I’m Jessica, a shelter case manager at Utah’s Place. I offer comprehensive support to guests and connect them with resources they need to reestablish independence and housing security. This week, I’d like to share some great news about a couple I have been working with.
Leila and Jared have battled serious health problems and personal hardship over the past years. Last year alone, Leila suffered a stroke and lost both her parents and their house in Southern California. With few options in Southern California’s competitive and expensive real estate market, they accepted a friend’s offer to help in Nevada City. Incredibly, by the time they arrived, the friend they desperately counted on was no longer able to help support them. They had nowhere to go.
Jared and Leila lived by the Yuba River with their cat for a month until lack of dialysis treatments led to kidney failure for Jared. He was taken to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and was subsequently referred to the Hospitality House Recuperative Care Dorm at Utah’s Place. As Jared regained his health, I began helping him and Leila rebuild their lives. After determining the couple’s goals, I helped them to establish primary care physicians and ongoing care, secure disability income, and supported them in applying for apartments.
Throughout our relationship, Jared and Leila have been a pleasure to work with. They are remarkably humble, kind, and hardworking; always offering to do chores at the shelter and help in the kitchen. After nearly a year since our first meeting, I am excited to share that Jared and Leila are on the cusp of moving into their own apartment! I look forward to checking in with them after they’ve settled into their new home. Congratulations to Jared and Leila!
Thanks to our generous donors, Hospitality House is able to remain committed to guests, being a constant source of hope and guidance for those working their way back to permanent housing. If you’d like to be a part of the impactful effort of helping those like Jared and Leila, please consider joining our Hearts & Hands Club, where giving as little as $10 per month can add up to a big impact over the year. To learn more, please click here or call 530-615-0852.
I’d also like to thank all our volunteers who have recently joined our cook team this month! A special thanks also to our partners for providing ongoing food and/or financial support: SPD Markets, 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! We are incredibly grateful to all of you who give your time, energy and compassion to those who need it most.
The shelter’s wish list for the week:
• Reuseable cups (paper or plastic)
• Twin-size bed sheets
• Soap (liquid or bar)
DONATION HOURS AND DROP-OFF LOCATION: Donations from our needs list above and all unexpired/store-bought foods are accepted at Utah’s Place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am – 3:30pm and Saturdays from 10am – 2pm. Our shelter is located at 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945.
Thank you for keeping our community in mind!