I’m Danna and I’m the Medical Case Manager for Hospitality House. I connect our guests with medical services as well as handle their medical insurance needs. I also help guests who own animals connect with our Pet Program, which provides full care for animals.
This month I would like to touch on a client’s story whom I have been working with intensively for some time now. Bryan has multiple medical issues that ultimately caused him to lose employment and his housing due to him not being able to care for himself without assistance. He has worked in this community for a good part of his life, and before he came to Hospitality House, he resided in a local trailer park in a unit he owned. Bryan initially came to Hospitality House through our Recuperative Care Dorm and was in an unhealthy state; he broke several ribs earlier this year while he was attempting to improve his bike riding skills. Managing his care has required us to utilize many specialists within the greater Sacramento area. He has had countless imaging appointments in order to better pinpoint the issues that need addressing; however, COVID has impacted our ability to be as aggressive with his medical needs. A few months ago, Bryan started to put on a lot of weight that could not be easily explained. This caused him to have further breathing issues and his mobility was threatened to the point where he could not stand or walk for more than a minute. Upon the recommendation of his primary care, Bryan was admitted to the hospital where they found that he was retaining around 40 pounds of water. Once they relieved his body of the extra water weight he has since been able to be much more mobile, rarely needs to use his oxygen, and his overall morale has greatly improved. Other team members and I will be continuing to manage his medical care in the hopes that we can increase his quality of life and perhaps get him stable enough to where he could consider living on his own while only needing limited assistance for strenuous activities.
If you’d like to help further our efforts for Bryan and others in our care, right now is the opportune time to give. Through May 21, local donors are matching all gifts to Hospitality House, up to $25,000. This means a donation of $5 will automatically become $10 and can help provide meals to 10 homeless persons in need. Learn more about this incredible opportunity at hhshelter.org and give 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. Our newly on-board Chef Sandro and Chef Assistant Gina are safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, Nevada City United Methodist Church, Jazzercise, The Home Team, Sierra Pines United Methodist Church, and Crossroads Church, BriarPatch Food Co-Op and SPD Markets 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)
• Blankets, twin size
• New Pillows
• Bottled water
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Men’s T-shirts, all sizes
• Men and Women’s tank tops
• Men and Women’s shorts, all sizes
• Women’s underwear, sizes S, M, and L
• Men’s pajama pants
• Women’s and Men’s lounge wear, light weight
• Women’s casual summer dresses
• Women’s tennis shoes, sizes 7-9
• Men’s tennis shoes, sizes 10-12
• Men’s and Women’s flip flops, all sizes
• 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!