Winter Interfaith Shelter The Winter Interfaith Shelter, run from November to March, is sponsored by the San Francisco Interfaith Council, and run by ECS. Designed to augment existing shelter facilities during the coldest months of the year, the Interfaith Shelter provides dinner/breakfast and a dry place to sleep for 60-100 homeless men. Council Vice President, Rita Semel, has tirelessly coordinated the entire endeavor, each year networking with local churches, synagogues and mosques to open their spaces and their hearts, providing shelter and meals, to 80 homeless men during the winter months. While many, many congregations actively participate in the Shelter each year, Trinity Episcopal Church, Saint Mary's Cathedral, First Unitarian Universalist, Saint Mark's Lutheran Church, The Islamic Society of San Francisco, and Old First Presbyterian have been particularly strong leaders in the work. The Sanctuary Next Door