The Seafarers Center in Long Beach, where sailors from overseas commiserate and communicate with loved ones at home, could close, the Los Angeles Times reports on today's business page.
The center near the Long Beach (710) Freeway is largely dependent on donations from shipping companies, which have struggled during the recessionary plunge in demand for consumer goods.
Sorry to hear about Seafarers Center's pending closure. I hope that doesn't occur. My church, Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, has long supported this center, which provides a place of hospitality and refuge for sailors from all lands. There also is a ministry staff there to help the sailors. Idle sailors can find other outlets, and sometimes those outlets are not good ones. I hope that the companies that support Seafarers, a long-time institution throughout the world, can continue to do so. It's the right thing to do.