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SPECIAL

THANKS TO:

OUR FINE-DINING

PARTNERS:

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan, Evan’s Kitchen, Tulí Bistro, Sampino’s Towne Foods and Bella Bru OUR GREAT

AND OUR FEATURED ENTERTAINERS

Mumbo Gumbo

LOCAL WINERIES:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29,

AT

6PM

COME JOIN OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SCOTTISH RITE MASONIC CENTER • 6151 H STREET, SACRAMENTO, CA 95819 $140 for 2 in advance or $75 each at door • Purchase tickets online at www.francishouse.info Francis House 40th A nniversar y Celebration Program | Paid Adver tising | You Can Make It Happen | www.FrancisHouse .info | 916-443-2696

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento is a proud supporter and partner of Francis House, helping turn Sacramentoâ€™s hopeless to hopeful. Congratulations to Francis House for 40 years of providing a much needed service to our community! suttermedicalcenter.org K578610A

THE STORY OF FRANCIS HOUSE BY ANNA BARELA

F

rancis House began in 1970 as a hospitality center for the poor near St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in downtown Sacramento. Sister Kathy Wood and Father Tozzio provided sandwiches, clothing and personal attention in a house on 25th and L streets, around the corner from the church. The “house” existed here until 1989, when it burned to the ground in a mysterious fire. Father Barry Brunsman rebuilt in a new location and hired Greg Bunker to reestablish Francis House in the downtown area. “A small group of volunteers kept the dream alive,” Bunker recalled. By then, Francis House was an interfaith program, supported by several Midtown Christian congregations as a way to centralize services each church was offering separately. It had expanded to offer motel vouchers, gasoline vouchers and mail distribution. Bunker continued to expand services and recruit community support. When the state of California’s East End project required Francis House to move again in 1999, Francis House raised funds to purchase and develop a permanent facility at its current location, 1422 C Street in Sacramento. The new facility opened in 2000 and exists today as a resource counseling center offering personal attention, assistance seeking employment, housing assistance, a veteran’s outreach program, motel vouchers for families needing emergency shelter, ID services, bus tokens, gas vouchers and referrals to other community services. Bunker believes offering help and kindness kindles a sense of community in the people Francis House serves. “There is someone out there who cares,” he said, “who wants to sit with them, listen to them, and try to prescribe the same services that our friends and relatives do for us when we’re stuck with a problem. When you’re alone and don’t have anyone to bounce things off of, life is very difficult. Most of us are gifted and have

that family or community or church group or work group that forms our friendships and our life support. We’re here to kindle in them that sense of community they’ve lost and try to help them through the barriers they face.”

Services provided Executive director Greg Bunker feels the personal service Francis House provides fills an important need in the community. He said, “We have a unique position at the hub of the resource wheel in Sacramento. Since the turn of the century, the number of

who come here. They truly listen and advise them like they would advise their family members or their neighbors in a way that’s very personal and very moving. It has a great effect on the people to know that someone cares.” Program director Forrest Reed opens the gate every morning to between 30 and 50 people waiting for Francis House to open. Reed said, “In the face of the recession, there’s so much news about the problem and how the problem has gotten worse. Francis House is a big part of the solution.”

“In the face of the recession, there’s so much news about the problem and how the problem has gotten worse. Francis House is a big part of the solution.” - F O R R E S T R E E D clients experiencing homelessness, including families with children, increased sharply requiring us, in accordance with our mission, to increase the services we provide.” Francis House depends on a small staff of six employees and large group of more than 60 volunteers to deliver services. Staff members, including Bunker, Forrest Reed, Sandy Acevedo, Julie Ferguson and Lee Elias, along with volunteers, offer clients personal attention and problem solving. Leah Briggs is on staff also, providing Bunker and the rest of the staff with administrative support. According to Bunker, “They’re here because they have a heart to help people, and you can see the difference in the way they treat people, and the way they care for each other and the people

