The Spring Street Shelter in Redwood City has a newly renovated kitchen — and it’ll play a larger role than serving food to the shelter’s clients.
Last week, a ribbon-cutting was held at the shelter at 2686 Spring St., which is operated by the Mental Health Association of San Mateo. The kitchen received “much-needed plumbing, flooring, storage, appliances, counters, cabinets and paint,” according to the Housing Industry Foundation, which through its Renovation Program donated labor and materials for the full renovation.
“This kitchen renovation will allow us to transform an everyday homeless shelter into a shelter that helps to teach/develop independent living skills—similar to a social rehabilitation home,” MHA Executive Director Melissa Patte said in a statement. “Our plan is to create a ‘group’ led by our occupational therapists and registered nurses to teach our clients how to incorporate healthy cooking and safety skills into their own lives. Learning these skills will support our clients with living independently amongst the community and maintaining housing.”
The Housing Industry Foundation pulls together funds and support from a long list of local businesses. Their aim? Tackle projects that prevent homelessness and address affordable housing needs in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, in part via special housing projects or renovations.
“Through the HIF Renovation Program we provide our generous partners an opportunity to give back to the community, and cover the cost of renovations to allow organizations like Spring Street to focus its resources on its clients to give their clients a better quality of life,” HIF Executive Director Robert Freiri said in the statement.
Project partners included Windy Hill, lead contractor International Business Investment, Inc. (IBI), GreenTech Electric, Aquatek, Benchmark Environmental Engineering, ATI, Commercial Fire Protection, American Asphalt, Home Depot, Peter’s Drywall, MSI, A Touch of Stone, Maintenance Supply Headquarters and Interior Logic Group.
Photo by Daniel Gaines Photography (@danielgainesphotography)
