Thanks to all of you that sponsored a bed for a homeless woman on International Women’s Day yesterday!!
I wanted to share a quick story of struggle and hope: A woman in her 60s has been staying at the shelter for a few months. She has a debilitating neurological condition in addition to a physical disability that requires her to use a walker. This winter weather has been especially tough on her. She landed in the hospital this week and through the help of Donna, a Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital social worker and our case manager, they secured a spot for her in a skilled nursing facility, where she can get the ongoing medical care that she needs. Our case manager, Fred, will spent half the day yesterday gathering her belongings and took her down to the facility in Auburn. We are thankful to the County of Nevada for hiring a case manager who started this week and will work out of Hospitality House, allowing us to work one-on-one with more people.
If you are looking to meet a friend for a good coffee, healthy fresh juice or yummy soup, go to Valentina’s Organic Bistro and Bakery on the corner of Sutton Way and Brunswick. And be sure to thank Valentina for providing homemade lasagna and soup for 69 homeless guests Wednesday night at the shelter! Valentina truly believes in food that can be healing.
This week our housing case manager, Molly, is conducting two educational classes. It is the first week of the 5-week “Ready to Rent” certification program. Molly is working with 10 homeless people identified by multiple agencies in the county as the most vulnerable and teaching how to accept responsibility for past rental issues, repair credit, create a workable budget, develop a housing search plan, understand the application and rental process, and effectively communicate with their landlord. We also hosted our post-housing luncheon this week where formerly homeless guests who are in their own homes come to learn new skills and talk through ongoing struggles.
Now down to the nitty gritty needs of the shelter . . .
We still are short on:
– Toilet paper (we use 448 roles of toilet paper every month; that breaks down to 16 a day and we are very low! It’s not one of those things you want to run out of.)
– Rain gear (ponchos with hoods)
– Used travel mugs (the ones with lids) or purchase disposable coffee cups with lids for these cold mornings when guests leave at 7:30am
– Cough syrup (non-alcoholic) and cough drops.
Drop off your donations at Utah’s Place, located in Brunswick Basin, past A-1 Appliance, 1262 Sutton Way.
Call 615.0852 to find out more.
We also need bakers to make cookies or volunteer for Empty Bowl on March 17. For the 5pm seating, we need someone to update the whiteboard that shows which delicious soups are available (made by Sopa Thai, Old Town Café, Three Forks, California Organics and others). We also need two people to serve soup and two people to wash dishes, all arriving at 4:45pm. Sign up with sue@hhshelter.org or 615-0805.
The tickets for Empty Bowl are going quick! It is next Saturday, March 17. In addition to choosing a really cool bowl and the delicious soup that goes in it, you’ll get a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to a nice dinner at Bistro 221 and you’ll enjoy music from guitarist Heather MacAdam and folk musician Dan Scanlan. Get your $25 tickets now for Empty Bowl on March 17—lunch or dinner at hhshelter.org or at BriarPatch! You should see the bowls coming in from potters like Paul Carter and Candy Ekstrom—beautiful blue and green and hand-thrown–and big and small bowls hand-turned by the Steve Danner and the artisans at Gold Country Woodturners. Thanks to the generous folks at Telestream and SPD Markets for sponsoring the 12th Annual Empty Bowl on March 17. Get your tickets at hhshelter.org.