Pathways to Success One solution Francis House offers is help finding employment. Staff member Lee Elias manages Pathways to Success Career Center and places an average of a dozen unemployed people in jobs each month. The center has several computers for clients to look for jobs online. Elias spends several hours each day searching online and compiling lists of jobs for clients. Clients receive help creating a résumé, referrals to employment services, and employment programs and workshops. Each Thursday, Elias also meets with a small group of women who have connected as clients of the career center. “It’s not just about finding jobs,” said Elias. “It’s about self-esteem,

building confidence, personal growth and spirituality. It’s a support group for women to support each other and themselves.” Two members of the group, Teri and Donna, have been riding the bus to the meeting off and on for three years. Donna said, “It has been great to be able to come and talk to other women who are going through different stages in our lives. We bounce ideas off each other, we help each other.” Elias reports that women usually stop coming once things are working for them in their lives. “It’s a good thing,” she said. The goal of the Pathways to Success is to get clients working, and Elias accomplishes this with personal attention and by keeping services up to date with the latest job resources and technology.

Family Rescue program Julie Ferguson manages the Francis House Family Rescue program, which gives temporary shelter to families on a weekly basis. Francis House partners with a recently renovated hotel, so the rooms are all new with cable TV and all the amenities. It’s a very nice place to stay for people who might otherwise be sleeping on the streets. The program serves 48 families a month in an effort to fill the gap after all the shelters in the area are at capacity. According to Bunker, “There are not enough shelter beds for the number of people who are experiencing homelessness. The winter overflow, which housed 300 men, women and children, closed two years ago, and the county has not found funds to re-establish that. The smallest estimate of the homeless is 1,200—after the shelter beds are full and you add another 300, it’s grown. Due to the economy, we are seeing more and more people who are new to homelessness and new to poverty because of the crisis that’s going on.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

CHENEL BRIDGES: MAKING A DIFFERENCE C

henel Bridges loves volunteering for Francis House. She knows what it’s like to struggle though job loss as a single mother, and has even lost her housing briefly. She works hard to improve life for herself and her daughter by going to school, working full time and volunteering to help improve the lives of others. Three-and-a-half years ago, Chenel lost her job. After doing temporary work through an agency for years, the economy slowed and the temporary assignments ran out. She ended up on welfare for a few months to support her 12-year-old daughter,

Shaniah. She was referred to Francis House by CalWORKs and began volunteering for them through the Welfare to Work program. Francis House helped her find employment with Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, putting in a good word for her, as she was doing great volunteer work. Even between her new job, her school schedule and her responsibilities as a mother, Chenel found time to continue volunteering for Francis House. She

started at the front desk, moved up to resource counselor and currently helps place families in the motels for a week through the Francis House Family Rescue program. She feels her experience of being in need helps her relate to clients. When she lost her housing, she and her daughter were able to stay with her mother, but not everyone Chenel meets has a family to turn to. “I hear stories about their lives every week,” said Chenel. “I’m so thankful that I can help them. A lot of them just want to

“Find your passion. ... Whatever you wish you were doing, volunteer.” - CHENEL BRIDGES

rest and get off the streets to focus on their next move. They are grateful for that one-week opportunity to do that. It makes you think about your own life, and just be grateful for the things you do have because so many people don’t have what you do. I love this place.” Chenel strives to be understanding, giving clients her full, undivided attention and one-on-one time. She even brings her work home with her—she knows people

where she lives in Rancho Cordova who are having trouble finding work but don’t have a car or funds to make it to Francis House. She brings them references from the Francis House Career Center on job opportunities and upcoming workshops. She wants to pass along the help she received finding employment. She is still going to school, majoring in criminal justice at Sacramento State, and now working in janitorial for the Elk Grove School District, and, of course, volunteering at Francis House. Her daughter Shaniah is just as busy with school and soccer, but mother and daughter always find time to spend together on the weekends and in those few minutes each morning when Chenel drops Shaniah off at school. She tells clients who come in down and depressed, “If you have nothing else, volunteer somewhere. Find your passion. Whatever you enjoy—whether it be kids or animals, anything—whatever you wish you were doing, volunteer. There’s always a position out there in the community. You never know who you’re going to meet, the networks you’re going to connect with, helping yourself as well as helping others. I want to help others and make a difference. I do that each and every week.”

