The goals of The Gubbio Project are two-fold:

• To provide a clean, beautiful, quiet, and safe space for people to rest during the day
• To cultivate a sense of community among the homeless and a sense of understanding and shared responsibility in the broader community

To that end we have developed the following services:

Sanctuary and Sacred Sleep

Between 75-95 unhoused neighbors seek safety and rest on the pews in the sanctuary of St. Boniface church each weekday from 6 am to 1 pm. 50 more access our services (toiletries, blankets, clothing vouchers, referrals, clean bathrooms, haircuts). The Project uses the back 2/3 of the sanctuary; the church uses the front 1/3 to celebrate the two daily masses. This sends a powerful message to our unhoused neighbors - they are in essence part of the community, not to be kicked out when those with homes come in to worship. It also sends a message to those attending mass - the community includes the tired, the poor, those with mental health issues and those who are wet, cold and dirty.

This last year, we conducted surveys of our guests. The results show that we are indeed succeeding in creating a place where residents feel safe and respected, that is clean and beautiful. 95% of those surveyed said they usually feel safe at The Gubbio Project; For this population who live on the streets fearful of being beaten up or having their things stolen, this statistic is the most telling as to the success that we are having. In addition, 95% feel they are usually respected; that the pews are usually clean; and that the bathrooms are usually clean. 100% said they would definitely use the facilities again if needed; and 100% said they like Gubbio because it is peaceful and quiet.

Community Engagement

Friday Morning Breakfast. This program has quadrupled in the last 18 months from a monthly to a weekly, well-staffed program. Every Friday, the Gubbio Project invites volunteer groups to serve and eat breakfast with our neighbors who sleep on the pews. Our breakfast volunteers are local church-goers (immigrants, businessmen and women, pastors, young adult group members), students in local schools, and community group members. By having the volunteers sit down and share the meal with the guests, we are not only encouraging community among the homeless, but between the housed and un-housed as well.

Speakers Series and Events. This past spring, the Gubbio Project hosted two speaking events featuring Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles and Shari Roeseler, current executive director of St. Anthony's in San Francisco. These speaking engagements brought together diverse groups of youth, parishioners, and residents of the Tenderloin for challenging conversations about transforming faith communities. Read more »

Hunter's Point Play. We hosted a high quality play with professional actors dealing with the issues of homelessness, mental illness, and family. The idea of hosting the play at St. Boniface was designed to bring together a diverse audience and to explore together some of the complex questions about shared responsibility and how to navigate shared space. Learn more »

Engagement with Schools. We have held mini-retreats for students at the DeMarillac Academy and the student council served one of our Friday morning breakfasts. This last year, students at DeMarillac even donated the monetary portion of their 'Perseverance Awards' to the Gubbio Project!Students from St. Mary's College in Moraga slept on the pews in the church at night, pilgrimaged through the streets of the Tenderloin in the morning, and then prepared and shared a breakfast with our guests.

Volunteer Opportunities. Volunteers share and prepare breakfast, assist our Hospitality Monitors in maintaining the safe space in the sanctuary, and help to sort and maintain our donations. We currently have around 50 regular, monthly volunteers assisting with these programs and in our office, totaling about 25 hours a week. Learn more »