Frequent Asked Questions
About Clara Mateo Alliance and Elsa Segovia Center
Do other local community service providers have access to the shelter?
Yes. Clara-Mateo Alliance is an innovative, multi-juristictional program that takes collaboration to its highest levels. Below is a sample of community service providers that have have worked with, and referred clients to CMA.
How can I make a referral to get help for a homeless individual?
The Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. has a full-time director of admissions who is responsible for the intake and assessment of all applicants. To get on the wait-list, drop in (without an appointment) on Tuesday or Thursday mornings between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
What's the difference between CMA and ESC?
Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. (CMA) is a non-profit agency that operates 129 beds of emergency shelter and transitional housing in a building on the campus of the VA in Menlo Park. CMA also operates the Elsa Segovia Center (ESC), which is a day service center only. ESC provides safety net services, case management, and many other programs for women, children and families in the same building as the CMA programs. The ESC services are made available through partnerships with many non-profit service providers and public agencies, all of whom are on site at the ESC so that it is truly a one stop service center.
What's the difference between the emergency shelter and transitional housing?
CMA has two shelter programs. The original shelter was for individual men, women and couples. It opened with 40 beds, and now has 63 beds. The family shelter has six units for families with children. The usual stay in the shelters is 90 days; residents are given 3 meals per day, case management services, and are required to be clean and sober. There is no cost for the first 45 days; after that, residents are charged $5.00 per day.
There is a 30-bed transitional program for individual adults and couples. The maximum stay in this program is 24 months, and residents are charged 30% of whatever income they have, whether it is from employment or public benefits. The family transitional program has six units, but the maximum stay is only 6 months. As in the adult transitional program, residents are required to pay 30% of whatever the family income is.
Who lives at CMA?
The people who live in the Clara-Mateo Alliance Inc. shelters and transitional programs are mostly people who have been functioning members of society, but have become homeless due to one or a combination of factors. For example, they may have had substance abuse problems, but everyone there is clean and sober. They may have had health issues, or lost their jobs, and fallen behind in their rent and been evicted. Many are veterans, but not all. Many have jobs that pay too little to afford housing in this area. Many are first-time homeless. CMA also targets the frail elderly and people with mental health issues.
Does anybody live in ESC?
No. ESC is only for day services. But, all of the people in the Family Shelter and Family Transitional Program are eligible to use the services of ESC, as are the women in the adult programs.
Do you have to be a veteran to come to CMA or ESC?
No, although we are giving a preference to veterans in the shelter programs.
Where does CMA's money come from?
Our funding comes from many different places. Eighty percent of it is from private foundations, such as Packard and the community foundations, and government funding from the cities and counties we serve, and the state and federal governments. But for the balance, 20%, we rely on local corporations and individuals in our communities.
How long has the shelter been in existence?
Clara-Mateo Alliance Inc. opened in 1997, and was run at first by the Salvation Army. It became its own non-profit corporation, with its own board of directors and an executive director, in 1999. The Elsa Segovia Center opened in April 2002.
How do people find out about CMA & ESC?
Our clients find out about us through their service providers, and from other programs they may be in, and through other homeless people they meet in the area. Our major funders find out about us through the grants we write. And the community learns about us through our volunteers, through the faith organizations and service clubs that support us, through our outreach programs and by word of mouth from their friends.
How do people get to CMA & ESC?
The VA is served by all kinds of transportation: SamTrans, the Dumbarton Express and VTA.
How can i help? What do you need/ What "stuff" do you need?
Rather than stuff, what we really rely on are donations of money, which gives us the flexibility to meet the incredibly varied needs of our clients. The annual cost of running CMA and ESC is 1.91 million dollars. Since 80% of that comes from government and private foundations, we need to raise the remaining 20% or $382,000 from local corporations and the community. This is a very large sum for a small agency to try to raise.
For more information please call 650-853-7067, fax 650-853-7083, or send an email request to: [email protected]
