Organizational Background

Old First Presbyterian Church has always been actively involved in its surrounding community. In the early 1980’s, working with local community members, Old First was instrumental in founding the Larkin Street Youth Center to help runaway teenagers in the neighborhood. In 1996, the church founded the Homelessness Task Force to provide a way to work with other churches to examine the problem of homelessness in our neighborhood. The Task Force consisted of the following nearby organizations: Old First, Temenos Catholic Worker, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Unitarian Universalist Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and Faithful Fools Street Ministry.

During 1997, the Task Force began several initiatives to educate the neighborhood about homelessness. This included a series of Christian Education classes in the fall of 1996. In May 1997 the HTF hosted a “Neighborhood Conversation on Homelessness.” This meeting was organized by the HTF and co-sponsored by the San Francisco Interfaith Council. The meeting brought together merchants, advocates for homeless people, the local police captain, government representatives, private service representatives, and members of the faith community in our neighborhood. As a result of this conversation, the Task Force was expanded to include members of the broader community. This expanded group began meeting on a monthly basis in 1998. Initial efforts by the Task Force focused on public advocacy, an attempt to install a free toilet in our neighborhood, an effort to open a drop-in center on nearby Polk Street, and serving a monthly dinner. The Task Force’s activities were based at Old First and St. Luke’s.

In 2001. with the help of an anonymous gift, the Task Force retained a consultant from the San Francisco Management Center who reviewed the programs, leadership structure and fund raising activities of the Task Force. After interviewing the staff, leadership, founders and volunteers, the consultant issued a report that cited, among other things, the need for the HTF to redouble its efforts to seek leadership from other congregations in the area and to broaden its financial support.

Similar suggestions came from the Session (governing body) of Old First Church and the San Francisco Presbytery Partnership Grant team, the principal outside funding source. Old First asked the HTF to consider formation of a separate non-profit 501(c)(3) organization while continuing to support our strong spiritual identity. This was accomplished in April 2002. In June, Megan Rohrer was employed as Director of the Welcome Ministry. During June and July the administrative transition from the Homelessness Task Force administered by Old First Church to the new Welcome Ministry was completed.

A volunteer board of seven directors governs the Welcome Ministry. One of these is a member of St Luke’s Episcopal Church, one a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church one a member of the Faithful Fools Street Ministry and four are members of Old First Presbyterian Church. Approximately 10 primary volunteers and five homeless volunteers work in the Welcome Center each week and 40 to 50 different volunteers host the monthly Saturday evening dinners over a year’s time.

The Welcome Ministry is the only church homeless ministry in this part of San Francisco. The ministry has provided an opportunity for nearby faith-based organizations to join in a faithful response to homelessness and hunger in our neighborhood.