Police Count on Bingo to Help Keep Shelter Operating

Glendale police officers will operate a bingo game this weekend during the Days of the Verdugos carnival as part of an effort to keep the city’s only shelter for battered women open.

Sgt. Jim Lowrey, treasurer of the Glendale Police Officers Assn., said police officers hope to raise up to $10,000 for the shelter, which is operated by the Glendale YWCA.

The shelter was closed in July after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors cut off its funding, but two grants and private donations allowed it to reopen in September.

Pax Adair, executive director, said a $10,000 federal grant and $7,281 from the Glendale Community Foundation will keep the shelter open through December. The shelter needs about $175,000 a year to stay open, she said.

Adair said the shelter is applying for several federal, state and county grants in hopes of raising funds to operate past December. “At the time we just kind of live on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

After it closed, the police association said it would help raise funds to reopen the shelter, but it has not turned over any money yet, Adair said.

Lowrey said raising the money has been harder than expected, but that the association already has collected $3,000 for the shelter.

“It’s been a pretty hard go and the economy hasn’t helped much either,” Lowrey said.

He said potential donors have heard that Supervisor Mike Antonovich has been trying to find state funds for the shelter, making them believe the problem had been resolved.

Lowrey said he expects to give the shelter what has been collected and the bingo proceeds the week following the game.

The association will continue to raise funds for the shelter after the game, he said.

Major companies such as Carnation and Glendale Federal have been contacted and have promised to make donations, Lowrey said.

The bingo game will run from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Verdugo Park, near Verdugo Road and Canada Boulevard.

The carnival is sponsored by the Glendale Jaycees, who have left management of the game to the association so it can raise money for the shelter, Lowrey said.

The shelter serves battered women from throughout Southern California, Adair said. The average stay is about four months.

Adair said that services provided by the shelter are in great demand because of the shortage of such facilities.