My name is Fred Skeen. I’m a case manager at Hospitality House. My job is to assist guests with qualifying for social services benefits, arranging medical care referrals, and eventually getting them into independent housing. We make every effort to guide our guests in their transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency and housing.
We are currently sheltering a wonderful gentleman who I will call Barry. Barry has been homeless for years and is a long-time gold miner, who grew up in the area. Initial assistance was provided by our Homeless Outreach and Medical Engagement (HOME) team, which is a team comprised of Hospitality House, the County and Turning Point, that helps people on the street and in camps get connected to services.
We were able to get Barry into the shelter last fall as the weather was becoming cold and wet. Barry was presented with a multitude of moderate medical problems which he had been ignoring for some time. Some of his orthopedic issues were caused by unexpected interactions with wildlife (bears) during his years camping and gold mining.
We at Hospitality House provide scheduling and transportation to a variety of medical appointments throughout the year. Wraparound case management services initiated his insurance coverage, medical specialty referrals and eventually a steady monthly income.
Barry is now ready to head back out into independent living and has no desire to ever survive in the forest again. Due to his advancing years, he needs a small place to call his home. He is agreeable to renting a room anywhere between Grass Valley and North San Juan. He is very capable of performing light maintenance and general chores as may be needed.
We are putting the word out to the local community to get Barry a room to rent this summer. If you can offer Barry a room to rent, please call me directly, Fred Skeen, RN Case Manager at (530) 559-5411. He has no immediate family in this area. Therefore, we are his family.
In just a few short months, Empty Bowl will be back for all of September, thanks to our wonderful artist community and our amazing local restaurants. We are currently looking for businesses to help sponsor the event. Packages start as low as $250. Please call us at (530) 615-0852 to learn more or email info@hhshelter.org.
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 cook groups are supporting our meals by donating financial support and food instead. We’d like to thank Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, Mount Saint Mary Academy, Unity in the Gold Country Spiritual Center, Seasoned with Love, Peace Lutheran Grass Valley, CA, The Home Team and Grass Valley Seventh-day Adventist 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, on to the needs of the shelter for this week are:
• Blankets, twin size
• New pillows
• Bottled water
• Women’s t-shirts, sizes M, L and XL
• Men’s t-shirts, sizes L, XL, and XXL
• Men’s and women’s deodorant
• Duffel bags and backpacks
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!