By Daily Press staff
A social service agency dedicated to helping poor families got a hand of support from Santa Monica this week.
Santa Monica Mayor Robert Holbrook on Wednesday gave a congratulatory address before a crowd of more than 100 people at St. Joseph Center’s groundbreaking event.
“It is a partnership that we appreciate,” said Holbrook, describing the relationship Santa Monica shares with the Venice-based social service agency.
On the eve of its 30th anniversary, St. Joseph Center is getting ready to build a new main service center at its 204 Hampton Dr. site. Charles Oltman, vice president for the architectural design firm Austin AECOM, said the new building is “a quality, yet economical project.” Scheduled for completion towards the latter half of 2007, it will meet the needs of 3,000 working poor individuals and offer such services as affordable childcare, job training and free groceries.
On hand were St. Joseph Center’s original founders, Sister Louise Bernstein and Sister Marilyn Rudy.
“This is very hard to believe,” said Bernstein. ‘It’s become all we’ve hoped for and so much more.”
Hard hats on and shovels in hand, the two sisters, along with others including Santa Monica City Councilmembers Kevin McKeown and Richard Bloom, ceremonially dug into a pile of earth to commemorate the start of construction.
St. Joseph Center plans to demolish the old St. Clements school building and begin construction within the next few months. To receive regular e-mail updates about the construction timetable, call (310) 396-6468, ext. 327, or write to
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 23, 2006. Read the original PDF.