Elk Grove HART

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We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization; 100% of donations go directly toward providing services. Tax ID# 46-4162394

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We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization; 100% of donations go directly toward providing services. Tax ID# 46-4162394

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Sending you our “HART-felt” thanks for your support of this year’s Big Day of Giving!
 
Thank you
 
Thanks to incredibly generous donations from more than 72 donors from our EG HART community, we raised more than $ 28,140 during the 24-hour Big Day of Giving 2024.
 
Congratulations go out to Theodore Cobb who won the 2-night stay in a two-bedroom villa at the Marriott Grand Residence in South Lake Tahoe. Congratulations, Ted!
 
Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 1, 2025 when EG HART will participate once again in the regional Big Day of Giving fundraising campaign.  
 
Until then, thank you from the bottom of our “HARTs” for your amazing generosity!
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48 hours to go

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For Delilah, it’s been a long eight-year journey. She’s gone from living in a cardboard box in a field, to using cardboard boxes for packing as she prepares to move into her new home!
 
Her journey has been challenging, filled with many obstacles, but Delilah is now planting her flag at the top of her mountain. Eight years ago, all seemed hopeless and that mountain insurmountable. With the encouragement of HART volunteers, Delilah has overcome her addiction and worked full-time, often with a second job on the side, to secure housing for her and her family.
 
When we see people on the side of the road, homeless and destitute, it’s easy to think they’ll never climb out of that hole. That’s simply not the case. So often we’ve been surprised by people overcoming incredible struggles. Delilah is just Worth the Climb copyone of the many people who have passed through the hands of HART volunteers. The difference in our program is that we care for each person one at a time. Every individual, each family, is so unique. It’s unfair to lump them all together with one simple solution. There simply isn’t one.
 
We’re often asked, “What is the solution to homelessness?” There is no magic answer, but what is critical is to meet people where they are, one on one. It’s amazing what someone can do  with personal encouragement. Is it always successful? Of course not. Yet our formula in Elk Grove has been highly effective. Eight out of ten people whom we work with in our   transitional houses stabilize their lives and are able to maintain permanent housing.
 
Not everybody is cut out to be a mentor or work with the unhoused, but you can help financially by supporting Elk Grove HART. You can be part of the solution to getting people off the   street and into permanent housing. It is sad how many of those people are children.  We have several educators on our board that are intent on seeing those children succeed.  And they   do. Next month one of those children will graduate from high school and will be attending nursing school. We couldn’t be prouder!
 
You can help by contributing to the Big Day of Giving anytime between now and 11:59 pm on May 2. Help Elk Grove continue to be a compassionate community that truly cares about its most vulnerable citizens.
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 “I don’t want to leave my apartment, go to work, or go to the store. I don’t even want to go for a walk.” Normally, that kind of conversation would be of concern, but not this time. This time it was understandable.

Laila and her boyfriend had just moved into their very first apartment and they were thrilled. The Elk Grove shelter had been a godsend, a safe place to stay for five months while they stabilized.

Laila and Jake had been homeless for four years. Addiction wasn’t an issue for them, but bad credit was. And saving up for an enhanced deposit to get them into a place seemed insurmountable. 

The Elk Grove shelter gave them the opportunity to work towards paying off some debt and to qualify for a city subsidized apartment. While in the shelter, Laila would often say that she was terrified of getting her hopes up because so often those hopes had been dashed. She couldn’t stand the thought of going back to live in their car once the shelter closed. She fought despair.
keys and heart
While homeless, full-time jobs gave them the opportunity to stay in hotels occasionally, but their beloved dog, Ringo, was always an issue. That is no longer the case. Last week they moved into their very own apartment, fully furnished by Elk Grove HART with gently used items. But they were perfect for Laila. Even in the colors and style that she preferred.
“I don’t wanna leave,” she whispered. “I am so thankful for this place and love it so much. How can I ever thank you? I want to volunteer; I want to help others.”
“In due time, my friend. But for now, enjoy the safety and security of your new home,” we replied.

In collaboration with the City of Elk Grove, Elk Grove HART has assisted eight families to get into apartments in 2024. Again, fully furnished with the assistance of local churches and service organizations. That’s the beauty of Elk Grove, we work together for those who are truly in need. 
Can you help support us in doing that by contributing on May 2 to the Big Day of Giving? We would so greatly appreciate it.
Thank you to Dave Neves, HART Board Member for this original song as the Big Day of Giving approaches. "Who Are We" Elk Grove H.A. R.T. "Big Day of Giving 2024" - YouTube
 
 
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One person’s trash is another person’s … Treasure!
 
And that’s how Tina saw the matching leather loveseats, the antique armoire, dishes, and glassware - everything she needed for her new apartment. How much she treasured them was evidenced by the nonstop tears streaming down her face. 
 
At first it was awkwFurniture Movers Clip Art Story 1ard for the men moving the furniture, but they soon realized they were tears of sheer elation. Tina had been on the streets for several years and had worked hard to kick her drug addiction. She had been drug-free for 18 months. Now, thanks to her full-time job, she qualified for a subsidized apartment. She couldn’t believe it was really happening. Living in her car had seemed like her destiny, until now. Now it was real.  She had her own beautiful apartment, new carpeting and all!
 
As we gathered around her to say goodbye, she put into words just how much it meant to her. It wasn’t just the apartment, she said. It was the love and care that was shown to her by so many. She had felt like she was forgotten for so many years, unworthy of anybody’s care or concern. Now she finally saw that she was worthy of all the attention and treasures that she was receiving. 
 
