Elk Grove HART

logo

Facebook  

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

Receive HART emails

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

Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
 
Honestly, we didn’t have high hopes for him. His tumultuous childhood painted a bleak picture for his future.
 
His father had asked him to leave home at 16, feeling like he was enough of an adult to make it on his own. His mother was lost in the bottle somewhere in Texas. Starting his life in an orphanage in Russia, this was a familiar pattern of neglect and abandonment that he's experienced since birth.
 
HART met him through a school counselor when she discovered that he was living in a tent in a friend’s backyard. Now 18, he was eligible for HART to help him.Defined by life
 
Before moving to Elk Grove, it was readily apparent he had lived in the South. “Yes ma’am, no ma’am”, always polite and respectful, so grateful for the help and shelter he got while at the Grace House.
 
With the diligent support of his mentor, he graduated from high school. We cheered him on and breathed a sigh of relief on graduation day. Now to find a job.
 
Again, his mentor worked tirelessly to help Hugo apply for multiple jobs. Follow-through was not his strong point. Landing a job on the assembly line at Apple was huge victory. But honestly, we all held our breath, expecting it wouldn’t last long.
 
Hugo proved us wrong. Not only has he been working for Apple more than a year, he's also been promoted and transferred to another facility out of state which is closer to his grandmother who still cares about him.
 
Mentoring is not an easy job, but Elk Grove HART’s dedicated volunteers have proven repeatedly the great value of walking with those who are struggling, encouraging them along the way. Hugo’s future looks bright because of his mentor that never gave up on him. A huge thank you to our amazing mentors!
 
Please give generously on May 6th, the Big Day of Giving, to help give others like Hugo a chance at success.  https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart
Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
 
Domestic violence is a crime littered with victims. In this case, a mother with four children.
 
It started out slowly. Over time, the aggression increased and so did the excuses at the emergency room. A bike accident, a fall, running into a cabinet ... until a doctor recognized there were too many injuries to be explained with these excuses.
 
She had tried to escape, even crawling through a fence to meet her social worker. Despite several calls to shelters, they could find no available beds. As she was crawling back through the fence, he caught her. More violence. For several weeks, he kept mom and the children his prisoners, never allowing them to leave the house. The one person who was supposed to love them preyed upon them, often bloodying them in his fits of rage.
 
The abuse went on for years; she hasAbuse Has No Place the scars to prove it. Child Protective Services finally intervened, and suddenly the children were gone. With the one thing mom had to live for now taken away, she became broken, a shell of who she once was. Still the abuse continued. Like many victims of domestic violence, she had come to believe the venom he spewed at her.
 
Desperately missing her children, divorce was the only way to get her children back. That last beating was so bad that it sent him to prison. She recovered and worked hard to get her children back, but soon found themselves without a home.
 
She now has her own cleaning business and is going to college, determined that the cycle of abuse ends with her. Mom and kiddos will soon be moving into a brand-new apartment, fully furnished by one of HART’s partnering churches. Mom is overwhelmed with gratitude and is starting to recognize just how valuable she really is.
 
Please give generously to HART on the Big Day of Giving to help us restore hope... for those who have lost all hope.  You can donate here:  https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart
 
 
Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
Some say this is one of the worst housing markets in Sacramento County history. The shortage is so tremendous that you compete with 20 other applicants or more when you try to rent a place.Storm
 
She knew that to be true as she sat across the table from us, disheartened. After living in their rental house for 17 years she found herself homeless with her 25 year old disabled son. How could this happen? Apartments require credit checks on all adults who apply for housing. Her son had terrible credit because he had no credit. No one would allow her to explain. The rules are the rules.
 
The house she had rented was sold. Who could blame the owners? Housing prices are at an all-time high. That’s when Elk Grove HART stepped in. We explained that’s why we started HART 10 years ago, when the housing market was then at an all-time low.
 
HART caught her and her son from this free fall. She and her son will move into one of our transitional homes. There we will help her son establish credit and Mom build up her savings. Then we will help find them a safe, secure home where they can thrive.
 
This is a storm building on the horizon. The moratorium on evictions will soon be lifted and other landlords will sell their rental houses for above asking price. The result is more tenants scrambling with no place to go.
 
Please support Elk Grove HART on the Big Day of Giving as we reach out to help those who have no home.  You can donate now at https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart.
Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn

Her future looked bright at 19. Nursing school and a future of helping others. Her dream.

