Farlea Finds Hope at Utah’s Place
Farlea first became homeless in 2010 when her mother passed away. Unable to work because of chronic illness, Farlea applied for social security benefits to help her secure income. It took three years for Farlea’s social security hearing to be scheduled, even with her lawyer’s assistance, and she became homeless.
“I lived out in the streets. I’d wake up shivering in the middle of the night,” shared Farlea.
After the hearing, Farlea began receiving social security benefits. She got an apartment in Nevada City, but in 2020 her landlord decided to move back into the property, displacing her. Unable to find housing, Farlea moved into a motel. As her savings began to run out, Farlea realized she would face homelessness again. Depression quickly set in, and she lost her will to live. Thankfully, she reached out to the Nevada County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) for help. After a few days of rest at CSU, she was referred to Hospitality House.
“There’s a lot of trauma behind homelessness,” said Farlea. “Some of the PTSD that I have, and other people have, is compounded by homelessness.”
Once she arrived at Utah’s Place, Farlea began to work with her caseworker, Sarah Kinney. Sarah helped Farlea get a new birth certificate and covered the costs for her to enroll in and graduate from Ready to Rent, a program that aids those affected by homelessness in their search for permanent housing. But Farlea says the most significant benefit to her stay at Utah’s Place has been the time she has had to work on herself and process the trauma and hardships she experienced since her mother passed.
“I have to think of Hospitality House as a gift… I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to grow here,” said Farlea.
After years of struggling, she often wondered when things would get easier for her. Now at Hospitality House, Farlea feels like the tides have turned. She hopes that her story will help others see that things can change for the better.
“It’s just traumatic to be homeless, but it does get better.”
Farlea is actively searching for housing with Sarah’s help and continues to take the challenges presented in that search in stride. We are so grateful that Farlea found Hospitality House and engaged our services and grateful to donors like you who make our work possible. We look forward to seeing her return to a permanent housing situation.
While Farlea is currently on a waitlist for a permanent housing opportunity, if you or someone you know has a rental available that may be a good fit for Farlea, please reach out to case manager Sarah at 530-615-6707.
To help Farlea and additional seniors, women, men, and children receive food, shelter and case management to move forward, please give today>
Vote for Hospitality House
The Union is asking the community to celebrate Nevada County’s best, including Hospitality House. We are nominated in the best non-profit category, and after a year of providing more community aid than ever before, we greatly appreciate your vote and ongoing support.
Please take a moment to click through and cast your vote for Hospitality House as the best non-profit (under the Services category) and be sure to vote for all the other businesses, organizations, and individuals you think make Nevada County the fantastic community that it is. Vote Now>
We’re Hiring!
We are currently hiring for the position of Finance Officer.
Finance Directors and Administrators encouraged to apply!
The Finance Officer is a finance and fiscal management extraordinaire—someone gifted at all things finance. While finance-related activities are the primary focus, the Finance Officer assists in other meaningful areas supporting Hospitality House, including supporting the HR and Admin Department and serving on the Executive Leadership Team.
Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Finance Officer provides financial oversight to Hospitality House. Duties include but are not limited to accounts receivable/payable, grants management, contract compliance, financial reporting, and insurance/risk management.
The Finance Officer is a fulltime position with a salary of $72,800 and benefits package.
We are also currently hiring for the following positions:
- Shelter Advocate
- Shelter Advocate (Overnight)
- Facilities and Maintenance Technician
For more information of job descriptions, qualifications, and how to apply, follow this link>
Volunteer Spotlight: Josh Bostic
This month, Hospitality House would like to highlight the work of volunteer Josh Bostic.
Josh Bostic first started volunteering at Hospitality House 5 years ago when his Telestream co-worker Doug Lautzenhiser suggested joining the cooking team. After Doug moved out of the community, Josh stepped up to lead the Telestream cook group.
When asked why volunteering with Hospitality House is important to him, Josh says getting to meet the residents is the reason he keeps coming back:
“The Telestream group loves to volunteer with Hospitality House since we get to provide a warm meal and interact with members of our Nevada County community. Everyone we chat with when we are at Hospitality House has a story and getting to talk with everyone while there is great.”
As a business, Telestream is a steadfast supporter of Hospitality House, and its commitment to aid individuals in need is demonstrated by much of its staff,
“I’d just like to say that the Telestream group is wonderful in providing the ingredients each month we make a hot meal. The core group who help is Mary Ann and Ron Dunant, Dom Jackson, Michelle Jarret, and of course Doug Lautzenhiser, who ran the group for the longest time. There are a lot more folks than the mentioned at Telestream who are kind enough to donate either monetarily or in the form of specific food donations. The group is seriously awesome!”
Lasagna is a favorite meal to prepare among the cook group, but they all enjoy the opportunity to recreate dishes they make in their own homes and share their favorites with the guests. While cook groups have been put on pause during the pandemic, Josh has still found ways to support Hospitality House by making a monthly contribution and encouraging his colleagues to do the same.
We are so grateful for volunteers like Josh, who have continued to engage with Hospitality House through the last two years, and we look forward to welcoming all of our volunteers back as soon as we are safely able to do so.
Business Appreciation: BriarPatch Food Co-Op
We want to say thank you to BrairPatch for their ongoing support!
Committed to a healthy, equitable world, BriarPatch Food Co-Op has been steadfast in its support of Hospitality House throughout the years and recently committed to continue to do so into 2022. The high-quality, organic ingredients provided by BriarPatch are of great benefit to Chef Gina and all who enjoy the meals she creates.
Recently, BriarPatch launched a 12 Days of Giving campaign in December, collecting donations to purchase much-needed items such as energy bars, pillowcases, hand and feet warmers, and rain ponchos—items that were in critical need during the recent snowstorm.
We are grateful for all the ways BriarPatch has supported those in need and looking forward to working with them to provide hot and healthy meals to our neighbors in crisis in 2022!
Be a Part of Our Mission
Monthly donations provide reliable income that allows us to further our efforts to aid those in need. By enrolling in our Hearts & Hands Club, you will help to bring people experiencing homelessness in Nevada County into a circle of community caring as we assist them in transitioning from homelessness to housing. To enroll, simply select the amount you’d like to give, the date you would like the donation to process, enter your payment information, and know that you’re changing lives. Enroll today>
Make Hospitality House Part of Your Plan
Planned giving is an easy way to ensure that Hospitality House will continue to aid those in need well into the future. As you meet with your accountant in the coming months, consider naming Hospitality House as a sole or partial beneficiary to your retirement plan. Planned giving can be an effective tax reduction strategy that directly benefits those in need. Learn more>
Night of Giving Raises Over $50,000
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The 16th annual Night of Giving took place virtually again this year on Saturday, Dec. 18. Attendees were invited to stay home, get cozy, and stream the 22-minute event on the Hospitality House website or Facebook page. Despite its shortened format, Saturday’s event included musical entertainment, a guest testimonial, and a shelter update. Additionally, a triple match was in place for donations raised during the event, made possible by anonymous angel donors and business sponsors. Donations reached over $50,000, all of which will go on to provide food, shelter, clothing, and case management services for men, women, children, seniors, and Veterans experiencing homelessness.
All feedback for the event has been positive to date, with many enjoying the performance by John McCutcheon and the musical tribute to Utah Phillips, created by 30 artists performing a single song together. Those unable to attend the Virtual Night of Giving can still view the video on the event website. View the Night of Giving here>
Hospitality House and County of Nevada Partner to Respond to Snowstorm Crisis
Nevada County’s homeless population was of top concern during this most recent snowstorm. Hospitality House quickly mobilized to expand shelter operations, meeting the increase in need. Together with County of Nevada, Sierra Roots, Turning Point, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, and 211, Hospitality House and the Homeless Outreach and Emergency Engagement team amplified our outreach efforts. Ponchos, jackets, hats, hand and foot warmers, and dry socks were distributed by outreach workers in the field, providing comfort to those in need—a big thank you to our donors who stepped forward with many of these needed items. Our teams also helped displaced individuals reach emergency warming shelters and for seven days, in partnership County of Nevada, we were able to expand our existing operations to help additional individuals and snowstorms victims reach safe shelter with wraparound support services and care.
By working in tandem with our partners and with the help of our community, we were able to aid more individuals made most vulnerable to injury during the storm. Thank you to all who helped make this expanded effort possible!
Learn more about this expansion>
Donate today to further our emergency response>
Donations of Goods Temporarily Suspended
Effective January 14th, 2022: Due to increased COVID-19 cases and a construction project at Utah’s Place, donations of goods are temporarily suspended to protect the people we serve and the greater community. Thanks to the members of our community who gave so generously during the holidays, we are able to enter this pause in donations with well-stocked shelves.
In place of donations of goods, we encourage those who are still interested in giving to consider making a financial contribution at hhshelter.org/donate.
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!
Stop By and Thank Our Generous Local Sponsors!
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