Where in the World is Ron Sachs?

You may have noticed Ron Sachs is missing in action in JSS activities. He is no longer seen working hand in hand with the people on the streets of Placerville. You no longer see him at the Upper Room. But, make no mistake, he is still busy pursuing another of his passions – Biblical Archeology.

Ron recently donated his extensive library to Foothills United Methodist Church and now serves as curator of their Biblical Archaeology Library.

A year ago, Ron stepped down as JSS President and handed the reins to Colleen Ivazes. He remained active on the board as a Member-at-Large until March of this year, seeing the organization through the transition and merger with The Lighted Candle. Feeling he had fulfilled his mission, he turned to caring for his wife, Doris, and devoting time to establishing the Biblical Archeology Library.

He has served unhoused populations in one capacity or another since his teen years. At the age of 54, through the misfortunes of divorce and the loss of his business, he found himself homeless. After five months he was able to turn his situation around, finding a great job and settling in the Los Angeles area. There he met his present wife, Doris who invited him to work with her providing food to a shelter. Hooked not only by Doris, but by service to the homeless of Los Angeles County, he helped found the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless. Working with 30 local churches they developed a Winter Shelter, Emergency Assistance Center, and four transitional homes. That robust organization has grown and now has an annual budget over a million dollars.

In 2006, Ron and Doris moved to El Dorado County, bringing their passion for service to the homeless with them. He soon founded Job’s Shelter of the Sierras and began distributing supplies to the people on the streets. He also joined with participants of regional churches and served on the board of Directors in the establishment of Hangtown Haven, a short-lived but briefly successful encampment. After the demise of Hangtown Haven, he served on the steering committee for the Nomadic Shelter, a program that provided winter shelter for several years. When the COVID pandemic shut down the Nomadic Shelter, he has continued to work with interested people tirelessly seeking solutions for the unsheltered of the Western Slope.

And now he has passed the baton. The current board of directors for JSS include, President Colleen Ivazes, Vice President and Treasurer Nichole Paine, Secretary Melody Moore and Members-at-Large Brian Smith and Tamara Janies. With Ron’s legacy and the recent merger with The Lighted Candle, we look forward to a bright and enduring future of service on the Western Slope.

Charlie McDonald

HED Announces Charlie McDonald as Program Manager

HED announced Monday that they have selected a Program Manager for their Pathways Winter Lodging Program. Job’s Shelters has worked closely with Housing El Dorado to develop this program, and we are glad to see it coming to fruition.

Housing El Dorado has brought together three local churches to provide shelter. Housing El Dorado is providing program management, transportation, and overnight supervision in addition to the area churches hosting the program. We would like to commend Green Valley Community Church, Discovery Hills Church, and Foothills United Methodist Church for opening their arms, hearts, and doors to those in need.

This week, HED put out a call for volunteers. Volunteers are currently needed Saturdays and Mondays from 4pm to 11pm as well as Sundays and Tuesdays from 6am to 8am. Positions vary and may include driving, check-in, evening supervision, and AM supervision and breakdown. For more information, visit HousingElDorado.org.

Merger with The Lighted Candle Complete

This week, Job’s Shelters of the Sierra received notice that the merger with The Lighted Candle is complete. In addition to JSS taking up their TLC’s programming, TLC has donated over $60,000 to Job’s Shelters of the Sierra. Thank you to Pete Brown and the TLC Board for seeing the JSS vision. Watch our Facebook page for updates on programming!

Covid-19 Shot Locations😃

Covid-19 Shot Locations

The following schedule is confirmed for the California State Public Health contracted mobile vaccination unit, SnapNurse, which is offering free, no appointment needed, COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics throughout El Dorado County for a limited time. There are more tentative dates and sites pending. Pfizer (age 12+) and J&J (age 18+) are available at all SnapNurse Mobile Clinics.
 
Please pass this information on to help make sure the people that need and want this information will hear about these opportunities. Feel free to make flyers, post on social media, or communicate whichever way works best for you to help spread the word. 
 
