A young man in his 20’s showed up at the door during the week of March 16th, as the COVID-19 virus was beginning to grip the community. He was from Southern CA and had never been to 40 Prado but someone told him he could come to take a shower and do his laundry. He was clearly exhausted. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions at 40 Prado, staff could not let him in but directed him to go around to the back so that they could talk more with him, give him some food, clothes and a sleeping bag, directions to the local laundry facilities in town and let him know other options for him. While this was happening, John Klevins with the SLO City Police Community Action Team (CAT) happened to drive up. 40 Prado Director, Grace McIntosh, told John about the young man and asked John if there was any help that John could offer.

After talking with the young man, John was able to find out that the man had a mother in Oregon whom he hadn’t spoken with in several years due to a “falling out”. He was initially unwilling to have John call his mother, saying he was “ashamed”, but finally agreed. As soon as John called and identified himself, the mother burst into tears saying that she thought her son was dead. After talking together for awhile both mother and son agreed that he should return home and John committed to getting the son a train ticket the next day. 40 Prado agreed to accept the young man and after taking his temperature, placed him in a separate area where he could take a shower and sleep for the rest of the day and night. Staff did his laundry that night and the next morning he boarded the train to Oregon.