Homeless Issues #101

Winter is just around the corner. It is getting cold at night, we pray for rain, and we get it. While this usually comes  around the first of November, we have it now. I’m warm and dry and yes have food in my belly. Who cares? “Who cares,” is what some people in our county will say. “Who cares? “
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In the winter of 2010, Foothills United Methodist Church, JSS and Cold Springs CC opened their doors three nights of the week to the homeless population of El Dorado County. The next year we were open four nights. Two nights at each location. From then on other churches joined in, and, until last year, we were open every night from November until April 1. This year we have Tuesday nights with no place for our homeless population to rest their heads.
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On the West slope of El Dorado County there is no help from the county or the city. While on the East slope of El Dorado County in South Lake Tahoe, a benevolent Supervisor, a benevolent city council, police and citizen volunteers open their “Warming Room” each winter providing a bed, counseling, and referrals to homeless services for the homeless citizens. On the West slope …. Nothing like that. Again … “WHO CARES?”
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On opening night of the Nomadic Shelter, November 1st, there will be no “opening” as it occurs on a Tuesday night, and the shelter does not have a host for Tuesday nights. So the first night of the Nomadic Shelter will be on Wednesday night, November 2nd..
Host Churches and their nights hosting the Nomadic Shelter.
       Monday nights at Foothill UMC in Cameron Park
              3301 Green Valley Rd. Cameron Park/Rescue
Tuesday nights there is no host church.
Wednesday nights at Cold Springs CC.
2600 Cold Springs Rd. Placerville
Thursday nights at Solid Rock Foundation.
6205 Enterprise Dr. Diamond Springs
Friday nights at Green Valley CC.
3500 Missouri Flat Rd. Placerville
Saturday Night at Federated Church.
1031 Thompson Way, Placerville
Sunday night at Cold Springs CC.
2600 Cold Springs Rd., Placerville

People ask me why aren’t there more churches wanting to help., As the Bible says,  “what you do to the least of these our brothers and sisters you do to Me.” And Isaiah said: “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to cloth them –“ ???

The response when I ask “Will your church take Tuesday nights?” is often “ Oh no, our church can’t do that.”
The Nomadic shelter does get volunteers from other churches that just don’t have the facilities to be a host church. Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Bay Side CC, and Rolling Hill CC come to mind. Their volunteers are a very big help to the host churches.
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We at Job’s Shelters of the Sierra (JSS) have to confess that we are very near the RED LINE financially.
$5,000.00 per year for tents and sleeping bags.

30 rolls of toilet paper each week.     .45X30=$13.50 per week
30 pr of cotton socks each week.      .85X30=$25.50 per week
30 units of deodorants each week.    .64X30=$19.20 per week
$58.20 each and every week. X 4.3=$250.26 each and every month.
These are the necessities that must be purchased as they cannot be reused or recycled. JSS tried to recycle the socks. “Give us what you have on and we will give you a new pair.” What we received was un-washable or socks so filthy we would not put them in our washers.
These are the expenses that we find we cannot cover anymore due to great dwindling of the financial donations to JSS.

Churches and individuals continue to donate clothing which in itself is a God send. However there are the necessities that have to be purchased. Please help us out.

JSS is a 501 C 3 non-profit. You will receive a receipt for your donations.
Send checks to: JSS
P.O. Box 1839
Shingle Springs, Ca. 95682

Or you may donate through Pay Pal at the bottom of this issue. Or some creative person can create a fund raiser for JSS. 😉
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