YANCIECE & ANTHONY: STICKING TOGETHER Y

anciece Brown and Anthony Henry, along with their children, were staying in hotels and having trouble finding housing. When their money ran out, the family had nowhere to go. They turned to Francis House for help and, after receiving a free week in a hotel and some good advice, are now moving into a new apartment. Yanciece and Anthony used to rent an apartment for them and their four children. The couple slept in the living room and gave the two bedrooms to the children, one for the girls— Adezha, age 9, and Alexis, age 11—and one for the boys—Anthony Jr., age 10, and Trevor, age 15. They did not expect additional roommates of the six-legged variety. Roaches infested the apartment. Yanciece fumigated the place herself, but the roaches kept coming back. The family also reports doing their own repairs, replacing their own kitchen linoleum because roaches were living under it. The landlord promised reimbursement, but when rent was due he demanded the full amount. After several months of this, Yanciece and Anthony found another apartment.

However, when moving day came, the apartment was not available as promised. They began staying in hotels and took up the home search again, endlessly driving around north Sacramento, paying endless credit-check and application fees. Yanciece recalls many landlords willing to work with her on her credit issues who changed their mind once they met Anthony and found out he is not employed. Anthony is not employed because he stays home with the children while Yanciece works. Yanciece feels like landlords judge them because of this arrangement. Additionally, many don’t want to move a large family into a twobedroom, which is all they can afford, and are concerned about problems because the oldest is a teenager. The search continued. Yanciece kept going to work and driving the children to school no matter where they were staying. She said, “I’m trying to give them as much normalcy as possible. For them, this has basically been like a vacation. We’re not homeless—that word is not something I have ever heard come out of their mouths.”

But staying in hotels got expensive. In addition to the hotel cost, it was expensive to eat without a kitchen for cooking, and it took more gas to drive further for work and school. When the money ran out, the family could not get into a shelter without splitting up. They turned to Francis House for help. “When you come to a place like this, they help you and embrace you,” said Yanciece. “It didn’t stop at the hotel. They offer gas cards and gave us gift

Sunrise Boulevard that will house the whole family in a two-bedroom. With the money they saved during that week, they had money for a deposit. They are very excited to move in to their new apartment. It is further than they wanted to be from Yanciece’s job and the kids’ school in north Sacramento, but Yanciece has a plan to drive the children to school by 8 a.m. and make it to her job by 9 a.m. The apartment is walking distance from

DEBRA BARRÉ: STAYING POSITIVE D

ebra Barré had a lucrative career in real estate and a successful book on the market. She never thought she would find herself penniless and staying with friends. It took a helping hand from Francis House for her to find a job and start getting her life back on track. Debra has enjoyed success most of her life. At 18, she took off for New York. At 21, she found herself in Paris. As an adult, she became a successful real-estate agent and author. She enjoyed an independent and carefree life in Southern California, affording weekend trips wherever her love for travel beckoned her. But when the real-estate market crashed, so did Debra’s lucrative career. She thought her book would support her; after all, she had been picked up by a publisher, and A Kept Promise was selling. “I thought the book was going to be like, ‘Hey, here I come, Oprah! Where’s my limo?’ The first two years, sales were good. But I learned the hard way you have to write another one, unless you write a best seller.”

When the real-estate market crashed, so did Debra’s lucrative career. On August 1 of 2010, she arrived on the doorstep of her longtime friend’s house in Sacramento with no job and no money. After her arrival, things continued to spiral downward. Sharing a house with a friend proved challenging, and all the little things kept going wrong. She chipped her tooth and couldn’t afford dental work. She couldn’t afford anything, so tried to clean her once-white sneakers rather than replace them, but the bleach ate a hole in them. She wore them anyway, and accidentally stepped in mud while walking down P Street. She remembers her lowest point as receiving a citation on her way to a job interview for riding the light rail with no pass.