But those dreams never came to fruition. Just before leaving for college she found out her dad had a daughter in Colorado. Alyssa was excited to meet her new sister and her sister's six month old baby boy. Alyssa loved babies and could hardly wait to meet her new nephew.

That trip to Colorado forever changed the direction of her life. That darling baby boy was sadly neglected and unwanted by his mother. Out of desperation, Alyssa offered to take the baby, and her sister gladly accepted.

Sick Love PicDisability insurance helped to pay for a room in a house with another family but the screaming and abuse of that family drove her into her car. She was desperate to protect her boys.

That's when HART found this precious family. Helping them to get into a temporary shelter, Alyssa and her boys were put on a list to get into brand new subsidized apartments.

Alyssa is often at loss for words for this miracle that has happened in their lives. Within the month she and her boys will be moving into a fully furnished apartment. They have been adopted by a partnering church. Creekside Church will help them move into their home fully furnished with gently used items.

The word "hero" is often tossed around with little thought. But to us, Alyssa is a hero, and certainly to those little boys that are now 8 and 9 years old.

Alyssa was put on hospice three years ago and then taken off a year ago. Her diagnosis is still not good, but her love for those boys is her driving force - truly a beautiful love.

May 8th is HART's Big Day Of Giving. Please consider giving to our all volunteer organization. 100% of your donation goes into our program!

Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn

How to help those experiencing homelessness during this challenging time is a question that has weighed heavily on our hearts. We have landed on an alternative that we are excited about.

This new program is called Elk Grove HART’s WINSIP (Winter Shelter in Place). It will start on October 5, 2020 and run through March of 2021. Our plan is to deliver meals and necessities to the homeless at their locations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition to food we will be distributing many other items to help them get through the winter. Christy Cares will continue to offer meals at United Methodist Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

winter shelter in placeWe are happy to partner with the City of Elk Grove and accept financial support through the Cares Act. The Elk Grove Presbyterian Church has generously offered their church building where we will assemble the meals. We have been able to recruit a small band of experienced volunteers to help us prepare and distribute these meals and necessities.

We considered several factors that led us to this new program. In addition to addressing the safety needs of our volunteers, we also considered the scope of our efforts. Elk Grove HART’s WINSIP will serve approximately 65 of our homeless as opposed to the maximum of 20 served at our winter shelter. This model will also give us the opportunity to do wellness checks to further meet the needs of the homeless. We will be able to keep them fed and hydrated while keeping them in place and safe from COVID-19.

Our navigator will follow up on any concerns and provide opportunities to help them find housing. Many of our homeless have income from either their retirement or disability and are eligible for housing, but remain unconnected to other supportive resources. The navigator can also evaluate potential clients for our Grace and Meadow houses.

At this time, we feel the Elk Grove HART’s Winter Shelter in Place program is the best possible way we can prevent and respond to COVID-19. As the program unfolds, we look forward to keeping you updated on all the services being provided to those experiencing homelessness in Elk Grove.

 

Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn

We are pulled in so many directions, often not knowing where to turn next.  No one could have predicted this quarantine, a lockdown. Lockdowns are usually associated with a punishment while in prison, but this one is meant to save our lives. Most of us are hunkered down in our houses, but what do you do when you have no home?

directionsIn the best of times the homeless struggle with life. It’s scary out there, exposed to the elements. They seldom get a good night's sleep, which leads to exhaustion and an inability to cope with everyday tasks that we take for granted. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic. The streets are cleared and the few people that are out are wearing masks. There is a tangible tension in the air. The homeless are only able to catch pieces of what is going on and without TVs or newspapers they are dependent on rumors. Many are fearful, but just as many think it’s a hoax and ignore all of the craziness that is going on around them. Either way it is affecting them. Most of the community lunches are shut down, the biweekly showers have ended, the laundromats are locked and the recycling centers are closed, drying up their income.

Recognizing this desperate situation, HART has distributed informational street sheets to help inform the homeless of how they can better protect themselves and those in our community. We have joined with the City and police department to strategize how to best protect this vulnerable population. How do you comply with a shelter in place order when you have no home? HART’s mission is to take care of their basic needs, with food being of the highest priority. With the help of a team of volunteers, a meal delivery program has been quickly implemented. In spite of many challenges, it has been working beautifully to deliver daily meals to Elk Grove’s homeless. We are happy to report that so far, our homeless are healthy and very appreciative of the care being shown to them by our community.

