Safe Ground Sacramento will hold a weeklong festival starting Wednesday to raise funds and awareness for its goal to create a sustainable community for the area’s homeless population. Live music, poetry readings and inspirational speeches from community leaders are a few of the festivities lined up for Safe Ground Stake Down at 12th and C Streets in the Alkali Flat neighborhood downtown from May 1 through 8. The activities will begin in the afternoon while people will camp out in tents at night. The event’s goal is to highlight the need for a “safe ground” for those impacted by homelessness. “Safe Ground is sometimes mistaken for being about tent camping,” said executive director Steve W

TGIF, am I right? Fingers crossed as the 49ers take on the Falcons this Saturday, and don’t forget that BaconFest starts on Sunday. Whether you prefer pigskin or pork fat, take a minute before heading out for the weekend to make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press. Community Contribution: 5. Outside the Cage: Max 'Pain' Griffin by Ahsan Awan Ahsan Awan offered a preview of what’s in store at this year’s West Coast Fighting Championship that included an interview with local fighter Max “Pain” Griffin. 4. The state of medical cannabis in the city of Sacramento by Ron Mullins First-time contributor Ron Mullins tracked the history of our state and city’s relati

It should be an action-packed weekend for Sacramento. The 49ers are up against the Packers for the NFC championship on Saturday, Dine Downtown will be running through the weekend and next week, and the hogs are scheduled to overtake the city for the Easyrider bike show at the Convention Center. But before you dive in, make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press. Community Contributors 5. Sacramento's Newest Rising Star by Emilie Cameron Everyone loves to see a local artist edge their way into the national spotlight. Local photographer Ryan Greenleaf is on his way. 4. ‘My Kind Of Town Sacramento Is’ by Kathleen Johnson Kathleen Johnson connected with readers

It's disgusting to witness the apathy and lack of compassion readers have concerning articles published on homelessness. Whether it be in Sacramento Press, Sac Bee, or any other online news media, the countless number of hateful comments people post targeting the homeless is staggering. As a person more qualified to speak with authority on the subject of homelessness, its indescribable to express the feelings that arise upon witnessing such ignorance and tragedy. It's extremely offensive to think and ponder the high likeliness that most of the people commenting on homeless issues, especially those whose crude and distasteful comments only serve to insult and belittle the homeless communit

If Frank Sinatra was alive today and came back to our beautiful-diverse city of Sacramento, I’m sure he would agree. I’ve lived here for almost 24 years and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, except maybe Colorado where my son now lives. Besides the warmer weather, the people here are the best in the West. I love Sacramento! This story is about homelessness, the people that came out of it, and the many that help us get off the streets, to help us become a part of society, and enjoy life again. By God’s mercy I’ve been clean and sober for almost 20 years and un-homeless since 1992. To God be the glory for all the many wonderful, caring people from Sacramento that help us along the way, s

In what could only be initially described as an experiment, nearly 40 participants gathered at The Urban Hive on Tuesday evening for CivicMeet Sacramento, an event sponsored by civic startup Public Innovation. Breaking into a new space of civic co-creation, five teams developed innovative proposals to address unmet public needs in under 45 minutes. This proof of concept validates the model Public Innovation has adapted from Bay Area efforts such as Code for America and the San Francisco Urban Prototyping Festival, and given the green light to move forward with future projects. The five teams each designed a poster to describe their idea. Their innovations comprised: (1) Humanizing Homel

It took Cherie Hunt 22 hours and 16 pounds of confectioner’s sugar to make her gingerbread bungalow house. Red licorice bricks and spearmint gum shingles trim the gingerbread house that she modeled after her former Oakland home (which presumably did not have a candy exterior). Hunt’s creation was a winning entry in the second annual Sacramento Self Help Housing (SSHH) gingerbread house competition on Dec. 1. The event was held to draw attention to the need for stable and affordable housing for those who are homeless or in crisis. Competitors were asked to build a gingerbread home that reflects their concept of where the homeless make a home. In the kid’s category, there was a gingerbrea

In the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the former Paul Blanco aka Cal Worthington dealership at the corner of Franklin Blvd. and Florin Road, I read a lot of hilariously scary comments about the area in the Bee. Seems a number of individuals drive through the area with their doors locked and a firm grip on the wheel for fear that loiterers will assault them. Some claim even the police keep their doors and windows locked and look straight ahead as they cruise down Franklin and/or Florin. Boy, you'd think we're talking about driving through Homs in Syria or something. Just because some people are big and black doesn't mean they're bad guys out assaulting law-abiding citizens. I'

Struggling with overwhelming need and low donations, Volunteers of America is extending their community drive in hopes of providing thousands of Sacramento area children with the school supplies they need to succeed. “Donations are down this year,” explains Volunteers of America’s Christie Holderegger. “For every single backpack donated so far this year, there are four more children in need. Quite simply, struggling families put their limited resources to food and housing… school supplies are a luxury that cannot be afforded.” In response to the growing number of requests for assistance from the community, Volunteers of America has extended Operation Backpack through August 3, 2012, hopin

This year is our 5th Annual Homeless Connect Event! Homeless Connect is a one-day, one-stop resource fair for homeless folks, with an emphasis on hospitality and an overarching goal to bring the community together to support the services that help end homelessness. This year, Homeless Connect will be held on June 2, from 10am - 3pm at Sacramento City College. Community volunteers assist service providers and staff in providing an amazing, welcome and heartwarming experience for our homeless neighbors. After the event, volunteers genuinely agree that the experience is a great one; some volunteers have felt their opinions around homelessness forever changed for the better! Homeless Connec

