FRESNO (KMJ) — The ribbon has been cut on a $2.5 million project designed to improve services offered by Downtown Fresno’s Poverello House. The campaign funded a new food storage warehouse, operations center, and community housing improvements.
“It’s a very epic day for the Poverello House,” CEO Cruz Avila told the assembled crowd. “Seeing all these beautiful faces is just a testament to Papa Mike and Mary’s work and everything that we’ve done for the past 45 years here.”
The shelter’s founder “Papa” Mike McGarvin witnessed the groundbreaking in March, but his death in July meant he was not able to see the project’s completion (click here to read more).
“It’s been a bittersweet year,” explained Cruz. “To my Dad, to Papa Mike, who are looking over us right now from above; smiling with such comfort, with such warmth.”
The 19,000 square-foot warehouse will allow Poverello House to expand its services ever further.
“I know that our safety net has holes in it,” announced State Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula. “It is a net, and there is a time when people hit the floor and they’re asking for a sandwich and there is a place in our community where they can turn.”
The Fresno representative says he was proud to get Sacramento to direct tax dollars towards the Downtown Fresno shelter. The grant from the State of California (click here to read more) was accompanied by numerous donations, some as small as $1.
“We were able to get $1 million of state funds to help us to raise this roof. So that when people hit the floor they may get back up. So that we may help our most vulnerable.”
Immediately before the ribbon was cut, “Papa” Mike McGarvin’s widow took the microphone.
“Thank you everybody for being here,” said Mary McGarvin. “I just wanted to tell you that everybody has come up today and said ‘I wish Mike was here.’ But to me, he’s right over there on that cart. I know he’s here.”
The Downtown Fresno shelter serves 1,600 hot meals a day to those in need.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