HART is grateful to have this opportunity to show compassion when it is needed the most. We don't expect to ‘cure’ all homelessness, but what we do recognize is that people need to be given the opportunity to change. Showing them care and compassion is a great way to help gain their trust and demonstrate that we only want the best for them.

Please join us in being part of the solution by donating on the Big Day of Giving, May 7th. You can go to https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart to give now. 

It is rare to be able to give to an all-volunteer organization where 100% of your donation goes back into Elk Grove. Thank you for your generosity!

Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
 
We are all feeling the pressure, the compression from the stay at home order. In the Natomas area three teenagers have died by suicide. If you didn’t have a firm foundation before all of this chaos started, you most likely don’t have one now.
 
Frankly, what lies ahead looks daunting and overwhelming, just like it did 10 years ago. Elk Grove was one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, set up to crash hard. The housing market dropped and Elk Grove experienced a whole new population of people without housing, including construction workers, plumbers, electricians and new homeowners.
 
IMG 3109
We started HART 10 years ago knowing that we somehow needed to help. We have come a long way since then and are now much more prepared for the storm that may be on its way. I would naively like to believe that there is no storm in the forecast, but I don’t think that is the case.  In the last week alone, Elk Grove HART received calls from three families that have recently been displaced, two due to domestic violence.
 
As we brace for this storm, we are working closely with the City Of Elk Grove, area churches, other nonprofits, Elk Grove Food Bank Services and Sacramento Self Help Housing. We are a united front that will work together and take this on one day at a time, one family at a time, one person at a time. This is not a time to be fearful but a time to look back and celebrate the fact that we did it once and we can definitely do it again - this time even better!
 
Please join us and be part of the solution by giving on the Big Day of Giving, May 7th. You can go to the website at https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart and make your donation anytime between now and May 7.  Thank you for your compassion and generosity.
Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn

 

ChrisHe came into EGWINS, Elk Grove Winter Sanctuary, visibly shaken. He shared with anyone willing to listen that this was not the life he was used to. Only a couple of weeks of being homeless had proven to him that it could be very dark at night and he was scared. 

But, David felt safe and was able to get some needed sleep and meals at our winter sanctuary. Over the next couple of weeks, his story unfolded. He had grown up in foster care and had few relatives. Recently, the ending of a relationship had left him out on the streets. He wanted to go home.

It is something Elk Grove HART does on a regular basis. If our homeless ask to go home we make a couple of phone calls to make sure they are welcome. If the family is willing, so is HART. So far in 2020 we have enabled three of our homeless from Elk Grove to get on a bus and head home. We equip them with clean clothes, food for the trip and an inspirational pep talk before getting on the bus. 

David was one of the three. He found a cousin in Ohio who was excited to help him start a new life. He has reported back that he’s landed a job in a restaurant and is loving his new life. Well, except for the cold! It warms our heart when our homeless have the opportunity for a new start with family. David got a ray of sunshine in Ohio and we are so happy for him. 

Your contributions help us to reconnect some of our homeless with a bus ticket and a new start with family. And for that, David thanks you. 

Please consider donating on the Big Day of Giving to help those experiencing homelessness go home to their loved ones.  Donations will be accepted on/after April 20th.  Please visit https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart

Submit to FacebookSubmit to Google PlusSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn

We are all in a time of crisis and being asked to stay at home. But what do those that are experiencing homelessness do? How do they stay safe, and just as important, keep from spreading the coronavirus?

F3B6DD21 9A20 4D46 9DC6 5D95879C5E1EElk Grove HART has taken measures to ensure that they can stay in place, yet have their essential needs met. To that end, we are delivering sack lunches with sanitary supplies to their camps five days a week. We are taking extra care in limiting the number of volunteers and using all recommended safety precautions. The first week, our volunteer found a gentleman that was starving. It is desperate out there.

The City of Elk Grove has been supportive and placed 3 port-a-potties with sanitary stations in strategic locations  throughout Elk Grove. We are handing out instructional sheets with the lunches that contain recommended practices to safeguard against the coronavirus.

There have been many challenges along the way to make these lunches and their delivery successful. Limited supplies  and safety precautions have put an undue burden on us financially and strategically. We have a few brave volunteers  that are willing to make and distribute the lunches, but it comes at a cost. That cost is approximately $2.75 times the 65 people we are delivering to five days a week. That totals $894 a week.

Please consider what you can do to help. Big Day of Giving is May 7th. Your donation will go to help those experiencing homelessness stay in place, which will keep all of us safer.

Big Day of Giving donations will be accepted on/after April 20th. Please visit https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/elkgrovehart


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