My name is Celeste LaPedus, and I’m an Outreach Case Manager at Hospitality House. I specialize in building rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness and encouraging them to engage in case management services.
This week I’d like to share a story with you about a woman I’ll call Rebecca.
Like many women experiencing homelessness, Rebecca became homeless when fleeing domestic violence. Once leaving her abuser, Rebecca had difficulty securing housing on such short notice. She moved into a motel with her two children while she continued to look for a place to live but ran out of money before securing permanent housing. Thankfully, she reached out to Hospitality House for help.
Once Rebecca reached out, my colleague Eli and I went to the motel to meet with her and immediately got to work connecting her with case management services. We took Rebecca to the Rood Center and guided her through all the necessary paperwork to obtain a 16-day motel voucher that same day, guaranteeing shelter for herself and her kids while we continued to look for housing. Additionally, we were able to get CalFresh and CalWORKS benefits for Rebecca, which provides food and cash assistance for necessities like groceries, clothing, and gas for her car. Finally, we secured Medi-Cal for both of her children.
With food, transportation, and temporary shelter for Rebecca and her children secured, I started to think about the next steps for her and her family. I connected Rebecca with Community Beyond Violence, who will help her receive therapy and support. If Rebecca is still looking for housing once her motel voucher has expired, I will help her transition over to Salvation Army’s Booth Family Center, which will provide housing help and services for her and her children as they work to rebuild their lives. Hospitality House routinely partners with agencies like CBV for domestic violence and the Booth Center for homeless families to maximize care and services.
If you or someone you know has a rental available that may be a good fit for Rebecca and her family, please reach out to me at 530-575-2111.
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 cooking groups are supporting our meals by donating financial support and food, and Chef Gina is safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank the Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, St. Mary’s School, Unity in the Gold Country, Seasoned with Love, Peace Lutheran Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, BriarPatch Food Co-Op, and SPD Markets for all their recent help.
Additionally, if you would like to help us hands-on, Hospitality House is currently hiring! We are hiring for the positions of Finance Officer, Shelter/Community Advocate, and Overnight Shelter Advocate. Please visit hhshelter.org/employment for more information on the positions and how to apply.
Due to increased COVID-19 cases and a construction project at Utah’s Place, donations of goods are still 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!