Angela Frank is the new executive director of Los Osos Cares. Photo submitted
The non-profit Los Osos Cares has named a new executive director.
Angela Frank, who functioned as acting director of Los Osos Cares since the departure of Linda Quesenberry, has been officially named the executive director of the humanitarian aid organization. Frank is a Los Osos native who grew up in the community, attended elementary school here and graduated from Morro Bay High School. and is excited about working to assist people in need in the communities of Los Osos, Morro Bay, and Cayucos.
Frank’s nonprofit experience began in 2000 and she has worked for many agencies since then. She graduated this month from Chico State University with her bachelor’s degree in social sciences and will begin graduate studies in nonprofit administration through an online program in the fall.
“I love helping people,” Frank said in a news release, “and believe that every human being has a right to housing, food, medical care and the support of their community.”
The needs for assistance in this north coast area are often invisible, Los Osos Cares organizers say, but need does exist, and social service agencies do the best they can with an abundance of requests and a shortage of adequate programs.
The non-profit offers assistance in the Estero Bay area with a Resource Guide that lists numerous organizations and social services that provide help with housing, clothing, medical and disabled, domestic violence, drug and alcohol, employment. education, family and child advocacy, food distribution sites, shelter, immigration, laundry, legal assistance, mental health, senior services, utilities, transportation, and veterans’ assistance.
Due to the shortage of truly affordable rental opportunities, many people need temporary help paying for a month’s rent, or for their electric and gas utilities. The group Womenade Estero Bay works with Los Osos Cares and comes into play with these kinds of needs. Applications for aid must come from agency referrals.
Another agency that works closely with Los Osos Cares is Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County known as CAPSLO. Los Osos Cares referring individuals to them for case management. At a recent County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Frank spoke about the need for the County to continue funding CAPSLO for services on the north coast to help homeless and poverty-stricken members of these communities. The BOS voted positively for this agency to continue their services for the towns of the north coast.
Like every other nonprofit, Los Osos Cares depends on donations and grants for their funding.
“Grant funding has been down this year, so more dependence is placed on obtaining donations,” the new release states. “Womenade Estero Bay plans to do another of the great Magic Garage Sales they have held, and Frank said there are plans being worked on for a Spaghetti Dinner, a Bingo event, and their yearly fundraising event at Sea Pines Golf Resort in the fall.”
Another need right now is for volunteers to help in the resource office.
“We need people to help with computer work, data entry, research, checking emails and answering the phone,” Frank said. “Some of this work could be done off-site. The Wednesday night community dinner is still going strong, but we always can use help with cooking for that dinner.”
Anyone interested in volunteering should call the office at 805-592-2701. The resource office is located at Sunnyside School Room 18, in Los Osos and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 1- to 3 p.m.
“The most important thing we want the community to know,” Frank said, “is that we are open, we are available to help, we are here for the people in need in the Estero Bay.”
