11 March 2016

SAN FRANCISCO, CA:  Due to the National Weather Service and other weather forecasts calling for severe rain over the weekend, a number of San Francisco agencies and non-profits are expanding their shelter capacity to offer respite and a dry place to sleep to unsheltered individuals in San Francisco: a total increase of 100 beds across the city.

In addition, The Salvation Army is working with the City's Human Services Agency to open an emergency weather shelter at Gene Friend Rec Center (270 6th Street @ Folsom in SoMa). The site is equipped to house 125 people and has accommodations for companion animals (a rarity for emergency shelters).  The pop-up emergency shelter is scheduled to open at approximately this evening and remain open through Monday morning, March 14.  

The Salvation Army is the feeding agency for the Gene Friend pop-up emergency shelter.  Volunteers have assembled at The Salvation Army's Central Kitchen (850 Harrison Street, btwn 4th & 5th in SoMa) to prepare tonight's dinner and assemble other materials to provide the necessary three meals per day to the up to 125 individuals who take temporary residence at Gene Friend. 

The public can call 311 to obtain the most recent information about which sites have space.

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