Santa Rosa homeless shelters in 'critical need' of food

Canned food at a grocery store. Click through the gallery to see pictures from the Tubbs fire. Canned food at a grocery store. Click through the gallery to see pictures from the Tubbs fire. Photo: Dan Dalton/Getty Images/Caiaimage Photo: Dan Dalton/Getty Images/Caiaimage Image 1 of / 73 Caption Close Santa Rosa homeless shelters in 'critical need' of food 1 / 73 Back to Gallery

Santa Rosa's homeless shelters were in "critical need" of food heading into the weekend, the city announced just after midnight on Saturday.

Some agencies, inundated with donations ill-suited to their needs, have urged people to refrain from donating goods in the wake of the Wine Country fires. That's not the case with Santa Rosa's homeless shelters, though.

"Members of our community who were experiencing homelessness before the fires are in need of food at this time," the city wrote in a Facebook post. "Much of the food normally donated to the City's homeless shelters has been diverted to local fire shelters, leaving the homeless shelters in critical need."

HOW TO HELP: Resources to lend a hand to Wine Country fire evacuees

People who want to help can donate unprepared foods to St. Vincent de Paul at 610 Wilson St. in Santa Rosa from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The food will then be distributed to shelters throughout Santa Rosa. The city is unable to accept donations of prepared foods.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING: Some agencies overwhelmed by excess of donations

As the Tubbs fire has devastated the Larkfield, Coffey Park and Fountaingrove neighborhoods in Santa Rosa, many have expressed concern that the disaster could accelerate the city's housing crisis as already-high rents rise further with the supply of housing reduced by fire damage.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter