‘Homelessness is Not a Crime’
Local man Mark Burton was once a prominent businessman. When he later found himself homeless, turning to Hospitality House for help wasn’t easy. He wanted to get back on his feet independently, but realized to get back into housing, he needed support.
“Homelessness is not a crime,” stated Mark. “Homelessness is something that happens because life comes at us. We are affected by it. Some of it comes from ourselves—some of it comes from things outside that we do not have control.”
At Utah’s Place, Mark is currently benefitting from all the services available and is actively working toward permanent housing solutions. He is also an advocate for others to put aside fear and ask for help.
Mark opened up about homelessness and living in our shelter in the following video. WATCH:
For those interested, Mark will be sharing intimate details on how his life turned upside down as part of Empty Bowl 2021. Ticketholders will receive Mark’s full story at seven featured restaurants during each restaurant’s designated Empty Bowl participation dates. To help Mark and others like him, give today>
Get Your Empty Bowl Tickets!
Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Empty Bowl to raise awareness and support for individuals struggling with homelessness. Every dollar received from Empty Bowl is a donation toward Hospitality House’s emergency operations and every dollar makes a difference in someone’s livelihood. A big thank you to local artists, restaurants and business sponsors for making Empty Bowl possible again this year. Click HERE for tickets>
FEATURED RESTAURANTS
Sopa Thai Cuisine, Sept. 1 – 6
Tofanelli’s Gold Country Bistro, Sept. 8 – 14 (excludes weekend)
Lola @ The National Exchange Hotel, Sept. 8 – 14
Golden Gate Saloon @ The Holbrooke Hotel, Sept. 15 – 21
fudenjüce, Sept. 15 – 21
Heartwood Eatery, Sept. 22 – 28
Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co., Sept. 22 – 28
FEATURED FOOD
- Sopa Thai Cuisine: Tom Kah Soup: lemongrass, coconut milk with broccoli, snow peas, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes.
- Tofanelli’s Gold Country Bistro: Surprise soup of the day with dinner roll.
Lola @ The National Exchange Hotel: French Onion Soup: caramelized onions, beef broth, sourdough croutons, gruyere cheese, Rasputin stout and cooked brandy. (PICTURED RIGHT)- fudenjüce: Kitchari Bowl: Steamed organic spinach, organic shredded carrots, organic mung beans, and organic basmati rice flavored with organic spices (cumin, coriander and fennel) and organic sunflower oil.
- Golden Gate Saloon @ The Holbrooke Hotel: Brisket Bowl: achiote rice, BBQ brisket, kimchi, avocado, crema and cilantro.
- Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co: Surprise dish!
- Heartwood Eatery: Rainbow Salad: local salad greens and veggies, half an avocado, a sesame tamari dressing and bread and butter.
Because each restaurant is donating their own signature dish and staff time to host Empty Bowl, ticketholders are encouraged to patronize these restaurants by purchasing tasty add-ons to support them, such as appetizers, drinks and desserts. Get tickets now>
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY
Tickets are $40 each and are available online at hhshelter.org and online at emptybowl.rsvpify.com. A limited number of tickets are available for each participating restaurant. Days/times/locations vary by each participating restaurant.
VIRTUAL FUN: ONE-OF-A-KIND-ART UP FOR GRABS!
To kickoff Empty Bowl, the entire community is invited to participate in a virtual art sale, featuring a variety of specialty bowls and artisan creations on Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. No event ticket required to participate! A sneak preview of all featured work will be available on hhshelter.org beginning Monday, Aug. 30. Hospitality House news subscribers will automatically receive a notification of how to participate in the coming weeks, including a preview of all available artwork to purchase.
Like this gorgeous green bowl pictured above? Donated by artist Chic Lotz, this bowl is one of several that will be available in the virtual art sale. Chic also sells her bowls independently and teaches ceramics, too! Learn more about Chic>
THANK YOU, SPONSORS!
Further support for Empty Bowl comes from generous local business sponsors, including: BriarPatch Food Co-op, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, SPD Markets, Telestream, LLC, Chapa-De Indian Health, YubaNet, Pawnie’s Home Care, Caseywood, AJA Video Systems, County of Nevada (Better Together), Northern California Mortgage Co., Nevada County Association of Realtors, The Union, Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine, Peters’ Drilling & Pump Service, KVMR, Clientworks, and Law Office of Minor and Keene.
Learn more about Empty Bowl>
We’re Hiring!
Would you like to make a difference in the livelihood of others? If so, we’d love to connect with you! Hospitality House is looking for likeminded individuals to join our team. Several opportunities are available! Full-time positions include medical benefits, paid holidays and PTO—on top of the satisfaction you’ll feel knowing you are changing lives forever.
Want to learn more about our career opportunities? Visit our employment page or email our Human Resources and Administrative Officer, Leah Farkas, at (530) 206-7771.
Volunteer Spotlight: Karl Miller
We’d like to recognize and thank Karl Miller for his decade of service to Hospitality House. Karl and his wife Suzie (also an amazing volunteer) learned about Hospitality House through Twin Cities Church (TCC), shortly after moving here from San Mateo. At the time, Hospitality House was nomadic and relied on the kindness of churches to open their doors for people experiencing homelessness.
Karl and Suzie began helping with the lunch efforts offered at TCC and soon began to familiarize themselves with the guests.
“Working with the guests was a powerful experience,” recalled Karl. “We got to see the regulars, see the new people, hear their stories. It was just a great experience.”
After Hospitality House’s permanent shelter, Utah’s Place, opened, Suzie began cooking at the shelter with fellow TCC members and Karl found another way to help people experiencing homelessness: Empty Bowl. While attending the 2016 Empty Bowl benefit for Hospitality House at Peace Lutheran Church, Karl admired the many bowls donated by local artists. However, as a woodcraftsman and member of the Gold Country Woodturners, he immediately noticed all the bowls were ceramic.
“I found the woman who was organizing the bowls and I asked if they might like to have wooden bowls,” recalled Karl. The answer was a resounding yes and for the last five years, Karl and fellow Gold Country Woodturners have been turning bowls for Empty Bowl.
Today, Karl remains the woodturner coordinator for Empty Bowl, rallying the woodturners to turn bowls throughout the year. With the volunteer program at the shelter suspended as a result of the pandemic, Karl and Suzie have been faithfully donating month after month to ensure guests receive fuel and sustenance to move forward.
“Volunteers make things happen in Nevada County,” said Karl. “We wouldn’t see nearly as much done if it weren’t for the volunteers.”
Thank you, Karl, Suzie, and fellow woodturners for standing by Hospitality House and helping guests get back on their feet through art, cooking and kindness.
Giving Smarter: Planned Giving
It comes as no surprise that our community is resilient. The recent River Fire has left many without their homes, but as a community, we band together and help one another. There are other ways to help each other too: Hospitality House offers a Legacy Circle for the community, which is a practical way for you to ensure self-sufficiency and housing for all, without affecting your current finances, through thoughtful estate planning. The Legacy Circle ensures that even in the long years after you’re gone, shelter, food and housing assistance are always available for your friends and family.
We don’t know what the future may hold, but we can plan now to better protect tomorrow. Become an honored member of the Hospitality House Legacy Circle today. Let us know you’ve included Hospitality House in your estate plans and receive a personal certificate of membership, and, if desired, your name inscribed on our future Legacy Circle plaque.
Learn more about planned giving>
Business Appreciation:
The Center for the Arts
We’d like to thank The Center for the Arts for standing by our homeless community. Recently, The Center learned that we lost our venue to host another Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST) for local law enforcement. For those unfamiliar, the trainings play a critical role in our community to help officers understand the complexities surrounding homelessness, de-escalation tactics, signs of mental illness, and resources available in the community to aid officers, all in an effort to increase peaceful and purposeful interactions between local law enforcement and people experiencing homelessness. To ensure all officers have an opportunity to partake in the training, The Center stepped up and donated their venue to us! The last summer training is now moving forward without delay. They also surprised us by offering us their venue for upcoming Hospitality House benefits as well, also as a donation. Thank you, The Center for the Arts, for partnering with Hospitality House. We appreciate you!
Become a Treasured Hearts & Hands Club Member Today
Have you been thinking about joining the Hospitality House Hearts & Hands Club? 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, housing assistance, case management, job training and emergency preparedness in response to COVID-19. It also has special advantages for you as a donor.
- Easier on your pocketbook: Monthly donations can be easier on your cash flow than donating occasional larger amounts.
- Easier on your budgeting: Scheduled giving not only helps Hospitality House plan for the future—it helps you plan as well.
Club enrollment starts for as little as $5 a month. Make changes to your donation at any time. Learn more and sign up today>
Stop By and Thank Our Generous Local Sponsors!
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