My name is Levi Bryant and I am the Data and Information Technology Manager at Hospitality House. I am primarily responsible for data management, tracking each and every individual served as well as the services the individual received from our agency, such as food, clothing, case management, shelter, transportation, etc. Having comprehensive data helps Hospitality House secure grants and contracts and helps us better understand the complexities of homelessness and patterns in homelessness.
Women, as an example, is a demographic we track. In our last fiscal year, we served 267 women, which makes up 37% of the local homeless population we served (718 unique individuals total). Of our homeless women, the majority were found to be between the ages of 31-50, followed by 51-61 and 62-plus. For all women served, 82% self-reported having a disability and 66% have experienced domestic violence. Of the 182 people that Hospitality House helped achieve housing last year, 42% were women. In general, we are seeing a 6% greater success rate of housing women than compared to other genders, even though we serve less women overall. Lastly, among our homeless veterans, 14% were found to be women. I mention this because the U.S. Department of Labor indicates women make up 10% of all veterans in the U.S., so we may have a higher concentration of women vets in our community.
All of this data is helpful not only in going after grants and contracts but in identifying service needs and adjusting our services to best help each person on their journey back to housing. As an example, with 82% of our women experiencing some form of disability, this is just one related reason we offer 14 medical respite beds at our shelter (growing from 4 beds in 2018 to 14 by 2021). Our medical respite program allows people with disabilities to stay in the shelter throughout the day/night as needed. It’s also why our case managers are skilled at helping people apply for and secure Social Security Disability Income, when often times there is no income of any kind.
If you’d like to further our work to help more women in need, Night of Giving is back Thursday, Dec. 15 at The Center for the Arts and all proceeds support local women, men and children experiencing homelessness. After two years of virtual shows, this is the first in-person Night of Giving since 2019 and one you won’t want to miss! Tickets are on sale now! Get yours now and save money at the door: https://nightofgiving.rsvpify.com/. A big thank you to YubaNet.com and Telestream for sponsoring Night of Giving again this year!
Right now, I’d like to give a shoutout to our two volunteer food shoppers, Hilary Dart and Marna Duncan, for helping us with shopping needs each week. If you have an interest in volunteering, we have several opportunities available in our culinary department, including grocery shopping, cooking, food delivery and dish washing. We are also looking for event volunteers for Night of Giving. Call us at (530) 615-0852 or email info@hhshelter.org to learn about our opportunities. A special thanks also to our partners for providing ongoing food and/or financial support: SPD Markets, BriarPatch Food Co-op, Telestream, Interfaith Food Ministry, the Bishop Store (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nevada City) and Food Bank of Nevada County. To everyone who donated our most needed items last week, thank you as well!
Now down to the nitty gritty needs of the week:
- Twin-size blankets
- New pillows (we are unable to accept used)
- Ponchos
- Men’s shoes, sizes 10-14
- Women’s shoes, sizes 8-10
Special Giving Opportunity: We need help in order to offer a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the shelter. Please pledge a turkey, pie or side dish today by emailing info@hhshelter.org, calling 530.615.0852, or bringing your store-bought goods directly to the shelter, attention to Chef Brian.
DONATION HOURS: To streamline our donation process, donations are no longer being accepted at our shelter (unless it’s food). Please drop off items from our needs list on Tuesday or Thursday, 830am – 5pm at our admin office, located at 488 Crown Point Circle, Suite 100, Grass Valley, Ca 95945 (admin is closed weekends and all major holidays). 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!