My name is Fred Skeen. I’m a case manager at Hospitality House. My job is to assist guests with qualifying for social services benefits, arranging medical care referrals, and eventually getting them into independent housing. We make every effort to guide our guests in their transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency and housing.
We have an elderly guest whom I will call Charlie. Charlie was recently diagnosed with Stage-II Esophageal cancer. We have been able to support him in participating in his new treatment regimen. He requires “weekly’ chemo-therapy sessions as well as “daily” radiation treatments. This treatment will run for six weeks. It’s a lot to endure both physically and emotionally. We at Hospitality House provide transportation daily to the Cancer Center here at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. It is such a blessing to have such comprehensive cancer treatment and support services right here in our community, and not to have to drive down the hill. To help Charlie survive this ordeal, we are putting the word out to the local community to get donations of life sustaining supplemental liquid nutrition supplies such as Ensure and Boost. This guest grew up in our community and yet he has no family around anymore to support him through this medical ordeal. Therefore, we are his family. If you’d like to help Charlie on his journey, please stop by our shelter anytime to donate Ensure or Boost drinks. Just ask for me, Fred. For more information about Hospitality House, please visit hhshelter.org
Normally at this time we thank all the cook groups who came and cooked over the last week, but to keep our shelter safe, our cook groups are supporting our meals by donating financial support and food instead. We’d like to thank Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, Divine Light Spirits, Unity in the Gold Country, Meals by Heels, Peace Lutheran Church, The Home Team and Seventh-Day Adventist Church, BriarPatch Food Co-Op, SPD Markets and Emily’s Catering for all their recent help. To everyone who donated our most needed items last week, thank you as well!
Now down to the nitty gritty needs of the shelter for this week…
- PPE masks and gloves (please keep donating these)
- Blankets, twin size
- New Pillows
- Silverware
- Bottled water
- Hand warmers
- Alka seltzer
- Travel bags/backpacks
- Headphones/earbuds
- Brushes/combs/hair ties
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Men and Women’s winter gloves
- Men and Women’s undershirts
- Women’s underwear, sizes S, M, and L
- Men and Women’s sweatpants, sizes M, L, XL and 2XL
- Ensure/Boost drinks for a guest undergoing chemo and radiation treatments
Please drop off urgent items or mail them to Utah’s Place, located in Brunswick Basin, past the DMV, at 1262 Sutton Way in Grass Valley. For a tax receipt, please ring the doorbell and wait for someone to come outside to assist you. We greatly appreciate the community’s help at such times of uncertainty. In the words of Utah Phillips, “If we all stick together, we’ll get what we need.” Thank you!