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency has been awarded the California Redevelopment Association (CRA) Award of Excellence for its successful redevelopment project, the Boulevard Court Apartments at 5321 Stockton Boulevard. The project is the winner in the category of Residential Redevelopment - Rehabilitation. The California Redevelopment Association has honored the hard work and dedication of the professionals working in the redevelopment field since 1996. Each year CRA gives Awards of Excellence to recognize redevelopment projects from around the state that have significantly benefited their communities. “SHRA is proud to share this award with Mercy Housing as the developer o

When 30-year Sacramento resident Tracy Underwood applied for a single occupancy unit in the soon-to-be refurbished Hotel Berry last month, his application was denied – despite having lived at the same address for the past 25 years and having been at the same job for 15 years – because he had more than one negative line on his credit report. “I need my rent based on my income so I can pay off some debt, save some money and then move so my studio will be available to the next person that needs help,” Underwood, 44, said in an email Wednesday. Many people affected by the downturn in the economy find themselves in need of more affordable housing, but getting access to that housing can be a l

The City Council approved a $1.2 million loan from the city Housing Authority Tuesday for renovation of one of 10 residential hotels located in downtown Sacramento – a project that will result in 22 studio apartments for low- to very-low-income residents. The four-story, 58-unit Ridgeway Hotel, at 914 12th St., was built in 1921 and renovated in 1987, according to a report from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. “It has been vacant and boarded up for the past several years,” Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency Executive Director La Shelle Dozier said Tuesday. “It was designed in an old style with small units that had to share bathrooms and kitchens. It’s really in n

While canned food drives and holiday donations may bring awareness to the needs of homeless people in the community, the need for donations exists year-round, and sometimes those needs are filled by unexpected donors. For the past 10 to 15 years, Classique Catering – which contracts with the Sacramento Convention Center to provide food for convention center events – has been donating its excess to charity. “A lot of times, there will be events where a company plans on 800 people showing up, and they pay for food for that many, but maybe only 600 show up, leaving us with 200 extra meals,” said Classique Catering General Manager Vickie Housholder. Those extra 200 meals – whether they be i

A line of people patiently waiting for a hot meal on a cold day might be common in some areas, but the line expected in front of Mulvaney’s B&L Feb. 19 will likely be full of the kind of people who are used to being waited on – and the $25 they fork over for a bowl of soup will help those in need. “The $25 they spend for their bowl will go entirely to the kitchens at Loaves & Fishes and St. John’s Shelter,” said Lead Pastor Michael Mervine of the L19 Community Church, which is partnering with the charities and Mulvaney’s B&L for the event. Mervine added that each $25 purchase will pay for a cauldron of soup that can be used to feed 25 to 30 people in the shelters. He said that he, the M

From head counts and courtroom drama to Winter Sanctuary and SafeGround – homelessness remained at the top of the list of issues in Sacramento in 2011. Despite data showing the number of homeless in the county had declined over the past year, there were still many people sleeping on the streets each night in 2011. Local charity groups and community service programs struggled through the year to provide for the homeless – including an increasing percentage of families – many of whom were homeless for the first time due to fallout from the housing and mortgage crisis. The alleged mishandling of homeless individuals’ personal property as police enforced city anti-camping laws resulted in a

Sacramento Steps Forward is a non-profit tasked with a critical mission of ending homeless in Sacramento by 2020, serving as a national example of how to end chronic homelessness. Beginning in January 2012, C7group will partner with Sacramento Steps Forward staff and volunteers to implement social business strategy and tactics for their organization. Social media technology increases the number of communication channels available to listen and respond to the community and social business procedures often improve workflow processes. For Sacramento Steps Forward, social business integration plays a dynamic role to fulfill their mission and communicate internally and externally to staff, vol

On the eve of another cold night in Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank stepped up to give $75,000 to help the city’s Winter Sanctuary program provide shelter for the homeless. “People talk about ‘occupy this’ and ‘occupy that,’ but this is what people want,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “They want the corporate community to have values that are in line with the least among us in our communities.” Wells Fargo representative David Galasso presented the $75,000 check at the press conference. Winter Sanctuary provides shelter to the homeless during the winter months and is run by Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward – a regional initiative launched in 2010 to

Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association celebrated the grand opening of the Highlands yesterday. The celebration included tours of the 90-apartment community and a ceremony honoring Darrell Steinberg, State Senate President Pro Tem and author of the California Mental health Services Act (Proposition 63) that provides partial operating support for the development. Located on a 3.5-acre parcel in the McClellan Redevelopment Area, the Highlands has 66 efficiency apartments for formerly homeless people and 12 studio apartments and 12 three-bedroom ones for people of modest means. The complex has a community room and kitchen, a computer lab and conference room as well as offices for staff.

The Sacramento area is expected to see temperatures as low as 30 degrees for the next 3 nights. This weather is extremely dangerous for the 1,000 homeless men, women and children in Sacramento County who are currently without shelter.  Due to the projected freezing temperatures, a warming center at the Salvation Army has been activated for Monday, December 5, Tuesday, December 6 and Wednesday December 7.  Men and women (18 years and older) needing shelter can go to the Salvation Army, located at 12th and North B Street. The warming center will be opened from 8:00 pm until 6:00 am. The warming center will close on the morning of Thursday, December 8th. More information will be made avail