Costly rent is forcing All-In Monterey County to look for more affordable options.

For the past four years, All-In Monterey County has helped distribute food, clothing and more to thousands of residents every month. Its volunteers were deployed throughout Pajaro following flooding in 2023, helping disaster-stricken residents clear out the mud from their homes while providing them with the necessities to stay on their feet.

Now, the organization is in need of an assist of its own.

With grants running dry, All-In Monterey County can no longer afford its warehouse at 555 Broadway Ave. in Seaside. The organization’s volunteers have reached deep into their personal pockets to continue at the space, says secretary Audrey Cray, but the roughly $10,000 a month in rent and overhead costs is unsustainable.

“We’ve done so much with so little,” she says. “But it’s just not sustainable when we have such a small organization.”

In 2023, the organization, which incorporated in 2022 as a nonprofit, received grants from the Community Foundation for Monterey County based on its flood relief efforts in Pajaro. But, Cray says, its recent grant applications have been unsuccessful.

All-In Monterey County leaders are now looking for an affordable space to store the items that will be distributed through its various events. Storage units are a possibility, but even those are pricey, Cray says.

They are also searching for a board member who will focus on fundraising, and are encouraging the public to donate what they can.

Roxanne Wilson, the County of Monterey’s homeless services director, says All-In has played a “key role in services necessitated by disasters.”

“Having emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, their humane approach to meeting people where they are, built on a foundation of compassion and empathy, has filled service gaps beyond the scope of traditional service provision,” she says.

All-In was the first community-based organization to bring Covid vaccinations into encampments and emergency shelters, according to Wilson. It also rented space at both fairgrounds in Monterey and Watsonville to distribute donated goods for 2023 flood victims, and, among other things, delivers groceries to schools for families experiencing homelessness.

“I love All-In,” Cray says. “If you’re coming to us, it’s because you need help. You don’t need to jump through hoops or prove to us that you need help. We are such a worthy organization and we want to continue what we’re doing as long as we can.”