“After I got the ticket, it embarrassed me. That alone was too much. Everyone is looking at you, and you are reminded of the pit that somehow you have gotten yourself into. I didn’t realize how much I took for granted, like $6 to ride the train.” It was in this moment of embarrassment after receiving a ticket that Debra first learned about Francis House. Someone had left a Street Sheet—the list of resources Francis House distributes to the public—on the light rail. “I’m into God and believe whatever goes around comes around, and I stay in tune. There was something about the name ‘Francis House’ that just took me.” Francis House provided Debra with transit passes and help looking for work. Debra found it easy to search for jobs at their Pathways to Success Career Center. She likes the list of jobs Francis House provides, as well as Internet access to search for jobs all in one place. She found a job within three days telemarketing for Sungate Energy Solutions in Rancho Cordova, and after only two weeks, was promoted to a quality-control position. Debra feels grateful for what she learned from losing everything. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I talk in my book about positivity. It was easy to talk about positivity when everything was great, but now I am forced to practice what I preach.” She plans to rent the guest house behind her friend’s house for a while and save money to eventually buy a house. She is also working on her second book, a collection of 12 short stories. “Only one of them is true,” she said, “but I’m not telling which one! “I feel like I am starting over again. I went through a little thunderstorm, but after the rain, there’s a pretty rainbow. Francis House seemed like a way to come back—a helping hand. I never thought I would be in this situation. They are so kind and giving. Thank God for people with great hearts.”

“When you come to a place like this, they help you and embrace you,” - YA N C I E C E B R O W N

cards for food. They are very helpful.” Julie, the Francis House counselor working with the family, advised them to call every apartment complex in the phone book and be upfront about their situation before applying. During the week stay at the hotel provided by Francis House, Yanciece followed Julie’s advice, and they have found a place off

PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

a park where the family enjoys watching fireworks, so they are already looking forward to next Fourth of July in the new place.

“Francis House seemed like a way to come back —a helping hand. ... They are so kind and giving. Thank God for people with great hearts.” - D E B R A B A R R É 916-443-2696 | www.FrancisHouse.info | You Can Make It Happen | Paid Advertising | Francis House 40th Anniversary Celebration Program | October 21, 2010 |

5

CHENEL BRIDGES: MAKING A DIFFERENCE C

henel Bridges loves volunteering for Francis House. She knows what it’s like to struggle though job loss as a single mother, and has even lost her housing briefly. She works hard to improve life for herself and her daughter by going to school, working full time and volunteering to help improve the lives of others. Three-and-a-half years ago, Chenel lost her job. After doing temporary work through an agency for years, the economy slowed and the temporary assignments ran out. She ended up on welfare for a few months to support her 12-year-old daughter,

Shaniah. She was referred to Francis House by CalWORKs and began volunteering for them through the Welfare to Work program. Francis House helped her find employment with Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, putting in a good word for her, as she was doing great volunteer work. Even between her new job, her school schedule and her responsibilities as a mother, Chenel found time to continue volunteering for Francis House. She

started at the front desk, moved up to resource counselor and currently helps place families in the motels for a week through the Francis House Family Rescue program. She feels her experience of being in need helps her relate to clients. When she lost her housing, she and her daughter were able to stay with her mother, but not everyone Chenel meets has a family to turn to. “I hear stories about their lives every week,” said Chenel. “I’m so thankful that I can help them. A lot of them just want to

