OCEANSIDE — The North County LGBTQ Resource Center has launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of at least $1.3 million to help with the purchase, renovation, repairs and move into the former home of the Bread of Life Rescue Mission.
After three prior locations as a tenant, North County LGBTQ’s purchase of the 1919 Apple Street property, which is currently in escrow and expected to close by the end of the year, will mark the nonprofit organization’s first time as a property owner.
“It’s a historic thing when you move into your own space as a nonprofit – it’s a big deal,” said Founder and Executive Director Max Disposti.
The center provides homelessness prevention services, including rental assistance and shelter for LGBTQ youth, food distribution for seniors, behavioral health services and case management.
According to Disposti, the center currently provides behavioral health services to 86 people on a weekly basis and has provided homelessness prevention services to at least 450 people since the beginning of this year.
As the center continues to reach more people, the need for more space also grows.
The organization currently employs 27 people, nearly half of whom are caseworkers who must ensure confidentiality among their clients, in a 2,000-square-foot suite at 3220 Mission Ave. Disposti and others began to worry that its current home would eventually compromise their clients’ privacy in such a small space with a continuously growing number of clients.
The center began to look for a new home about two years ago. With housing prices skyrocketing, it took time for the center to find the right place. The question of whether or not to stay in Oceanside came into play.
“We even looked in Vista,” Disposti said.
The center agreed to purchase the building at 1919 Apple St. for $4.5 million last fall but soon discovered they required at least $150,000 for a new roof plus several other additional costs, including a 30% down payment.
Disposti said the bank had originally required a 20% down payment in return for a loan to buy the building; however, that increased to 30% in the new year.
Through the new “major gift campaign,” Disposti and others hope that generous donors who support the efforts of the only resource center focused on serving LGBTQ individuals in North County will step forward with donations to help with the move.
Disposti said the new location will allow the center to triple its services without compromising confidentiality for its clients.
Once the center moves in later this year, it will occupy nearly half of the approximately 18,000-square-foot building where Bread of Life previously provided its homeless services.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the soup kitchen closed after the San Diego Rescue Mission received the contract to operate the Oceanside Navigation Center, the city’s new homeless shelter, because the Rescue Mission couldn’t afford to keep both open.
The North County LGBTQ Resource Center will own the entire building, but its three current tenants, who occupy other portions of it, will remain under their current lease agreements.
To plan a donation, email Disposti at [email protected] or Development Director Carlos Tabora at [email protected].
