Providing supportive services with compassion and dignity to our neighbors experiencing homelessness and vulnerability.
Compassion
Connection
Dignity
Our History: Building Bridges in Pasadena for over a Century
“Doing together what we cannot do alone” is Friends In Deed’s vision of its role in Pasadena, with a focus on partnership and collaboration to meet our neighbors’ needs. The collaboration of the people of our member congregations, a foundation for our organization today, began in 1894 when leaders of local congregations came together to build bridges over common issues and community concerns.
1946: Achieved Non-profit Status
The challenges of World War II encouraged new congregations to join and we became a council of local churches. We received nonprofit status in 1946 and are a 501(c)(3) organization. In 1961, a local woman of vision, Mara Moser, looked around the Pasadena community and saw many neighbors in need of food, shelter and support. In her garage, she started the “Friendly Visitors”—a service mission that we soon adopted—to donate clothes and food to those in need. As the program grew, the Pasadena community chose a new name, Friends In Deed. Seeing the growing needs of single mothers, Friendly Visitors formed “The Mothers’ Club” in 1962, which soon became an independent community program
In 1978, the community built the current Friends In Deed House at the corner of Washington and Los Robles, for offices, a clothing program and a food pantry. Known then as the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Churches, in 1988 we expanded our operations to take over Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter. Various homeless service programs including rental assistance, summer camp support for youth, and school supplies for local students have been among our programs.
In 2007, we opened The Women’s Room, an innovative day program serving homeless women. This program provides respite and needed services, including laundry, showers, health check ups, computer access and classes. We built on these services in 2009, enhancing homelessness prevention as part of our panoply of programs.
In 2010, we expanded our partnership with local congregations to become interfaith. As we build bridges across communities of faith, we see more work to be done in the greater Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley area.
With our dedicated staff leveraging the volunteer efforts of many community members, we will continue working together to accomplish what cannot be done alone, bridging the gap between those in need and the resources needed to meet those needs.
Help us achieve this mission.
Our Vision
Reduce and prevent homelessness.