“Find your passion. ... Whatever you wish you were doing, volunteer.” - CHENEL BRIDGES

rest and get off the streets to focus on their next move. They are grateful for that one-week opportunity to do that. It makes you think about your own life, and just be grateful for the things you do have because so many people don’t have what you do. I love this place.” Chenel strives to be understanding, giving clients her full, undivided attention and one-on-one time. She even brings her work home with her—she knows people

where she lives in Rancho Cordova who are having trouble finding work but don’t have a car or funds to make it to Francis House. She brings them references from the Francis House Career Center on job opportunities and upcoming workshops. She wants to pass along the help she received finding employment. She is still going to school, majoring in criminal justice at Sacramento State, and now working in janitorial for the Elk Grove School District, and, of course, volunteering at Francis House. Her daughter Shaniah is just as busy with school and soccer, but mother and daughter always find time to spend together on the weekends and in those few minutes each morning when Chenel drops Shaniah off at school. She tells clients who come in down and depressed, “If you have nothing else, volunteer somewhere. Find your passion. Whatever you enjoy—whether it be kids or animals, anything—whatever you wish you were doing, volunteer. There’s always a position out there in the community. You never know who you’re going to meet, the networks you’re going to connect with, helping yourself as well as helping others. I want to help others and make a difference. I do that each and every week.”

YANCIECE & ANTHONY: STICKING TOGETHER Y

anciece Brown and Anthony Henry, along with their children, were staying in hotels and having trouble finding housing. When their money ran out, the family had nowhere to go. They turned to Francis House for help and, after receiving a free week in a hotel and some good advice, are now moving into a new apartment. Yanciece and Anthony used to rent an apartment for them and their four children. The couple slept in the living room and gave the two bedrooms to the children, one for the girls— Adezha, age 9, and Alexis, age 11—and one for the boys—Anthony Jr., age 10, and Trevor, age 15. They did not expect additional roommates of the six-legged variety. Roaches infested the apartment. Yanciece fumigated the place herself, but the roaches kept coming back. The family also reports doing their own repairs, replacing their own kitchen linoleum because roaches were living under it. The landlord promised reimbursement, but when rent was due he demanded the full amount. After several months of this, Yanciece and Anthony found another apartment.

However, when moving day came, the apartment was not available as promised. They began staying in hotels and took up the home search again, endlessly driving around north Sacramento, paying endless credit-check and application fees. Yanciece recalls many landlords willing to work with her on her credit issues who changed their mind once they met Anthony and found out he is not employed. Anthony is not employed because he stays home with the children while Yanciece works. Yanciece feels like landlords judge them because of this arrangement. Additionally, many don’t want to move a large family into a twobedroom, which is all they can afford, and are concerned about problems because the oldest is a teenager. The search continued. Yanciece kept going to work and driving the children to school no matter where they were staying. She said, “I’m trying to give them as much normalcy as possible. For them, this has basically been like a vacation. We’re not homeless—that word is not something I have ever heard come out of their mouths.”

But staying in hotels got expensive. In addition to the hotel cost, it was expensive to eat without a kitchen for cooking, and it took more gas to drive further for work and school. When the money ran out, the family could not get into a shelter without splitting up. They turned to Francis House for help. “When you come to a place like this, they help you and embrace you,” said Yanciece. “It didn’t stop at the hotel. They offer gas cards and gave us gift

Sunrise Boulevard that will house the whole family in a two-bedroom. With the money they saved during that week, they had money for a deposit. They are very excited to move in to their new apartment. It is further than they wanted to be from Yanciece’s job and the kids’ school in north Sacramento, but Yanciece has a plan to drive the children to school by 8 a.m. and make it to her job by 9 a.m. The apartment is walking distance from

DEBRA BARRÉ: STAYING POSITIVE D

ebra Barré had a lucrative career in real estate and a successful book on the market. She never thought she would find herself penniless and staying with friends. It took a helping hand from Francis House for her to find a job and start getting her life back on track. Debra has enjoyed success most of her life. At 18, she took off for New York. At 21, she found herself in Paris. As an adult, she became a successful real-estate agent and author. She enjoyed an independent and carefree life in Southern California, affording weekend trips wherever her love for travel beckoned her. But when the real-estate market crashed, so did Debra’s lucrative career. She thought her book would support her; after all, she had been picked up by a publisher, and A Kept Promise was selling. “I thought the book was going to be like, ‘Hey, here I come, Oprah! Where’s my limo?’ The first two years, sales were good. But I learned the hard way you have to write another one, unless you write a best seller.”

