Outreach Unlimited helps adults who are unhoused work toward becoming more self-reliant by offering nightly shelter, food and support targeted toward each individual's need for stable housing, employment or social services.
Every single night both men and women on the Monterey Peninsula need emergency shelter and they find it with I-HELP. They find a safe place to sleep indoors, a hot meal, and people who care. The women are transported in the women’s I-HELP bus from Monterey to one of our 25 shelter locations at our faith community partners. The bus is 20 years old and has 380,00 miles on it. It is worn out and it needs to be replaced! Last year we purchased a used 18 passenger bus to replace the men’s worn out bus. Each night I-HELP provides transportation with licensed bus drivers, insurance, supervision and guidance for 30 to 40 individuals, totaling 150 clients each year. Our big idea this year is to buy a bus to provide safer and more reliable transportation for the women in I-HELP.
The budget for a newer used bus is estimated at $20k, but to be operational we need to include gas $7K, insurance $4K, bus drivers $25K, and maintenance at $14K, it comes to $70K to purchase and operate one bus for the women for a year. Funds in excess of that amount would be used toward staff salaries which total 80% or our organization’s annual budget of $350,000.
A Stroke changed my life…then my truck was stolen. Two years ago, I had a stroke, and I went to the hospital. It was a wake-up call to change my lifestyle. I am now 2 years clean and sober… and counting. I obtained a license to be a truck driver and worked for a trucking company for a year and then decided to start my own trucking company. I put all my savings into a big rig, but my truck was stolen while I stopped to take a shower. When I got home, my wife told me to leave, and I became homeless. That’s when I found I-HELP. Now I am working as a welder and saving money to buy a car. I am super grateful to have a place to stay at night. Otherwise, I would be on the street, and it is not a nice place.
- Jason McHugh, Monterey
