My name is Brian Bliss and I’m the culinary specialist at Hospitality House, responsible for ensuring every guest in our care receives well-balanced and nutritious meals, not only at Utah’s Place, but also at Sierra Guest Home, our low-income senior complex. Between Sierra Guest Home and the shelter, we average 270 meals a day, in addition to bag lunches which we hand out at the door to those without shelter. But I don’t do it alone. In addition to loyal volunteer cook groups and shoppers, I have two homeless guest helpers who have grown to be integral to the kitchen at Utah’s Place; I’ll refer to them as Gary and Andy.
Gary and Andy have been at the shelter for about six months, respectively. They both have restaurant experience in different capacities, dishwashing and prepping, so they came with some knowledge of food service. However, they have brought such enthusiasm and are such quick learners, that they are now handling the weekend dinners on their own, except on occasions when one of our amazing cook groups are scheduled to come in. Prior to their help and the reopening of the volunteer cook program, I would need to prepare everything for the weekends so a staff member could just put the pre-made meal in the oven and then serve it. Now Gary and Andy can manage the meal start to finish if I make sure we have the right ingredients and leave a recipe. They have grown so skilled and responsible.
Generally, my aim is to provide nutritious comfort food, as most people sheltering here like the feeling that comes from homestyle meals. There are times, though, when we get interesting food donations(like 20 lbs. radishes) and we need to get creative. I enjoy this challenge. We are so grateful to SPD Markets, BriarPatch Food Co-op, Interfaith Food Ministry, Telestream, the Bishop Store (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nevada City) and Nevada County Food Bank for their generous contributions. That said, private donors make an incredible difference as well! If you’re looking to help fill our pantry and cooler, the fan favorites include: breakfast cereal, milk, sugar, coffee, fresh produce and ground beef(bulk). Due to government regulations, we cannot accept items that are homemade, opened or expired. And financial support is always helpful, of course.
We also have wonderful volunteers who donate their valuable time, whether they choose to grocery shop, cook, serve or wash dishes. We appreciate it all! A big thank you to the cook team from Telestream who came in this last Saturday to serve up their incredible lasagna, garlic bread, salad and dessert. The guests said it was delicious! As always, we express gratitude for George Dunstan and Bill Blount for their ongoing spiritual support at Utah’s Place and Sierra Guest Home. If you’d like to volunteer, individually or with a group, we welcome you to email us at info@hhshelter.org or call (530) 615-0852.
We had a delightful surprise this month as the 2nd grade class at Grass Valley Charter, led by teacher Kim Floyd-Martinez, sent beautifully hand-designed gift bags filled with goodies for guests of the shelter. It really touched the hearts of not only the gift recipients, but also the staff who got to see the love and energy put into the artwork.
February is a month that often represents love and giving. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we’d like to invite you to give your love to others by joining the Hearts & Hands Club today.
Hearts & Hands is a group of wonderful people who donate every month to support the efforts of Hospitality House. Club donations are allocated toward the greatest needs each month, including but not limited to shelter, food, clothing, outreach, case management, and help with permanent housing.
You can become an honored club member by donating as little as $5 per month and change a life in the process. This month we have an ambitious goal to welcome 28 new Hearts & Hands Club members in just 28 days. In support of Hospitality House, will you please consider joining?
Now down to the shelter’s wish list of the week:
- Twin-size blankets – URGENT NEED
- New pillows (we are unable to accept used)
- Men’s winter coats, jackets and hoodies (all – sizes; no women’s attire at this time)
- Granola bars
NEW DONATION HOURS AND DROPOFF LOCATION: With construction finally complete at our shelter, effective immediately, donations from our needs list above and all unexpired/store-bought foods are now being accepted at Utah’s Place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am – 3:30pm and Saturdays from 10am – 2pm. Our shelter is located 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945. 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!