When the real-estate market crashed, so did Debra’s lucrative career. On August 1 of 2010, she arrived on the doorstep of her longtime friend’s house in Sacramento with no job and no money. After her arrival, things continued to spiral downward. Sharing a house with a friend proved challenging, and all the little things kept going wrong. She chipped her tooth and couldn’t afford dental work. She couldn’t afford anything, so tried to clean her once-white sneakers rather than replace them, but the bleach ate a hole in them. She wore them anyway, and accidentally stepped in mud while walking down P Street. She remembers her lowest point as receiving a citation on her way to a job interview for riding the light rail with no pass.

“After I got the ticket, it embarrassed me. That alone was too much. Everyone is looking at you, and you are reminded of the pit that somehow you have gotten yourself into. I didn’t realize how much I took for granted, like $6 to ride the train.” It was in this moment of embarrassment after receiving a ticket that Debra first learned about Francis House. Someone had left a Street Sheet—the list of resources Francis House distributes to the public—on the light rail. “I’m into God and believe whatever goes around comes around, and I stay in tune. There was something about the name ‘Francis House’ that just took me.” Francis House provided Debra with transit passes and help looking for work. Debra found it easy to search for jobs at their Pathways to Success Career Center. She likes the list of jobs Francis House provides, as well as Internet access to search for jobs all in one place. She found a job within three days telemarketing for Sungate Energy Solutions in Rancho Cordova, and after only two weeks, was promoted to a quality-control position. Debra feels grateful for what she learned from losing everything. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I talk in my book about positivity. It was easy to talk about positivity when everything was great, but now I am forced to practice what I preach.” She plans to rent the guest house behind her friend’s house for a while and save money to eventually buy a house. She is also working on her second book, a collection of 12 short stories. “Only one of them is true,” she said, “but I’m not telling which one! “I feel like I am starting over again. I went through a little thunderstorm, but after the rain, there’s a pretty rainbow. Francis House seemed like a way to come back—a helping hand. I never thought I would be in this situation. They are so kind and giving. Thank God for people with great hearts.”

“When you come to a place like this, they help you and embrace you,” - YA N C I E C E B R O W N

cards for food. They are very helpful.” Julie, the Francis House counselor working with the family, advised them to call every apartment complex in the phone book and be upfront about their situation before applying. During the week stay at the hotel provided by Francis House, Yanciece followed Julie’s advice, and they have found a place off

PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

a park where the family enjoys watching fireworks, so they are already looking forward to next Fourth of July in the new place.

“Francis House seemed like a way to come back —a helping hand. ... They are so kind and giving. Thank God for people with great hearts.” - D E B R A B A R R É 916-443-2696 | www.FrancisHouse.info | You Can Make It Happen | Paid Advertising | Francis House 40th Anniversary Celebration Program | October 21, 2010 |

5

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Direct services Sandy Acevedo oversees all the direct services Francis House offers. This includes bus tokens, gas vouchers and identification services, which are unique in the community. Francis House is the only place people can go to get a free California picture ID or birth certificate. They mail out to 48 states for birth certificates—if someone is not already registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, they cannot get an ID without showing an original birth certificate. Bunker said, “We struck a deal through [Senate President Pro Tem] Darrell Steinberg, where DMVs throughout California can offer the discounted price, before it tripled, of $7 each. This stretches our dollar further. We pay for the ID and give out bus tokens to get there.” Every day, clients wait for hours to receive direct services. One client, Dorothy, is severely disabled from a car accident. She is missing an arm, her face is partially paralyzed and she has trouble walking. She came to Francis House because she recently moved here from New Mexico and needs help getting a California state identification.

