I am Sarah Kinney, a case manager here at Hospitality House and I work specifically with homeless victims of crime. I also assist guests with qualifying for social services, benefits, and eventually getting them into independent housing. At Hospitality House, we make every effort to guide our guests in their transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency and housing.
For this week’s news, I would like to share a story about a guest who I will call Charles. Charles has overcome many hurdles in his life with his health being an ongoing struggle. Charles was in a bad car accident in the past which caused him to become permanently disabled and lose a family member. This greatly impacted Charles’s ability to work which only created more issues for Charles when it came to finding housing. Since arriving here at the Hospitality House, Charles has received Social Security Income benefits, transportation to and from medical appointments, and has had the opportunity to heal in a safe, clean environment in our Recuperative Care Dorm after having surgery. This dorm is designed to give individuals released from the hospital a safe place to rest and recover, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Since surgery, Charles was able to make a recovery and gain control over his health. Recently, he found housing outside of the shelter with a live-in caregiver. This allows Charles to have more independence as well as assistance with daily activities as needed.
If you haven’t heard, Empty Bowl is back this September with a safe new format. Instead of a large gathering, patrons will visit a select restaurant to try a specialty dish and will keep an artisan bowl forever too (generously donated by local artists). Help people on their journey back to housing and support local businesses too. To become a featured restaurant or to sign your business up as a branded sponsor, please contact Kindy McCullough at 530-575-2027 or kmccullough@hhshelter.org. Additional details about Empty Bowl can be found at hhshelter.org/empty-bowl.
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, Chef Gina is safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank Alta Sierra, Twin Cities Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Mountain Stream Meditation Center, Kitchen KutUps, The Home Team, Abundant Life, SPD Markets and BriarPatch Food Co-op for all their help. To everyone who donated our most needed items last week, thank you as well!
And the needs of the shelter for this week are:
- PPE masks and gloves (please keep donating these)
- Blankets, twin size
- New Pillows
- Silverware
- Bottled water
- Hand warmers
- Travel bags/duffle bags
- Brushes/combs/hair ties
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Men’s jeans, sizes 30-36
- Women’s jeans, size 2-18
- Men and Women’s shorts, sizes M – 3XL
- Men and Women’s undershirts
- Men and Women’s tank tops
- Women’s underwear, sizes S, M, and L
- Men’s boxer briefs, sizes M-2XL
- Men’s pajama pants
- Women’s loungewear, lightweight
- Women’s casual summer dresses
- Women’s and men’s sandals, sizes 9-12
- Men’s tennis shoes, sizes 9-12
- Women’s tennis shoes, sizes 7-9
- 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!