With temperatures down to the 30s at night, it's hard to imagine that those without homes live on the street, without a place to go. Unfortunately, this is the case for many. From the homeless on K Street to those taking shelter on the river, there are many homeless men and women who have hit a rough spot, and are in need of support. Every other year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires local communities to perform a homeless street count in order to decipher how much assistance a particular city needs. With over 250 volunteers and 60 formerly homeless advisors, this year’s homeless street count was conducted last Thursday, Jan. 24th. This year, Sacramento St

Volunteer for the point-in-time Homeless Street Count on Jan. 24, 2013, and make a difference for our community and those in need. The biennial Homeless Street Count is an effort to learn more about the individuals and families experiencing homelessness on any given night in Sacramento County. Information collected helps us better understand why they are homeless, so we can refine existing programs to best serve those in need. The Homeless Count captures a snapshot of those who are unsheltered – literally sleeping outside – on the street, in a car or abandoned building on the night of the canvass. Information collected will also provide important data for the 10-Year Plan to End Homeless

There are nearly 1,000 homeless men and women sleeping outdoors on any given night in Sacramento. As the cold, rainy weather approaches, the demand for emergency shelter will exceed available beds in our community. Without a warm, dry, safe place to sleep, these homeless individuals may be at greater risk of illness, injuries and even death. Sacramento Steps Forward has partnered with the faith community early this year to make sure the third Winter Sanctuary Program is available for homeless men and women needing a place to sleep during the harsh winter months. Twenty-two churches and mosques have already signed up to provide nightly shelter and meals on a rotating basis to 100 single ho

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

Local homeless programs received a federal boost Friday with a $995,000 grant from the Housing and Urban Development Department – opening the door to shelter and services for more than 100 additional people this year. "This funding will help us meet our goal of ending chronic and family homelessness in Sacramento,” Ben Burton, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, said in a press release Friday. The award is part of $201 million in competitive grants that HUD awarded across the nation for 2012. In Sacramento, homeless programs offered through the city, county and a variety of nonprofit and volunteer organizations are coordinated by the county in what is called a “continuum of

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

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

In spite of a $75,000 funding shortfall, Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento’s interfaith community are going forward with plans to offer nightly shelter and meals to Sacramento-area homeless men and women. The second season of the collaborative “Winter Sanctuary” program began Dec. 1, and is once again offering people in need safe and comfortable shelter in the dining halls, community rooms and gyms of faith-based centers throughout Greater Sacramento. While funding has only been secured to guarantee operation through January 2012, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada and Sacramento Steps Forward have decided to open the doors now to prov

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

Winter Sanctuary, Sacramento’s interfaith, rotating homeless shelter, is currently facing a substantial gap in its budget. The program, which nightly shelters 100 homeless adults, is set to open on December 1st and run through March 31st. However, the program will not be opening on December 1st if the funding gap is not significantly narrowed. Christie Holderegger, Vice President of Volunteers of America, spoke of the urgent need for this program, “Our neighbors are experiencing homelessness for a variety of reasons and many for the first time. They are looking to us, all of us to help them out of this desperate situation. As a community we can reach and uplift them. We saw hundreds of li

The Urban Hive was filled with nearly 100 representatives from local charities and non-profits at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” last Tuesday. The event, hosted by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, inspired attendees to use social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to spread their message, raise funds and increase public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change.  Panelist Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc., advised the audience that beginning to use social media is quite simple – you must have a presen

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive. Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacrament

The City Council is considering whether the city of Sacramento will join in the creation of a public-private collaborative agency to address the problems of homelessness in the region – an issue that does not recognize political boundaries. Representatives from the city Neighborhood Services Department and the county Department of Human Assistance presented a report to the City Council Tuesday outlining a plan for creating a joint powers authority to align city and county governments with a nonprofit entity. “The JPA would be the overarching policymaking body,” Sacramento county spokeswoman Kerri Aiello said Tuesday. “Sacramento Steps Forward (a nonprofit corporation) will ultimately be

