February Newsletter

Singers of the Street Debut CD Wins Awards

 

The Singers of the Street

, Welcome's homeless choir (made up of homeless, formerly homeless and homeless advocates), has won two awards for its debut CD.  Winner of Best Americana Album with Akademia and a Bronze Medial in the Global Music Awards.  Sales from the CD help to cover the lunches provided after each weeks rehearsal.
You can find the CD here: iTunes     Amazon

During the holiday season, our choir literally took to the streets to spread cheer.  You can read about our adventures here. 

SFPD Community Chaplaincy

a new project to enable a faithful response to be dispatched by 911, to  respond to the vulnerable, provide support during death notifications and to help decrease tensions between the police department and the community

Welcome's Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, was recently sworn in as a voluntary chaplain to the San Francisco Police Department.  The first LGBTQ individual to serve in this role, Pastor Megan is working with the SFPD to create a new community chaplaincy program that will provide free training for faith leaders. 

Welcome is currently working to raise the funds needed to create a new non-profit called "Friends of the SFPD Chaplaincy," because we believe that volunteer faith leaders can help support officers who are often being called to police quality of life issues. 

You can learn more about this project at: www.sfpdchaplaincy.com
To learn more about the in-kind and financial donations Welcome is collecting, click here.

 

Homeless Vision Project
free eye glasses for individuals in need

Welcome continues to partner with SF CARES and Project Homeless Connect to provide free prescription glasses for San Francisco's homeless.  In addition to providing about 1,000 pairs of glasses to individuals between large Project Homeless Connect events, Welcome has pledged to raise $30,000 to provide all the glasses given away at their large events at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.  This will result in an additional 3,000 pairs of prescription eye glasses being provided to individuals in need.   

The first $10,000 has already been sent to Project Homeless Connect thanks to matching funds from the Google Foundation through HandUp.  Your support will help us raise the additional $20,000 needed to reach our goal. 

You can learn more about the vision events here:

Providing free presciption eye glasses to the homeless in San Francisco.

With your help no homeless San Franciscans will hear the word "no" when they seek prescription glasses.

Thank you for your Support! 

Your continued support helps Welcome serve the homeless in San Francisco and beyond.  If you are able to support our work, please consider making a donation online through Network for Good.  Or by sending a check to Welcome, 3201 Ulloa St, San Francisco, CA 94116.