ECHO opens new 30-bed family resource center
Center adds classrooms, laundry facilities, and case management space
– El Camino Homeless Organization marked the opening of the Balay Ko Family Resource Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 18, adding 30 emergency shelter beds for families with children.
Hundreds of supporters attended the ceremony, which also marked the organization’s 25th year of serving San Luis Obispo County.
The organization broke ground on the project in October. Crews constructed the foundation before 17 modular units arrived in March for assembly at the site. Arris Studio Architects designed the project, BevyHouse built the modular units, and SCI completed the construction work.
More than 300 individuals and families remain on the organization’s waiting list for shelter. The 7,200-square-foot center provides families with children a place to stay together while receiving services.
The center’s lobby serves residents, volunteers, donors, and community members seeking services. A wellness room next to the lobby allows people to connect with case managers and access resources when they arrive.
The center also includes a children’s room, a workforce development classroom with computers, family bathrooms with a bathtub, a water filtration station, and a public laundry facility. Shelter residents and other community members can use the laundry facility.
The center is the main project in the organization’s $6 million Building Hope & Home Capital Campaign, which funds construction and the first three years of operations. The organization has raised more than 90% of the campaign’s goal and continues fundraising for the project.
Former resident Tyra King spoke during the ribbon-cutting ceremony about her family’s experience with homelessness. King arrived at the organization with her partner and three children while pregnant with her fourth child.
“Today, our family has been housed for more than a year. My children are thriving. My son is starting school. We’re making memories in a home that’s ours. And for the first time in a very long time… I have room to dream. When you’re constantly living in survival mode, you don’t think about your future. You’re thinking about today. Where will we sleep tonight? How will I feed my kids? What happens tomorrow? Dreams don’t have room to exist when you’re just trying to survive. But now… I dream. And every day, I’m taking steps toward making those dreams a reality.”
El Camino Homeless Organization has provided food, shelter, and supportive services in San Luis Obispo County since 2001. The organization operates two facilities with a combined capacity of 160 beds, including a 90-bed shelter in Atascadero and a 70-bed shelter in Paso Robles.
It also operates daily community dinner and shower programs for individuals and families throughout the county.
More information about the organization and its services is available at www.echoshelter.org.
