For more than 2 decades Santa Sophia Parish has sponsored an apartment at El Nido, a program of the Interfaith Shelter Network of San Diego. El Nido (Spanish: for nest) is a secure, confidential apartment complex in San Diego that provides safe transitional living for homeless women with children fleeing domestic abuse.
The El Nido program provides its families with 12 months of safe living and support services while they heal and rebuild their lives.
Santa Sophia's role in these support services is to prepare our apartment unit for each new family accepted into the program. Santa Sophia cleans, furnishes, and decorates the apartment. We also stock it with fresh and pantry food, hygiene and laundry supplies, toys and books for children, and any other essentials that the family will need to start the healing process in a safe, welcoming environment. Santa Sophia also supports the family in our sponsored unit throughout the year with holiday gifts and meals, school backpacks, pantry food deliveries, and other special events like family outings and summer camp opportunities.
There are many ways to support this important ministry. You can donate furniture, decor, and kitchen items during donation drives. Donations of gas, grocery, department store, or drug store gift cards, so families can purchase necessities often outside their usual budget, are also welcome. Financial support allows the purchase of items not received through donations. Checks can be made to Santa Sophia with "El Nido" in the memo line.
Barbara Stewart