You can also follow El Dorado County Government on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyNews, and County of El Dorado on Twitter, https://twitter.com/CountyElDorado, for more updates. For other COVID-19 vaccine clinic sites in your area visit https://myturn.ca.gov. Lastly, anyone age 12 and older is welcome to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 Vaccine at 931 Spring Street Public Health Clinic (upstairs).
 
Saturday, July 3rd, 9:30am-12pm and 1:30-5pm, El Dorado Beach – 1004 Lakeview Ave, South Lake Tahoe 96150
Tuesday, July 6th, 9am-12pm and 1-5pm, Georgetown Fire Station 61 – 6281 Main Street, Georgetown 95634
Wednesday, July 7th, 9am-12pm, Ponte Palmero – 3081 Ponte Morino Dr, Cameron Park 95682
Wednesday, July 7th, 3-7pm, Holiday Market – 4653 Mt Aukum Rd, Placerville 95667
Thursday, July 8th, 11am-2pm and 3-7pm, Forklift Market  – 3333 Coach Ln, Cameron Park 95682
Saturday, July 10th, 3-7pm, Holiday Market – 5030 Ellinghouse Dr, Cool 95614
Tuesday, July 13th, 3-7pm, Bijou Elementary School  –  3501 Spruce Ave, South Lake Tahoe 96150
Wednesday, July 14th, 9:30am-12pm and 1:30-5pm, El Dorado Beach – 1004 Lakeview Ave, South Lake Tahoe 96150
Saturday, July 17th, 11am-2pm and 3-7pm, Nugget Market –  4500 Post St, El Dorado Hills 95762
Monday, July 19th, 12-2pm, Grizzly Flats Community Church – 5601 Sciaroni Rd, Grizzly Flats 95636
Tuesday, July 20th, (time TBD), Western Slope Health Center – 3280 Washington St, Placerville 95667
Wednesday, July 21st, 11am-2pm and 3-7pm, El Dorado Hills Town Center – 4364 Town Center Blvd, El Dorado Hills 95672
Tuesday, July 27th, 9am-12pm and 1-5pm, Georgetown Fire Station 61 – 6281 Main Street, Georgetown 95634
Wednesday, July 28th, 3-7pm, Holiday Market – 4653 Mt Aukum Rd, Placerville 95667
Thursday, July 29th, 9am-12pm, Ponte Palmero – 3081 Ponte Morino Dr, Cameron Park 95682
Friday, July 30th, 11am-2pm and 3-7pm, Forklift Market  – 3333 Coach Ln, Cameron Park 95682
Saturday, July 31st, 3-7pm, Holiday Market – 5030 Ellinghouse Dr, Cool 95614
 
Thank you and Happy 4th of July weekend!
 

  

Issue #179 😃Homeless Update

Shariff Dept. HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) and Placerville Police have started their collaborative back up. We began again on June 16th.
 
From the left: Marshall Medical, Community Health Workers attending to any and all medical issues a homeless person might have. Then we, have JSS giving out the necessary hygiene items necessary to survive on the street; mainly toilet paper, underwear, and socks being the most needed items. Then The Upper Room passing out burritos Then the Sheriff Dept as well as Placerville Police recording and assisting the homeless population in any way they can. The HOT gatherings will continue throughout the year, done periodically.
      …………………………………………………………………
 
JSS and Marshall Medical working with “SnapNurse” a cooperative entiy of the California State and El Dorado County working together in giving Covid-19 shots to our rural residents. Marshall and JSS come along and give medical advice to all those who take the Covid-19 shot. Ron gets the vital signs before Shaunda does the medical advising.
 
Shaunda Crane, the leader of the Marshall Medical gang and a State representative on site in Grizzly Flats on June 24th. Just having fun.
              ………………………………………………………
 
And yes, John, Brian and Richard are serving the homeless population while at the Upper Room on Mondays and Thursdays, and Ron at the “Open Door” project in Sly Park. Then with Marshall Med. Community Health workers.

THIS IS WHERE YOUR DONATIONS END UP, on the street to the homeless and at-risk persons in our community.
 
 

Urgent action needed/Act NOW😳


ACTION NEEDED NOW

I must make it clear that the mission of JSS is to serve the homeless and at-risk persons in our community with the most basic needs. What they need right now.

