I am Sarah Kinney, a case manager here at Hospitality House and I work specifically with the homeless victims of crime. I assist our guests by connecting them with the resources and support they need to get back on their feet.
Hospitality House is a year-round emergency homeless shelter for the general homeless community in Nevada County, and since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve shifted into a 24/7 operation, working in partnership with multiple agencies around town in a collective effort to help as many people as possible in crisis.
I want to share with you all a quick story regarding one of our shelter guests, who I will call Susan. Susan has struggled with substance abuse and has worked hard here at Hospitality House to stay committed to her sobriety. She has received assistance with social and human health services as well as transportation to and from important medical appointments. Recently, Susan experienced some major health setbacks which resulted in hospitalization for a few weeks. Following, she returned to Hospitality House through our Recuperative Care dorm, a dorm designed to give individuals released from the hospital a safe place to rest and recover, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with onsite care provided through the hospital as needed. Susan is now doing better and works hard every day to secure permanent housing. If anyone has job openings or housing options for our guests like Susan, feel free to reach out to me at (530) 615-6707.
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 TheChurchOfJesusChristofLatterdaySaints, Twin Cities Church, Holy Trinity Church – Episcopal: Historic Faith for Modern People, Seasoned with Love, Choppers, The Home Team, Abundant Life Community Church, SPD Markets and BriarPatch Food Co-op for all their 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:
• PPE masks and gloves (please keep donating these)
• Blankets, twin size
• Silverware
• Bottled water
• Hand warmers
• Alka seltzer
• Travel bags/backpacks
• Headphones/earbuds
• Brushes/combs/hair ties
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Men and Women’s winter gloves
• Men and Women’s undershirts
• Men’s jeans, sizes 30-36
• 8oz paper coffee cups (no lids or styrofoam/plastic cups needed)
• Women’s underwear, sizes S, M, and L
• Men and Women’s sweatpants, sizes M, L, XL and 2XL
• Ensure/Boost drinks for a guest undergoing chemo and radiation treatments
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!