remain housed.

Preschool st. Mary's center preschool has provided much needed tuition-free preschool services to low-income families. St. Mary's center preschool is certified by the california department of education and is qris five star rated for quality. St. Mary's preschool operates 5 days a week all year, and has been well recogonized for its summer school kindergarten readiness programming. St. Mary's center preschool is licensed for 30 children between the ages of 3 and 5

Community outreach and services and advocacy: seniors come to the community center for a meal and a game of dominoes and find through participating in our social, recreational and advocacy activities they steadily improve their physical and mental health. Old friends who have known each other for decades reminisce. Others reduce loneliness by bonding with new friends. Most importantly, our unhoused seniors are welcomed in from the elements with a hot cup of coffee and a smile. We build strong relationships through our senior injury prevention program, which uses senior friendly practices to respond to individual needs and help reduce the effects of chronic poverty. Our staff work with seniors in english, spanish, cantonese, and tagalog to perform comprehensive assessments to improve capacity to (cont. On sch. O) perform daily living activities. . We address barriers to healthy living including medical, food, transportation and financial issues as well as addiction, emotional and mental health challenges. The weconnect program provides access to free technology, internet, personalized lessons and online experiences we help seniors navigate the complexities of technology. The program's goal is to reduce isolation by safely connecting seniors to family, friends, and their st. Mary's center community, creating new channels of communication via zoom, texting and email.