Continuous expansion of services

Francis House launches capital campaign

As needs arise, Francis House strives to fill them. It distributes a Street Sheet, which lists and maps out other local services. This sheet is updated frequently and given out freely to the community, including clients or any other agency that wants to use it as a resource guide. At times, it also provides clients with toiletries, blankets, coats, clothes, diapers and Bibles. Sometimes, a volunteer will bring a unique skill, further expanding services. One volunteer, Alex “Batman” Briones, is a veteran and coordinates a Veterans Outreach program. The idea is vets helping vets—several veterans volunteer and offer other veterans personal counseling to find services they need, whether it’s through the VA or in the community. Of all the services Francis House offers, Bunker said, “Personal attention is by far the most important. We consider the greatest contributing factor to poverty and homelessness is isolation. For those who are truly alone, life is very complicated and difficult. Even

Bunker reports an overwhelming increase in need over the last couple of years. To meet this demand, Francis House is launching a capital campaign to raise $250,000 to expand its facility and provide more services. With extra space for counseling and classrooms, Francis House hopes to add classes such as substance-abuse counseling.

“Even the simplest barriers are daunting when you don’t believe you deserve to have such a service. ... People say, ‘Why don’t they just get a job?’ It’s much more complicated than that.” - GREG BUNKER

the simplest barriers are daunting when you don’t believe you deserve to have such a service, or you are unkempt and living under a bush without an alarm clock and without clean clothes. People say, ‘Why don’t they just get a job?’ It’s much more complicated than that when you’re beaten down and you’re isolated with no place to go, hiding from the police all the time in fear of being arrested or ticketed for being homeless.” Advocacy is yet another area Francis House helps, joining with several other nonprofits for Safe Ground Sacramento. The goal is to empower the homeless to lead the movement to establish a “safe ground” or safe place for them to live without fear of being arrested or ticketed. It also joined a class-action lawsuit, in which the city settled, and homeless who had their belongings confiscated by police were compensated.

BUSINESSES OFFER SUPPORT

T Just blocks away from Loaves & Fishes, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, Union Gospel Mission and other social services, Francis House works with the entire community to help people find the services they need. Aside from some limited federal funding though the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency and some city funding for IDs, support for services depends on donations from the community at large. Francis House relies on a network of community organizations, businesses, houses of worship and individuals. Francis House is counting on the community to come together for its 40th Anniversary Celebration event on Friday, October 29, at 6 p.m. in the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Sacramento. Some of the finest local restaurants and caterers will serve a fabulous four-course dinner with fine wine pairings. Mumbo Gumbo will provide great music, and proceeds will support Francis House services. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, owners of Cache Creek Casino Resort, have contributed a generous seed donation of $50,000 to kick off the capital campaign. This will be celebrated at the 40th Anniversary event. The event is an opportunity for the entire community to gather and celebrate, as well as offer support for continued service. According to Bunker, “We are working three times as hard as we ever have to meet the growing demand. There a lot of very generous people in Sacramento who keep us growing in spite of the economy. We have faith in the abundance that surrounds us in this country and the goodwill of the people who know about us.”

om Gilbert, CEO of Gilbert Associates accounting firm in Sacramento, jokes that he is the only donor who has been around longer than Greg Bunker, the executive director of Francis House. Gilbert and Bunker have developed a friendship over the years, and Gilbert Associates remains one of Francis House’s largest corporate donors through the accounting and tax services donated. In the early 1980s, Gilbert wanted to give back to his community. He lived and worked in Midtown, rode his bike through downtown, and regularly saw the homeless sleeping on the streets. Back then, Francis House was still just a house next to St. Francis Parish—the church Gilbert attended—that served sandwiches and coffee to the poor. Gilbert volunteered to serve refreshments, joined the board of directors as treasurer and has been involved one way or another ever since. “I was looking for a way to get involved in the community,” said Gilbert. “I like the idea that it spans a large segment of the community in terms of involvement; it’s not just Catholic or Lutheran or Methodist. I’ve always been a downtown person. I like the idea of having a central clearinghouse for service to the homeless.” Gilbert was on the Francis House board during the process of bringing in the support of other Midtown Christian congregations, turning it into an interfaith program. Each church was PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

Another client, Reese Houston, came to Francis House for help getting his state identification because he cannot afford to get one on his own, and needs ID to get a job. He said, “It’s good that they’re doing something for the community.” Client Frank Amador’s wallet was stolen, so he needs help replacing his ID so he can find a job. He is also visiting the career center. He has worked all his life, but found himself down and out after his wife left him. Of the services Francis House offers, he said, “Unbelievable. This place is awesome.”

