My name is Geoff, and I’m the Shelter Operations Manager at Utah’s Place. I help make sure everything at Utah’s Place runs smoothly and continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment for Nevada County residents experiencing homelessness.
Today I would like to tell you a story about a man I’ll call Jason.
When we first met Jason, he was struggling with severe alcoholism. Jason had been a guest in our Outreach Dorm before, but we removed him from the shelter for behaviors related to being under the influence.
One of the most critical aspects of our Outreach Dorm is that it offers a place for individuals to get clean when they are ready. So, when Jason let a member of our Outreach Team know he was prepared to get sober, we gave him a bed for the night. Jason utilized our case management services to see a doctor in the area who could prescribe medication to help with the alcohol withdrawal.
After a week or so of sobriety, Jason started helping around the shelter with cleaning and other odd jobs, which gave him something to do during the day and helped him stay sober. Once a bed opened up in the Onward Dorm, we moved Jason upstairs into a designated bed. He was assigned a caseworker who helped him get his In-Home Supportive Services IHSS certification. All the while, he continued to help out where he was able, assisting other guests with their needs and more. Then, just last week, Jason got a job in IHSS! He is now employed, maintaining his sobriety, and moved into permanent housing earlier this week. We are all so happy to see how far he’s come!
If you would like to help Jason or additional men, women, and children in need, we have an ambitious goal to welcome 25 new Hearts & Hands Club members this month. Hearts & Hands is a group of individuals 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. You can become an honored club member by donating as little as $5 per month, changing a life in the process. Learn more about the club at hhshelter.org/hearts-hands-club/ and sign up today!
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 Wolf Creek Co-Housing, St. Mary’s School, Unity in the Gold Country, Meals by Heels, Elevation 2477, First Baptist Church, BriarPatch Food Co-Op, and SPD Markets for all their recent help.
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!