Anaheim Interfaith Shelter

The city's only homeless shelter is being renovated for free by local builders who are more than doubling its capacity. Members of the Building Industry Assn.'s HomeAid program have been working on the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter for about a week. On Thursday, leaders from the volunteer businesses, the shelter and local government came together to celebrate at the converted apartment building, which will see its capacity increased from 24 beds to to 56.

The city's only homeless shelter is being renovated for free by local builders who are more than doubling its capacity. Members of the Building Industry Assn.'s HomeAid program have been working on the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter for about a week. On Thursday, leaders from the volunteer businesses, the shelter and local government came together to celebrate at the converted apartment building, which will see its capacity increased from 24 beds to to 56.

Cindy Floriani has been appointed by the City Council to fill a vacancy on the city's Budget Advisory Board. Floriani, a controller for two small Anaheim businesses, will serve a term that will expire June 30, 2000. The board advises the council on the city's budget and related issues. Floriani, 37, holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and is board president of the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter.

Twenty roofing contractors, 80 to 100 workers, six roofing material wholesalers and material manufacturers have donated materials and labor to this year's public service project of the Roofing Contractors Assn. of Southern California. They are La Casa Vieja de Lopez, originally built in 1806 and part of the San Gabriel Mission; the YMCA in Van Nuys; Anaheim interfaith shelter; Queue Up, a transitional housing facility for the homeless in La Puente and two residences in Ontario.

Seven local charities will receive money from the Anaheim Community Services Agency under a plan approved recently by the City Council. Acting on recommendations of the Community Services Board, the council awarded $10,000 each to the Anaheim Family YMCA, the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter and the Ecumenical Service Alliance.

Good Use of Leftovers: The Anaheim Marriott is putting its leftovers to good use, sending its surplus food to two local social service agencies to help them feed their clients and to minimize waste. The food is going to the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter for homeless families with children and to the Syntone Treatment Center, which cares for abused boys. Leftovers from the hotel can include as much as 50 pounds of chicken salad or a like amount of deli meats.

The City Council agreed Tuesday night to earmark $85,000 on services for seniors. In-home care will receive $35,000 through various agencies. The council also indicated that they plan to allocate $50,000 for transportation for seniors. The city is still looking for an agency to provide that transportation, because none of the applicants qualified. In addition, the council allocated $30,000 for shelter space, $28,500 for youth crime prevention and $15,000 for health care services.

Anaheim Interfaith Shelter needs a volunteer to dress up as Santa Claus, give gifts to children and listen to their Christmas wishes. The homeless shelter, in which each family lives in its own apartment, also could use donations of gifts, canned foods and other items, shelter administrator Vicky Cook said. The shelter is offering an adopt-a-family program as well. The shelter, which began serving homeless families in 1988, houses nine families, with 40 children.

The City Council this evening will consider how much money to allot to various community service organizations including the Anaheim Family YMCA, the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter, and the local Boys and Girls Club. The council, which has budgeted nearly $129,000 to support these agencies, is being asked by the Community Services Board to appropriate $71,000 more.

The operator of Halcyon House, Anaheim's only facility for homeless families, has been awarded a $12,000 low-interest loan by the city that will enable it to make a number of repairs and renovations. The Anaheim Interfaith Shelter, which operates the facility, will use the loan to overhaul the plumbing, ensure that the bathroom and kitchen facilities are up to code and improve the appearance of the home on Pauline Street in central Anaheim.

A counseling hot line, a health-care agency that serves poor people, a homeless shelter and a counseling service for the elderly received a total of $41,300 to provide services for Anaheim residents. The City Council awarded $10,000 for the next fiscal year to Hotline Help Center of Orange, which provides emergency telephone counseling.