Bean's Cafe announces consolidation of shelter operation into Sullivan Arena

On June 1, 2020 Bean's Cafe will consolidate all mass emergency shelter operations to the Sullivan arena. Since March 21, Bean’s Cafe has been utilizing the Ben Boeke Ice Arena to house the women, couples and LGBTQ community and the Sullivan Arena as shelter for single, adult males. All CDC guidelines will continue to be followed, which will include six feet of distancing between bunks, health screenings, and proper hygiene and sanitation of the facility. The maximum capacity of the shelter will be 324 people.

Bean’s Cafe will continue to provide daily breakfast, lunch, and hot dinner service to all shelter clients at the Sullivan Arena. The former Bean’s Cafe site located at 1101 E. 3rd Avenue will continue as a food production facility only. No client services or meals are offered from this location. All meals are transported daily to the Sullivan Arena to be served. Since March 21, Bean’s Cafe has served almost 47,000 meals to clients at the Sullivan Arena and Ben Boeke Ice Arena.

“It’s a great success for our community,” said Lisa Sauder, CEO of Bean’s Cafe. “We are seeing fewer people in shelter because 106 clients from the mass emergency shelter have been housed, opted to go to treatment, reunified with family or otherwise self-resolved. This was possible due to the partnerships with agencies that serve our homeless population. The creation of a resource hub on-site at Sullivan Arena allowed our partners to deliver much needed services.”

The resource hub is a one-stop-shop for people experiencing homelessness to receive assistance, such as being connected to housing support, behavioral health services and more.

Bean’s Cafe received funding from the Rasmuson Foundation and Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to launch a navigation program. The navigation program utilizes a rapid intake form that helps direct clients to the appropriate service partners who are meeting with clients in the resource hub, under the temporary tents in the Sullivan Arena parking lot.

Partners participating in the resource hub include Catholic Social Services, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, the Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Community Mental Health, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, Covenant House Alaska, Downtown Hope Center, GCI, Providence Health & Services Alaska, Partner’s Reentry Center, RurAL CAP, Southcentral Foundation, United Way of Anchorage, VOA Alaska and Veteran’s Administration.