I am Molly DeBrock, Housing Case Manager at Hospitality House, which is the only emergency homeless shelter in Nevada County with 69 beds for men, women and children.
While I wish for rain, it is definitely easier on our homeless friends not to have the wet conditions. We are still in an overflow situation with guests sleeping not only in the dorms upstairs but in the dining room as well.
What does it mean to provide housing case management? There are several ways in which I am able to follow up with formerly homeless folks and offer support as they transition to stability.
-Home Visits: I consistently go out to people’s homes and check in with them to see how they’re doing. Sometimes I bring food from the food bank, but often it’s just to chat and see how they’re adjusting. Oftentimes it takes a few months for people to adjust from being homeless to being housed. I offer resources and referrals for part-time work and volunteer opportunities because people usually want to find a way to contribute and give back themselves once they’re stable.
-House Meetings: With some of our houses that have several clients living in them, I will go out once a month and conduct a house meeting. This usually entails coordinating with the landlord so they can send any concerns to me and I can bring to the group, and making sure the house is running smoothly. We have co-created “house agreements” so that everyone feels that they have a voice in the house, and so they are accountable to each other.
-Post Housing Luncheons: Once a month we host a luncheon at Hospitality House where we offer lunch, case management, and peer support. People who have been housed through us come and meet up to discuss the positive things and the challenges they are experiencing. Sometimes we work on budgeting and money management to make sure that we assist people in the adjustment to paying rent and utilities. We also do work around empowerment and achieving goals so that clients feel they have things to continue to work towards.
So let me share with you about one of the former guests that I have gotten to know . . .
“Ricky” has been a quiet success story here at Hospitality House. Ricky had been homeless off and on for many years, was estranged from his family and had little support. Through his stays at Hospitality House he worked on his health issues and got some income. Through working with the Housing Case Manager he learned how to manage his money and moved into a small apartment of his own. He has been successfully housed since fall of 2015, and continues to attend our Post Housing Luncheons to, “eat some good food and socialize with some friendly faces”.
The ground work is under way for the TEMPORARY (it is ONLY temporary!) Remodel and Reconstruction of Bread & Roses Thrift. We need volunteer groups to join us for a sorting party to prepare donations for sale. Contact Sue@hhshelter.org to sign up. Keep your eye on our website for details about the Re-opening. We look forward to having all our wonderful customers back shopping with us. We also need Assistant Volunteer Monitors at the shelter, please contact Sue at sue@hhshelter.og to sign up for this four-hour late afternoon/early evening shift.
Thanks to Fable Coffee this week for sharing their delicious coffee with us. Located right next to Del Oro Theater in Grass Valley, their friendly staff makes well-crafted coffee drinks. So visit Fable Coffee and tell them thank you for helping out the shelter!
Now down to the nitty gritty needs of the shelter:
– Sheets, specifically twin size flat sheets
– Towels
– Small blankets or throws
– Dog food for our friends at Pets for the Homeless
Needs for Housing Clients:
Disinfecting wipes/spray
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Brooms/mops/swiffer’s
Hats/mittens/scarves
Drop off your donations at Utah’s Place, located in Brunswick Basin, past A-1 Appliance, 1262 Sutton Way.
Finally, if you are a potter or woodturner, we would love your help for our annual Empty Bowl event on March 17. You can donate hand-crafted soup-size bowls for people to select and stand in solidarity for those who are hungry and homeless. Drop your handcrafted ceramic or wooden bowls off at Utah’s Place–attention Debbie. And get your $25 tickets now for Empty Bowl on March 17! You get to choose a lovely ceramic or wooden bowl and fill it with soup. Buy tickets at hhshelter.org or at BriarPatch!