I’m Brook, ESG Outreach Supervisor at Hospitality House. I assist individuals and families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. I also help homeless individuals find the needed medical and financial resources to help them get back on their feet and into housing.
I would like to share with you the work that our outreach does, which is geared toward the most vulnerable and in the need of services. In one case we were called by Grass Valley Police Department (GVPD) to meet with a gentleman experiencing acute schizoaffective disorder symptoms. The gentleman was incarnated at the time but would be released homelessness with mental illness. We were able to assist the gentleman in not only obtaining Medi-Cal, but also in completing a Social Security application. We also made connections to Behavioral Health for referrals so that he can exit jail with services; he was awarded Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and we are currently working on housing solutions for him to avoid returning to homelessness. By proactively engaging someone before they are released and ensuring they receive medical treatment and housing support, this significantly reduces recidivism and improves housing, employment, financial health, mental health, and legal outcomes for people. To learn more about Hospitality House, please visit hhshelter.org.
Empty Bowl tickets now on sale! Instead of a large gathering, patrons will visit a select restaurant to try a specialty dish and will keep an artisan bowl forever too (generously donated by local artists). Help people on their journey back to housing and support local businesses too. The restaurants participating are donating every meal to help make the event possible, so please patronize them. This week we are featuring fudenjüce and Golden Gate Saloon at the Holbrooke Hotel and tickets are now for sale for Three Forks Bakery and Heartwood Eatery. Get your tickets today before they are gone! For additional details about Empty Bowl, please visit https://emptybowl.rsvpify.com. We’d like to thank North California Mortgage and Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine for being a sponsor again this year! Thank you, North California Mortgage and Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine.
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. Chef Gina is safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Nevada City United Methodist Church, Sierra Pines United Methodist Church, Jazzercise, The Home Team, Crossroads Church, and Telestream, and 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!
And the needs of the shelter for this week are:
• Baby car seats, baby blankets, strollers and newborn diapers
• Blankets, twin size
• Bottled water
• Headphones
• Men’s and Women’s deodorant
• Men’s pants, sizes 32-40
• Men’s shoes, sizes 10 and up
• Men’s t-shirts, sizes M, L and XL
• New pillows
• PPE masks (disposable)
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Travel bags, duffle bags and backpacks
• Women shirts, all sizes
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!