SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - On Thursday afternoon, the last Red Cross shelter for flood victims in San Diego, staged at the Balboa Park gym, closed its doors.
Dana Simmons, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, said the Red Cross shelters have been operating since Jan. 22, at the start of the storms and flooding in San Diego.
“I’ve been volunteering at the shelter since we opened at Lincoln, which I think was the day after the storm,” Avery Nard, a Red Cross Volunteer, said.
The Red Cross, which managed the Balboa Park shelter, said this closure comes after talks with the City and County factoring in the atmospheric river passing and no more storm-displaced people staying at the shelter.
The City of San Diego said, “As of Wednesday, Feb. 7, the City and San Diego Housing Commission have referred more than 600 residents, with 159 pets, for temporary placement in hotel rooms, including at a recently acquired hotel property in the Midway area. In total, assistance is being provided for nearly 200 households.”
In a statement, the Red Cross said that families and individuals displaced due to the recent storm are not in the shelter and instead moved out with the help of the Red Cross, the government, and non-profit partners.
Simmons added that despite the shelter doors closing, they continue to do casework and work individually with families to ensure they have the resources they need to recover from the floods.
“We’ve had over 185 disaster responders working this response. And we’ve actually been able to help over 189 San Deigns, providing over a 1,000-night shelter stays for people in need,” Simmon said.
The organization also said: "...Red Cross caseworkers and the City of San Diego Homeless Outreach Team have been working one-on-one with these individuals to provide resources and next steps. The Red Cross has continually worked with partners who serve people experiencing homelessness to find more sustainable housing options for these individuals.”
Red Cross told ABC 10News that this storm response is the longest Red Cross response in San Diego in the last decade.
A few things have stood out to Red Cross volunteers after spending many hours caring for and listening to those who’ve lost everything.
“Their pride of who they are or used to be; to be able to lose everything and come here and actually have no ID or anything. Just start from scratch all over again,” Volunteer Gerardo Gutierrez said. “Just seems like their whole identity is starting over and I think that’s the toughest part. Hearing their stories of where they were and how they got here, it’s heartbreaking.”
The City stated that its local assistance center at the Mountain View Community Recreation Center will remain open through the weekend. The center’s hours over the weekend are Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Red Cross told ABC 10News that if you still need assistance, you can call 1-800-Red-Cross.