Back in 2012 when I was a member of the CoC, Continuum of Care, we talked of our wishes together but nothing was done. In those days the Upper Room served food, CRC, Community Resource Center under Rene Evans, was the only place doing any meaningful service for the Homeless population. Bring Rene back. The Nomadic Shelter was a truly community effort working every winter with volunteer help. Hangtown Haven was sheltering the cooperative homeless population. Christ Like Services was an open house catch-all location for the homeless. The County was just marginally involved. Placerville City would work with us or against us depending on the political flow of the time. And, yes, yes, JSS was on the streets giving freely the necessities for life on the streets.

Now the County is much involved, with a full-time “Homeless Coordinator,”  a very expanded CoC with a professional legal arm very much involved with walking the minefield of government bureaucracy to obtain government funds coming into El Dorado County.  The “Room Key” program has taken over the “Hangtown Haven” project. And the others?
 

Now where are we? What is needed right now.

THESE ARE THE BASICS!

No 1. A Navigation Center, “Knowledgably” staffed, like the old CRC. A place to go for information, emergency help, direction as to where to go from the place I now find myself. Educational classes aimed at fulfilling one’s immediate needs and planning for the future. The County has money for that program in the amount of $273,000.00.

No 2. A Winter Shelter. The Nomadic Shelter of the past no longer exists. That money, as I remember, about $15,000.00, two transportation vans, mattresses and blankets, that were donated to the Nomadic Shelter, were taken over by a private organization that is known as Housing El Dorado. Is Housing El Dorado Inc. going to set up this winter’s sheltering the homeless like the “Pathways” project of this last winter? Or who is going to take on that responsibility this winter? The largest problem of the past was location of a shelter site.

El Dorado County has around 600 homeless persons, and that has remained about the same since JSS took the censes 10 or so years ago. About 54% male and 45% female with the 1% non-committed.

         You are urged to contact our County Homeless                                 Coordinator, Alyson McMillian,                                                 alyson.mcmillian@edcgov.us :
as well as your County Supervisor, urging them to begin to act on these two issues NOW.

There are other important issues, like receiving 70 government housing vouchers but having no houses to put people in. But these two above are of the most important issues that will take time to implement. We need to get started NOW.

BTY, I commend the BOS and our new County Homeless Coordinator on the efforts and progress of providing for our homeless population. A GREAT change from the past.

Ron Sachs

Homeless/At-Risk and Covid-19

Hard to believe!
It is happening!

After years of planning, disappointments, promises, fabrications, and everything except progress in addressing the homeless challenges in El Dorado County, we now have a beam of bright ideas and actual progress.

                        …………………………………………………..

Tackling the Covid-19 virus issue is the Community Health Workers
Headed up by Marshall Medical

 
          At Pioneer Bible Church for our 2nd round

 

After a long day at the Georgetown Library
Our 3rd round with more to come.
This program also offers Blood Pressure reading, as well as a Glucose testing, (sugar).

We are headed out to Grizzly Flats on June 24th.
 

BTW: The Tahoe region has the largest number infected by the virus, 2,696, but Placerville has recorded the most deaths, 45.

                        ………………………………………..

The Upper Room is providing showers for our homeless population now on a regular schedule. And JSS is there two days a week with their hygiene offerings and clothing.

The inventory of the homeless population in greater Placerville area is 97 persons as reported by Placerville police.

There is talk about the conversion of the deserted Armory into low-cost housing with “Navigation” facilities, targeting the homeless population.
                        ………………………………….
 

JSS in need, Sorely

              Emergency has arisen for JSS.

John Dutton has volunteered with JSS for about 8 years, working at various positions within JSS. Well, his 28-year-old car just gave up the ghost. DEAD! In the last three years John has been one of our clothing distributors. Going out each week distributing all the different sizes and variances of clothing we have to offer the homeless population of El Dorado County.
              
He needs a used truck or SUV so he can continue to serve the Counties homeless population.

