I’m Tyson Powers, and I’m the Job Placement Case Manager. My main priority is to help homeless individuals find a job that helps them transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Today, I’d like to tell you a story about a man who has gone through the culinary program who I will call Jake. Jake came to Hospitality House after finding himself homeless after many years working as a caretaker on a local property. He was blindsided and found himself in need of shelter and safety. Jake came into Utah’s Place through our Outreach Dorm and quickly made it upstairs into our Onward Dorm. In Onward Dorm, guests maintain their sobriety and work with their assigned case managers to achieve individual goals. Jake knew he needed to find income through steady employment and connected with me for guidance. We soon introduced Jake to our Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative, which is intended to supplement existing workforce and education programs by providing services to ensure his success. Jake is breaking the barriers by enrolling in our culinary program and graduating! I am happy to announce that Jake has found employment! He plans to save some money and move into his own place soon!
If anyone listening right now might have an interest in helping individuals by renting a room, studio, apartment or house, I invite you to call me today. Also, we encourage landlords that are curious or accepting Housing Choice Voucher program. Please call me directly for more information at 530-798-6465.
We are already gearing up for our 15th annual Night of Giving, so save the date for Saturday, Dec. 19! Night of Giving returns this year as a virtual evening of musical entertainment and merriment to raise awareness and support for our homeless community and right now we’re looking for local businesses who’d like to help sponsor the event. Please contact our development team at 530-615-0852 or by email at info@hhshelter.org to get involved. Thank you to Sweetland Garden Mercantile for signing on to be a sponsor this year. We appreciate you!
Normally at this time, we also thank all the cook groups who came and cooked over the last week, but to keep our shelter safe amid COVID-19, our cook groups are supporting our meals by donating financial support and food, and Chef Chris is safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank Wolf Creek Commons Cohousing, Telestream, Gourmet Squad, Meals by Heels, Peace Lutheran Grass Valley, CA, The Home Team and First Baptist Church of Nevada County for all their recent help. To everyone who donated our most needed items last week, thank you as well!
Now down to the nitty gritty needs of the shelter for this week…
• PPE masks and gloves, (please keep donating these)
• Hand sanitizer
• Towels
• Women’s and Men’s *new underwear
• *New pillows
• Blankets, twin size
• Watercolor paper and small palettes
• Sweatshirts and hoodies
• Poligrip and Polident
• Men’s shoes size 10 and up
• Bottled water
• Guitar picks and guitar strings
• Blood pressure device (all in one unit or a separate B/P cuff & stethoscope pair)
• Diabetes test kits (Glucose meter & test strips)
Please drop off urgent items 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!