In a survey given to 375 homeless people in 2009 and 2010, the Sacramento Housing Alliance found that 30 percent of the homeless population reported that transportation was the largest barrier to employment and a new program is planned to help. Paratransit’s Mobility Training and Job Search Shuttle for the Homeless, commonly known as Wheels to Work, launched Wednesday morning at the Volunteers of America Family Center, 470 Bannon St. Wheels to Work is a program dedicated to providing homeless and low-income earners with transportation and mobile job training by means of two large vans. The vans are designed to give homeless men and women access to job training and transportation that is

Taking into consideration the results of the 2011 Homeless Count conducted in January, Sacramento County would need to provide about 1,000 beds in emergency homeless shelters to ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads this winter. Thursday morning, members of the local media, Loaves and Fishes community, Sacramento Housing Alliance and the homeless community gathered for a brief press conference at Friendship Park – the heart of the program and community center for the homeless community, providing multiple services for its guests – and discussed the lack of public allocated funding for emergency homeless shelters this winter. In what is expected to be a cold and wet winter sea

On any given night in Sacramento 2,400 people are homeless in our County. According to the 2011 Sacramento Homeless Count, 955 of our neighbors are sleeping on the streets. As winter rapidly approaches, Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) is seeking creative solutions to house those families and individuals who are forced to sleep outside due to overburdened resources. This harsh reality poses a dual risk to both the safety and health of those sleeping outside. Notably, Sacramento has been successful in reducing chronic homelessness by 50% in the last 3 years. However, family homelessness is on the rise; this year’s Homeless Count data shows an 11% increase. Loaves and Fishes, which serves mea

Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced Ben Burton, the first executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, Tuesday at the weekly press conference held at City Hall. Burton and Johnson spoke about future plans for Sacramento Steps Forward, which is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to ending homelessness and building a supportive community. According to Johnson, Sacramento Steps Forward was launched in 2009 as a response to the Oprah Winfrey show that highlighted issues in Sacramento. “We wanted to lay out 2,400 permanent housing units in a three-year period, and we are well on our way to achieve that goal,” Johnson said. According to Johnson, Sacramento Steps Forward was officially c

“This suit is not bad.” Theoplus Dubose-Harvey was searching for some new work clothes on Saturday. He hoped to find the right business suit for the next job interview. “See, I got some shoes to go along with that,” he said. Dubose-Harvey believes the new attire will help change his life.  Because right now, he is unemployed and homeless. “Times are tough, “said Dubose-Harvey, a 55-year-old former state worker. “That’s why I appreciate the help I got here.” The assistance he is speaking of was the fourth annual Homeless Connect on May 21 at Sacramento City College. Dubose-Harvey was one of nearly 1,000 homeless individuals and families who attended this direct service fair. “I’m than

The 4th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect event will take place this Saturday, May 21 at Sacramento City College from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. It is hosted by Sacramento Steps Forward, with support from presenting sponsor The Salvation Army. Speakers at the event include Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, Mayor Kevin Johnson and Supervisor Phil Serna. Over 1,000 homeless guests are expected; additionally the event hosts 500 community volunteers and over 60 different service providers. Project Homeless Connect is a national Best Practice model for bringing services directly to homeless folks. Started in San Francisco, it now occurs in over 150 communities across the country. Homeless Connect events

The number of homeless people in Sacramento County has sharply declined, according to 2011 figures on homelessness released Friday by Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento County. Long-term homelessness saw the biggest decrease, with a 50 percent drop since 2007. Despite the lasting effects of the recession locally, the numbers for both long-term homelessness and overall homelessness have fallen compared to recent years. On any given night in Sacramento County in 2011, there are 2,358 homeless people, said Paul Lake, director of the county’s Department of Human Assistance. That’s down from 2,800 people at any night in 2009. “I think we were all pleasantly surprised,” Lake said. The d