People Helping People relocates staff after mold discovered at Solvang headquarters

SOLVANG, Calif. - What started out as a seemingly minor mold discovery quickly spiraled into a major renovation for nonprofit People Helping People in Solvang.

“In March we discovered mold and what was in a small part of the building … we realized it was expansive," said CEO Erica Flores of People Helping People.

The damage was so expansive, the nonprofit that serves those in need, had no choice but to shut down part of its operation.

"Wasn’t easy ... we’ve had to squeeze into space ... we’ve had some layoffs and have had to make program cuts," said Flores.

The nonprofit team finds itself deep into a major construction project, and a capital campaign.

"We’re using open space where we can to continue providing services to our community where all the services we offer here are much needed," said client triage advocate Donna Ramos of People Helping People.

The People Helping People team believes this headquarters is the most important asset of their organization.

“We own our building and this is the heart of the community protecting this asset is key and we’ve had to prioritize that," said Flores.

In order to fully restore the building, the organization is hoping for community support to raise a $250,000.

"My hope is we need to get this project completed before the rain arrives again … otherwise we will be right back where we were and this building will flood and we will have mold," said Flores.

On Mar. 6, managers at the non-profit said a shelf fell off the wall during a therapy session at its headquarters in Solvang.

"When staff looked closer and touched the wall, it was cold and damp," said chief executive officer of People Helping People, Erica Flores. "Out of an abundance of caution and with the top priority of the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, and clients, leaders of the organization shut down the use of the counseling room. This beautiful and calming space is home to our individual, couples, and family therapy sessions 7 days a week, including during the evening hours. Further, People Helping People owns this building, our most significant and important asset."

The next day, Flores authorized testing for asbestos in the walls, and the results concluded that there was no asbestos, allowing clearance for demolition and cleaning to begin.

"On April 1, extensive mold was discovered on the east, north, and west walls. The west wall is the common wall with the lobby. The project's existing demolition included removing a portion of the flooring. As they removed the flooring, it was visibly wet," said Flores. "Additionally, they discovered another flooring with 9-inch tiles, which led the project team to suspect that asbestos may be present in the floor. The air conditioner wall unit was removed, and it was wet, muddy, corroded, and moldy.   In a matter of hours, the project moved beyond a partial wall demolition to at least 3 wall demolitions, expanding the closure to include a portion of the lobby and complete flooring removal."

Flores said the organization's capital project has been initiated due to the discovery of mold.

She describes the circumstances as a "dynamic and evolving endeavor."

"We have remediated the known mold. However, we are still determining the solutions to prevent future water intrusion. The facilities committee met and determined we need to hire a General Contractor for a consulting phase, approx. 20+ hours to complete more investigation, assessment and solidify the project's scope," said Flores.

The PHP team plans to move staff to different parts of the building and off-site.

For more information on how you can support People Helping People, visit: https://www.syvphp.org/.