Local congregations reach out to Second Street community

EL CAJON – For 40 days, individuals and groups from local churches walked the neighborhood around Second Street in an effort to spread spiritual well-being and help serial inebriates and other struggling individuals get into recovery programs.

The program, called “40 Days of Hope,” was recently started to address walk-ability, safety, homelessness, drug abuse, and alcoholism on Second Street. Participants in the project directed individuals who wish to participate in a recovery program to the East County Transitional Living Center (ECTLC).

Pastor Rolland Slade of Meridian Baptist Church is leading the effort. Slade is working in cooperation with ECTLC to provide a place for people to go if they wish to enter a recovery program, designed to treat alcohol and drug addictions.

“‘40 Days of Hope’ has been to offer a hand up to those folks who really decide they want to get into a program. We’re praying for liquor store and smoke shop owners and hope they aren’t just trying to make a buck,” Slade said.

By selling single-serves large containers of cheap beer with high alcohol content that is sold cold, ready to consume and other inexpensive, single-serve alcoholic beverages, store owners are enabling serial inebriates to continue to fuel their addictions, which contribute to public intoxication, aggressive panhandling, criminal activity and other public nuisance.

“If business owners keep selling single-serves and different options to the people we’re trying to give a hand up, they’ll be on the street forever,” Slade said.

The ECTLC is facilitating meetings for this effort and serves as a launching point for daily prayer walks. Additionally, individuals who wish to join the program at ECTLC are directed there by “40 Days of Hope” participants.

“This can’t do anything but help people. That’s why we’re here,” said Don Tendvahl, the director of Development and Finance of ECTLC.

In addition to providing recovery and support for serial inebriates and addicts in the area, “40 Days of Hope” is also working to help build community connections, business support and a better understanding of business practices on Second Street.

“I think ‘40 Days’ is just giving the businesses awareness that the community as a whole is not happy with the liquor laws as they are. I think everybody really believes that single-serve alcohol is not appropriate. That’s what underage people are getting, that’s what the homeless can afford when they panhandle. So by catering to their needs, we’re just making the problems worse,” Tendvahl said.

“40 Days of Hope” is one of many efforts to resolve the public health and safety issues that revolve around homeless people with drug and alcohol addictions in the area. Other churches in the city plan to duplicate the program to improve conditions in their local neighborhoods.

Officials are also working to address public health and safety with new laws. The City of El Cajon is drafting a Deemed Approved Ordinance that would regulate local alcohol sales, ultimately restricting access for serial inebriates. Regulating signage, hours of operation and the types of alcoholic beverages to be sold are some of the changes that will be implemented, should the ordinance pass later this summer. Such changes are expected to help the city better control panhandling and other nuisance-related activity around liquor stores.

The next public hearing for the Deemed Approved Ordinance will take place on at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12 at City Hall. All community members who are in support of reducing problems that contribute to public intoxication and aggressive panhandling are encouraged to attend.