If you know of one at a very reasonable price, or better yet a free donation, please contact Ron at 530-503-5033.
Thank you for your consideration.
Ron Sachs
 
 

Public Health Short Comings



       Understanding our Charges and Public Health

.… www.edcchc.org … for Covid vaccination is useless to a large portion of our “at-risk” population. They do not have a computer or internet access. They rely on their “Church Family” or “Group Family.” That “Family” knows who has what as well as the specific needs of those who don’t have phones, computers, etc. so they, as a group or individual, give assistance to those who need outside help. Only the “Church Family” or the “Group Family” has access to this portion of our population.

 
 Sandie Hanson of Pioneer Bible Church agrees with Ron’s observations about our community, and said it extends to the elderly in general. Many seniors she knows have experienced not just social isolation but nearly solitary confinement for over a year.  I am dumbfounded by the way vaccination appointments can ONLY be made by those who have email or cellphones.  The majority of people I know in their late 70’s and above (the current “Target Market”) do not use these means of communication.  That they are unable to use a phone to make an appointment seems cruel.
               
We must make decisions keeping in mind that not all people have the same advantages that we each enjoy. El Dorado County has large areas of “rural living” in the “South County,” “North County,” and the “High County” They/We are all worthy of consideration.

Do our County officials, our County Health, and our local hospital understand that? There is a mistaken assumption that everyone has the same access to what we ourselves have. That is not true.

If I may? Ron started JSS by starting to service  this church 16 years ago. I saw very old friends while I was in service to them on Friday.

…………………………………………………

Showers are being made available at the Upper Room on Wednesday at 4:45 through the “Pathways” program: Advance Check-in necessary. Then we look forward to showers, Saturday and Sundays, at the Upper Room parking area, very soon, thanks to Discovery Church in El Dorado Hills. Bless them ALL!
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OK, Ron misplaced his notes for this month. Sorry for a shortened edition.
PLEASE, ALL, KEEP ACTIVE!
 

Covid Shot Locations



The Community health workers and their on-site program directed by Shaunda Crane of Marshall Hospital.
              
The Community Health Workers are getting Covid-19 shots to our homeless, at-risk and underserved communities in El Dorado County. This service to our community is provided only when vaccine is available and opportunities present themselves. When vaccine is made available it has to be used and in multiples of 5.  Shots given last week at the Upper Room – 40; Walmart and Cameron Park Safeway – 50; Georgetown/Camp Chiquita – 50; El Dorado Hills – 50; A total of 190 person vaccinated. This is achieved by a group of volunteers from different organization that have banded together into one functional group know as the Community Health Workers under direction on Shaunda Crane of Marshall Medical.
               
Coming up:
Tuesday 3/30; 3-5pm: Upper Room Dining Hall, Placerville, Ca (20 doses)
Thursday 4/01;12-2: Cool Pharmacy, Cool, CA (50 doses) 
Friday 4/02; 12-2: Georgetown Library, Georgetown Ca (then a drive to Buckeye after) (50 doses total) 
                                    
 

Covid needs to Go

                     …………………………………………….
 

Why not Showers for the homeless and at-risk population??
Warm weather coming up.

 
We have available portable shower units with attached toilets facilities. Why aren’t they in use now? 
 
The concerns:
 
Location: Need an open sewage inlet. Need electricity outlet; although a generator is available.
Towels and wash cloths: Need to be collected, need to be cleaned and sanitized after each use. Towel and wash cloth must be available for each person taking a shower.
Supervision of the persons coming to take a shower: Sanitize each shower unit after each use. Spray each unit with sanitizer. Keep persons taking the shower orderly.
Clean clothing for each person after they have showered: Items and sizes need to be considered.
 

Any Volunteers? Or groups to take on the responsibility? We have the units ready to go.

              ………………………………………………….
          
            
“Pathways” winter sheltering is now over. We thank Green Valley church, Upper Room, and the “Pathways” group for their dedication under very difficult times.
              …………………………………………………….
NOW, will the Sheriff Dept. and the Board of Supervisors together with the CoC make doable plans to provide for our Homeless and At-Risk population in El Dorado County. Those who are sent to our County for parole from jail/prisons are law enforcements problems. Let the Sheriff deal with them. Our “Homeless and At-Risk” population is our puzzle to solve.

Thank you, Ron Sachs