Whittier : Referral Center for Needy Gets City OK on New Site

A referral center to help the homeless and other needy people has won the city’s blessing to open at a new location.

The Whittier City Council unanimously voted to allow the Social Services Referral Center to install its headquarters in the First United Methodist Church at Friends Avenue and Bailey Street.

The approval is for six months only because city officials were concerned that center activities might bother nearby residents. If neighbors complain, City Council members said, the referral center might face tight restrictions.

The center refers homeless and low-income people to organizations that provide shelter, job training, legal assistance, child-care programs and drug rehabilitation. Staff members also help clients prepare resumes and complete Social Security and disability benefit applications. The staff includes two directors, a psychologist who volunteers time and other volunteers. The nonprofit agency, funded by government and private donations, will be accessible from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Appointments must be made from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at another church, St. Matthias Episcopal, 7056 S. Washington Ave.

The center has served 6,000 clients since it opened four years ago and assists 15 to 20 people daily, Director Loretta Contreras said. The center was first housed at the Salvation Army building, southwest of downtown. Center directors said they are changing locations to reduce their rental costs.