I’m Tyson Powers, and I’m the Housing Case Manager. My main priority is to help homeless individuals transition back into housing and I’m always looking for creative and permanent housing solutions.
I want to share with you all the story of a guest who I will call Carol. Carol is in her thirties, divorced and with three children. She has a long history of mental illness such as bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts. This was mostly triggered by her divorce, consequently resulting in the lost of her job and custody of her three children. Carol went through the darkest moments of her life. Her illness became so severe that it resulted in homelessness and she found herself with no other choice but to seek help. She came to the shelter for assistance and got wraparound services which gave her the tools to help her get back on her feet. Carol slowly worked her way up; she found a full-time job in the area and later got promoted. She found a place to rent in Auburn, where we both went to look at, we visited together, talked to the landlord and connected her to the Rapid Rehousing program which helped her pay for her rental deposit. She is doing great now; she pays all her bills by herself and she can now enjoy the custody of her three children. Carol’s accomplishments are proof that individuals struggling with homelessness can move forward. She is now blessed to once again have unforgettable moments with her children during these past holidays.
If anyone listening right now might have an interest in helping individuals like Carol by renting a room, studio, apartment or house I invite you to call me, Tyson. I can be reached directly at 530-798-6465.
We have great news for 2020! On New Year’s Day we opened our brand-new program that opens the doors to homeless pet owners and their pets. Both will receive shelter and services at Hospitality House without the need for pet separation in exchange for assistance such as food, licensing, veterinary care, spay and neuter, wellness checks, flea and tick treatment, rabies vaccinations, medications and even medical operations if needed. These services in turn reduce the number of sick animals on the streets and unwanted puppies and kittens and increase the care for animals, which all improves community safety. It also ensures that homeless pet owners stay together with their loved one(s) at the shelter so they can benefit from the shelter’s programming and transition back into housing, which is our ultimate goal for all of our guests.
This past week, we were blessed by many caring individuals who prepared meals and we are beyond grateful. I’d like to give a big thank you to Wolf Creek Co-Housing, Telestream, Saint Patrick’s Church, TCC Blessed Sisters, Elevation 2477, Emergency Team and Crossroads Church for coming out to cook. 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…
- Men’s jeans, sizes 32,34 and 36
- Men’s belts
- Men’s sweatpants, sizes M and L
- Women’s jeans, sizes 8,10 and 12
- Hairbrushes
- Earplugs
- Non-alcoholic cold medicines
- Benadryl
- Ibuprofen
- Pepto-Bismol
Please drop off urgent items to Utah’s Place, located in Brunswick Basin, past the DMV, at 1262 Sutton Way. For all other donations that may benefit a homeless guest or the shelter in general, please take them to the backdoor of Bread & Roses, our thrift shop, located at 840 E Main Street, directly next door to Sierra Cinemas. Guests at our shelter are given shopping vouchers for the store to buy what they need, so your donation directly helps them. All other items are sold with 100% of the sales supporting the shelter’s operations. If we all stick together, we’ll get what we need. Thank you.