Beach Cities Interfaith Services Offers Dignity, Hope

by Courtney Ellis

It’s no secret that homelessness is a problem in Orange County, but the actual statistics may surprise you. According to Barry Kielsmeier, President of Beach Cities Interfaith Services, in 2024 alone, “7,322 people were homeless in Orange County, an increase of 28%.”

Not only that, but across the nation a majority of people live on the edge of financial crisis. “It is estimated that 64% of the population is literally one paycheck, medical bill, or unexpected vehicle expense from becoming penniless,” said Kielsmeier.

These personal economic hardships can have cumulative effects that go beyond mere finances. “When an individual becomes unemployed, they lose their employer paid medical insurance,” he said. “Sixty percent of individuals experiencing homelessness lack health insurance.”

Located in Huntington Beach, the ministry of Beach Cities Interfaith Services provides assistance to those in need. Originally founded as the Episcopal Service Alliance in 1988, this multifaith ministry reaches out to those who are unhoused, vulnerable seniors, and other low-income individuals and families. BCIS seeks to provide care and compassion along with tangible goods such as food, clothing, and transportation.

Kielsmeier became involved in the ministry early on when a priest from St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church presented at his congregation. He joined the board, and today he has the full-time responsibility of managing the daily operations of the organization as well as convening the Grants Committee whenever BCIS receives a client referral.

According to Kielsmeier, the organization prioritizes “familes with children and seniors who are most vulnerable to becoming homeless.” They remain a top priority for BCIS because housing instability is connected to poor health outcomes for both children and parents. “For young people, the loss of a stable family life is devastating,” he said. And “seniors who have little or no savings are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless.”

BCIS partners with 22 different faith-based, nonprofit, and civic community organizations that help by referring those needing support. According to Kielsmeier, when BCIS receives a referral, within three days the Grant Committee meets and awards funding or other assistance. In emergencies, that time span can be compressed to address same-day needs.

According to Steve Wright, pastor of St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea, “Beach Cities Interfaith Services has a long history of serving in Huntington Beach, providing job referrals, a food pantry, warm clothing, and general services to help people with basic needs.” As part of supporting these efforts, St. Peter’s stepped up by providing mail services seven years ago.

Notes Wright, “People who are unhoused need reliable address for mail. Volunteers from St. Peter’s pick up mail from a designated Post Office Box and distribute the mail on Fridays. This is a very important service for people who need to stay connected to social services.” St. Peter’s serves 14-20 people in this capacity each month.

Linda Rose is a BCIS board member as well as a member of St. Peter’s. In addition to offering the mail services, Rose says members of the church connect with BCIS clients socially, offering dignity and friendship by “listening and chatting with them each Friday.”

While BCIS offers practical care, its long-term mission is to prepare its participants for a stable future. Wright shared one success story of this kind: “One family BCIS has worked with…was a single mother raising two children. For several years they lived in their car. BCIS helped them to receive a Section 8 housing voucher.”

Rose rounded out the story of this particular family. “People in St. Peter’s congregation furnished their first apartment,” she noted. And the good news didn’t end there. “One daughter graduated with honors from UCI and is applying for their law program,” she said. “The other is in a college RN program.”

The mother in this family, Michelle Gentry, is now on the Board of Directors at BCIS. Gentry is both grateful for the support BCIS gave her and her daughters over the years and committed to paying it forward.

“I see my role as street-level insight,” said Gentry. “I’d simply like to give back what I received to others in a similar predicament.”

As with any ministry, the proof is in the lives transformed. Wright tells the story of another BCIS participant who eventually became a congregant of St. Peter’s. “He was living in his RV and struggling with health issues,” said Wright. “We helped him get documentation needed to apply for his retirement pension. This big turnaround resulted in his long-term connection to the people of St. Peter’s and his ongoing participation in the life of the church.”

However, it isn’t just the participants in BCIS whose lives are being changed. The lives of people within St. Peter’s congregation are being shifted as well. “One really positive impact is the people of St. Peter’s are less fearful of people in need,” said Wright, noting that those in his pews have gone from seeing and speaking of unhoused people as “the homeless” to seeing them as “neighbors, potential friends, fellow citizens.” As a result of St. Peter’s partnership with BCIS, Wright believes those who call St. Peter’s home “are far more inclined toward compassion rather than judgment.”

Is your church interested in supporting the work of BCIS or in beginning a ministry to those in need right in your own neighborhood? If so, Wright’s advice is simple: “Create genuine connections with those in need and then be open to the way God provides.”

Kielsmeier offers practical tips as well. “BCIS needs your prayers, volunteers, and donations,” he said. “We have volunteer opportunities in the form of staffing a table at one of our resource fairs, introductions to community and civic groups, assisting with distributing mail for clients, and assisting with inquiries about our services and providing resources and referrals.”

You can also give directly to BCIS at their website. For more information, reach out to the team at BCIS here or contact Steve Wright.

Courtney Ellis, Associate Pastor at Presbyterian Church of the Master in Mission Viejo, is an author and storyteller. Courtney will be reporting over the next few months on the presbytery’s mission partnerships.

Courtney’s latest book is Looking Up: A Birders Guide to Hope Through Grief, published by InterVarsity Press.