The San Francisco Interfaith Shelter has reopened for its 36th year, offering homeless individuals a cozy place to stay during the coldest months of the year.
“Comforting,” Marcus Darkraven said of the shelter. “If it wasn’t for this I don’t know where I would be and I’m not going to speculate on it.”
At the moment, Darkraven and his puppy, Celio, who is six months old, are homeless. A mold infestation just caused them to lose their apartment.
Since he had utilized the ecumenical shelter program more than 22 years prior, he was already aware of it.
“If it wasn’t for it, a lot of people, including myself, would be in a very bad situation,” stated Darkraven.
Depending on the location, the initiative expands the city’s shelter capacity by 30 to 80 beds every night.
Saint Mary’s Cathedral, St. Mark’s Lutheran Churcy, First Unitarian Universalist Church, The Quaker Meeting House, and Canon Kip Senior Center—where Darkraven was staying—are the five religious sites it alternates between.
He expresses gratitude for these areas for both himself and anyone else who might require them in the future.
“The malicious part of me would wish that everyone would be homeless for awhile to see what it’s like, before you judge someone because you never know their situation,” Darkraven added. “You never know whether or not or when you may end up like this.”
The shelter program offers a prepared supper and a safe place to sleep from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Since he was seven years old, 12-year-old Raffi Hourgajian and his father Kirk have been helping at the shelter.
Kirk told his son, “I’m proud of you,”
For Raffi, it gives a human face to those he has witnessed living on the streets. He likes to converse with them.
“It’s actually very easy, because they’re really nice to me, and it’s just easy to interact with them,” Raffi added.
Kirk believes that exposing his youngster to the realities of other people is beneficial.
“Especially during the holiday times it’s important to remember that we’re very lucky and there’s people around us who need our help,” stated Kirk.
Darkraven is grateful for the assistance and intends to make use of the program’s services. He hopes to use the city to locate another long-term housing option.
He will maintain his optimism even though he is going through one of the most challenging times of his life.
“I’d much rather look at the best things such as my situation, one door closed that I’ve been in for 22 and a half years and another one will open and hopefully it will be better,” Darkraven remarked.
Through the end of March, the interfaith shelters will remain open. First-come, first-served placement is the rule.
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