Following a successful joint outreach event last month, Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Salvation Army are expanding their efforts to address quality of life issues in and around downtown San Francisco’s Civic Center Station.
The expansion involves Salvation Army officers and staff conducting weekly outreach events at the station each Wednesday afternoon which began, June 13th, to connect people with resources.
The Salvation Army regularly does work in this area, but May 17, 2018 was the first time the non-profit coordinated with BART to also go into the Civic Center station to encourage people to come up to UN Plaza to receive food, socks, hygiene kits and information on available resources.
More than 750 people were served that day and four homeless individuals were enrolled and transported on-the-spot to the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center.
Two more people who contacted the Salvation Army in the following days were also enrolled in the program.
“BART is a great community partner and we are thrilled to join forces with them to bring critical services to homeless individuals who are currently looking for refuge in the tunnels and stations across the Bay Area,” said Lt. Col. Cindy Foley, Bay Area director for The Salvation Army. “This partnership will enable us to reach people in need to offer respite for today and critical programs and support that will give them an opportunity for a positive future.”
The weekly effort will take place between 1 pm and 3 pm each Wednesday.
“A lot of what happens at the street level filters down into our system and we can’t ignore it,” said BART Stations Planning Manager Tim Chan. “Our collaboration with the Salvation Army is already making a difference in people’s lives.”
