Sonoma County shelters stretched thin by storm

Shelters were stretched thin Thursday shortly after opening their doors to serve residents displaced by the floods, primarily homeless individuals trying to get out of the pounding rain and winds.

Petaluma’s Committee on the Shelterless had added an additional 30 beds to its 100-bed facility on Hopper Street earlier this month. By Thursday afternoon, it had only a few beds available.

“My sense it’s mostly folks who have been camping out there in south county who have been forced out by the water,” said Mike Johnson, the agency’s CEO. “Our real commitment is not to turn people away. We’ll bed people in my office if we have to.”

Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa also saw a large number of people seeking shelter. The nonprofit had set up warming stations at the Homeless Services Center at 600 Morgan St., and the Family Support Center, 465 A St. Its 24-hour hotline was slammed with calls from those looking for shelter, said Jennielynn Holmes, the agency’s homeless services and housing manager.

Many seeking shelter had been sleeping alongside creeks and other areas prone to flooding, she said. The nonprofit agency started reaching out to many of them early in the week, urging them to get away from those areas during the storm.

“We made sure that everyone knew about that,” Holmes said.

The agency also was handing out tarps, sleeping bags, rain jackets and other items to help those who remained outside. In Sonoma County, 3,300 people remain unsheltered each night, Holmes said.

“The community has stepped up and brought out tarps (and) sleeping bags,” she said, adding that Catholic Charities is still accepting donations.

“We still need tarps. As soon as we get them in we’re getting them out,” added Holmes.

About 20 people were staying at a temporary emergency shelter opened Wednesday by the American Red Cross at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial building, according to Tim Espinoza, a local Red Cross board member and shelter volunteer. While some were displaced from their homes by the floods, he said the majority were homeless people looking for a dry place to stay.

Gerrie Mejia said she and her 43-year-old son, Miguel, were the first to arrive. Catholic Charities had referred them to the Red Cross shelter, said Mejia, who has been waiting to move into a permanent apartment after spending four months sleeping in cars and friends’ homes.

“We didn’t have a place to go, so they sent us here,” she said. “We were welcomed with open arms.”

Miguel Mejia, who is disabled and in a wheelchair, said it was a relief to find a place to bunk down for the night.

“I feel tremendously grateful,” he said. “Not particularly for myself, but for my mother, who has to do a tremendous amount of work to get us safe and in a dry place.”

He added, “We didn’t even know about the storm. We have no access to the radio. We have no access to newspapers. … We have no money.”

The Red Cross also opened a temporary shelter at Lake High School in Lake County. The Lake County Animal Shelter in Lakeport was providing shelter for pets.

As the region continues to see more rain, shelters expect to see more people.

“(It) is going to be a busier night,” Holmes said, adding that shelters in Guerneville and the west end of Sonoma County already have increased their capacity.

Espinoza said the veterans building has plenty of space to accommodate more beds. But those who trickle in will likely continue to be homeless and not residents displaced by the storm, Johnson said. People with housing typically have family and friends to stay with, he said.

“It’s rare that we’ll see people who are displaced in the community come to us for shelter,” he said.

Petaluma city officials opened a shelter at the community center on North McDowell Boulevard for residents displaced by flood waters. By Thursday evening, no one had shown up, Assistant City Manager Scott Brodhun said.

He said the city opened the shelter out of “an abundance of caution.” While the city saw much flooding on its roadways, it didn’t appear homes were damaged.

“There was no water in the homes,” he said. “It was more of a (road) access issue.”

Still, residents in need of shelter are urged call 2-1-1 or Catholic Charities’ Cold Weather Hotline at 707-800-2927.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.