Watching people like Tina overcome the struggle of drug addiction is a privilege. This time it was Sun Grove Church helping, but in the past few months it has been Sunrise Laguna Rotary, Creekside Church, and Good Shepherd Church that have fully furnished our newly housed friends’ apartments. Elk Grove has shown these people who were once destitute that they are valuable and are worthy of being helped. It’s amazing the empowerment that you can give someone when you encourage them. Without financial support none of this would be possible. Please continue to partner with us on not giving up on people that others have left by the wayside. Big Day of Giving is May 2nd. Please give generously.
 
As a supporter of Elk Grove HART, you will soon be receiving email messages with more details and a link to a donation site so that you may donate online. We can also accept personal checks in advance of the online donation window if you prefer to donate that way. Checks should be mailed to our P.O. Box 1343, Elk Grove 95759 to arrive no later than April 30.
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Mark your calendars now. Big Day of Giving is just a month away.

Save the Date

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SMUD Giving Monday

Donations of everyday essentials support the homeless

scanIn partnership with the Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) and its ongoing community efforts to address homelessness across the region, SMUD is sponsoring Giving Monday at Cal Expo, an effort to collect needed personal care items, including:

  • socks
  • hand/foot warmers
  • ponchos
  • gloves
  • shampoo
  • toothbrushes
  • toothpaste
  • floss
  • water
  • snacks
  • deodorant
  • tissues
  • hand wipes
  • bandages
  • lip balm
  • cotton swabs

WHAT: SMUD Giving Monday Personal Care Drive at Cal Expo

WHEN: Monday, December 4 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: Cal Expo Main Gate

Donations from members of the community are welcome from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Cal Expo Main Gate. Just drive on through and drop off your items or donate via Amazon here.

"From our canned food donation drive to our efforts to collect school supplies, SMUD Giving Mondays are an important part of our commitment to supporting all communities," said Rhonda Staley-Brooks, director of Community Engagement. "This winter, we are partnering with HART to help gather crucial assistance and resources, especially during the holidays, for our most vulnerable community members. The overwhelming spirit of giving shown by our employees, partners and customers is truly inspiring."

SMUD has led successful e-waste, coat and school supply drives at Cal Expo. These drives have benefited non-profits such as the Sacramento Children's Home, the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps and the Elk Grove Food Bank.

For more information about SMUD Giving Monday, visit calexpostatefair.com and to learn more about SMUD's community work, visit smud.org/community.

About SMUD

As the nation's sixth-largest, community-owned, not-for-profit electric service provider, SMUD has been providing low-cost, reliable electricity to Sacramento County for more than 75 years. SMUD is a recognized industry leader and award winner for its innovative energy efficiency programs, renewable power technologies and for its sustainable solutions for a healthier environment. Today, SMUD's power supply is on average about 50 percent carbon free and SMUD has a goal to reach zero carbon in its electricity production by 2030. For more information on SMUD's Zero Carbon Plan and its customer programs, visit smud.org.

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Donation Drive-Thru flyer

For more information visit: elkgrovecity.org/donationdrivethru

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Many of us have walked through major remodels. Maybe to modernize the look of your home. Or maybe you were forced to remodel due to a disaster of fire, termites, or a flood.

Right now, the Elk Grove HART and the City of Elk Grove, in regard to homeless support, are going through a major remodel due to the sudden closing of Sacramento Self Help Housing. Our navigator was no longer employed, we were unable to put any families or individuals into our transitional houses, we had no caseworkers, and even the ownership of the houses was in flux. It became abundantly clear that we had no option but to remodel.

The beauty of a remodel, for whatever the reason, is that you get to transform a mess of what wasn't working. And for us, I mean a "mess" literally. Suddenly we had no lawn care, no way to pay the utility bills or most importantly, no options to give our unhoused neighbors who were truly impacted by it.

As Elk Grove HART's Diane Lampe likes to say, "It was time to stop, drop and roll." That's just what we did. With the amazing leadership of Sarah Bontrager, our Housing Program Manager for the City of Elk Grove, the HART board and city staff, we started the remodel.

I am glad to report that after a lot of hard work and thinking outside of the box, it is going beautifully. We can see the finished product in sight. As with most remodels it will be so much better than before. During this time frame, the City has helped 12 families move into our subsidized apartments and continues to use Federal COVID-19 money for motel stays. The City is hiring, not one, but two navigators! A new, experienced company called City Net will be taking over the management of the transitional houses. The Core Wellness Center has found a permanent home in Elk Grove.

Ballot Measure E passed a 1% sales tax, part of which is slated to go towards supporting the unhoused. For the first time, the City has put out a bid (RFP) for a possible single site winter shelter for this coming winter using some of the Measure E money.

It is common to become weary and frustrated during a remodel, and we have been both of those. But it is important to keep your eye on the finished product, to see it through so you can reap the benefits. That’s exactly what we are doing. This is a season of transition and we have held the course. I fervently believe that Elk Grove will be a better and stronger city in supporting our unhoused because of this. Stay tuned...

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heat waveElk Grove will open a cooling center beginning tomorrow, Friday, June 30 and operate it daily from Noon to 8 p.m. through Sunday, July 2. The location will be the Wackford Community Complex at 9014 Bruceville Road.

The Cooling Center is open to anyone who lacks shelter or adequate home cooling. Operating hours will be Noon to 8 p.m. each day. A limited number of animal kennels will be available to house pets, if needed.

Elk Grove Police Department will staff the space. Organizers initiated the opening of the cooling center in response to the excessive heat warning issued for the region by the National Weather Service Sacramento. Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of 100 to 110 are expected through Sunday evening.

Residents of all ages are encouraged to take the following precautions during an excessive heat warning:

  • Avoid outdoor activities in the direct sun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and
  • Keep hydrated; and
  • Stay in a cool space; and
  • Avoid area waterways as a means to cool off. Rivers continue to run cold and fast and present dangerous conditions for people of all ages.

We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization;
100% of donations go directly toward providing services.
Tax ID# 46-4162394