Pasadena Community Foundation Grants Propel Union Station’s Homeless Family Services

Union Station Homeless Services (USHS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding unhoused individuals and families since 1973, has received crucial support from the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) in the form of two grants aimed at enhancing services for homeless families and children.

The first grant, provided by PCF’s Pasadena Child Health Foundation (PCHF), will bolster USHS’s “street to home” Homeless Family Services program. The grant, designed to aid families transitioning out of homelessness, targets a demographic often overlooked in discussions about homelessness: young families headed by single mothers in their late twenties to early thirties, with children still in preschool and elementary school.

“The families we serve are, more often than not, young families, headed by a single mother in her late 20s to early 30s with children still in preschool and elementary school,” Brenda Lynch, Associate Director of Communications and Public Affairs at USHS, said about their Homeless Family Services program. 

The statement said health risks associated with homelessness among children are severe, encompassing chronic diseases, behavioral health concerns, developmental delays, hunger, malnutrition, depression, suicidality, and substance use. To address these challenges comprehensively, the USHS Homeless Family Services program offers wrap-around case management, providing support ranging from navigating the housing process to access to essential services such as childcare, assistance with the school system, medical care, and legal support.

“The PCHF grant will help ensure that families are safely housed, healthy, and connected to the community,” Lynch added.

A key objective of the PCHF is to provide funding to reduce disparities that adversely impact the health of children residing in the Pasadena Unified School District attendance area.

In addition to the support for USHS’s Homeless Family Services program, the PCF also provided a 2023 Capital Grant that will enable USHS to renovate its Euclid Villa Permanent Supportive Housing facility. This housing unit provides safe, trauma-informed environments for families, complete with indoor and outdoor play areas and community spaces aimed at improving the physical, mental, and financial well-being of its residents.

The grant will help renovate each of the 14 family apartments, with a specific focus on updating the kitchens to enhance the living conditions for the families residing there.

PCF said their support for USHS will ensure that the organization can continue their vital work in providing shelter, support, and stability to vulnerable families and children in the Pasadena area.

For more information on Union Station Homeless Services and its programs, visit www.unionstationhs.org.