COMMUNITY

You can make it happen, too!

doing their own program similar to Francis House, so this unification centralized services. When Gilbert founded his accounting firm in 1984, he continued to support Francis House by donating services. Francis House stands apart from other organizations in Gilbert’s mind because of the unique services it offers, as well as its accessible location. He likes the referral and training it offers with its counseling services to get people on track and break the homeless cycle. As a businessman, it made sense to invest in centralized services.

Keri Thomas, regional director of community and government relations for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, said, “As a health-care organization, we offer 24-hour care to anyone who comes through the door. And we partner with community-based partners to promote a healthier region. It is central to Sutter’s mission here in Sacramento to reach into the community, locate areas of need, and help the nonprofit sector deliver high-quality services and resources to address those needs. From that commitment, we have partnered with Francis House to help deliver supportive, outcomefocused assistance to help people suffering from the effects of poverty and homelessness.” She continued, “Francis House is a vital part of the network of services available to our homeless—whether chronically homeless and suffering from addiction and other health-robbing conditions, or the recently unemployed and homeless individuals and families in our community. It makes business sense to invest in organizations like Francis House who help people go from a hopeless and unhealthy, often unsafe life with many

“I like the idea of having a central clearinghouse for service to the homeless.” - TO M G I L B E RT Gilbert Accounting is not the only corporate donor faithfully choosing Francis House in an effort to help the community. Sutter Medical Center Sacramento has a community benefit grants program and has provided Francis House with funding to support its programs. According to SMCS, Francis House has been a strong, effective partner with community-based organizations to help area residents lead healthier lives.

$2,000 COMMUNITY BUILDERS Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley, Wells Fargo $1,000 COMMUNITY HEROES 3fold Communications, Andy & Carla Meyers Family, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Gary Gallery, HydroFocus Inc., Infuze Marketing, Law Office of Mark E. Merin, Law Office of Jane Zerbi, Loaves & Fishes, Mo Mohanna, Morrison & Foerster Foundation, Rescue Concrete, SureWest Foundation, Sutter Hospital, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Uptown Studios The following businesses have generously provided the food, wine, flowers and services for our 40th Anniversary Celebration. Please consider them when planning your next celebration or dining experience. FOOD PROVIDERS: Bella Bru, Evan’s Kitchen, Mulvaney’s Building & Loan, Sampino’s Towne Foods, Tulí Bistro WINE PROVIDERS: Pilot Peak, Mt. Aukum, Solune, Abundance FLORISTS: Bloem Decor, G. Rossi Florist, Rust Florist ADVERTISERS: Comstocks, News & Review ADDITIONAL SUPPORT: Celebrations – Rental, Starbucks Coffee

risks toward treatment, employment, housing and family reunification. And it is the right thing to do as a corporate steward committed to creating and improving the health of people and communities.” Without the generous support of community individual and business partners, the services provided by Francis House would not be possible.

To My Brother Greg and The Francis House, It has been a blessing working with you over the many years. To you and me, homeless folks are sisters, mothers, brothers, fathers and children who have been forgotten and need our help. Your dedication and service to the homeless inspires us all. Happy Anniversary, Francis House. Here’s to another 40 years! Your Brother, Mohammad Mohanna

To create, organize and stage an event of this size and complexity is an amazing feat. This evening would not have been possible without the total dedication and hard work of the following friends and members of the 40th Anniversary Celebration Committee: Event Chairwoman: Carla Meyers Registration Coordinator: Nikki Smith Kitchen Coordinator: Chef Evan Elsberry Dinner Service Coordinator: Tony Scalzo Event Consultant: Alex Zabelin Publicist: Ken Pierce Public Relations Graphic Design: Uptown Studios & Leah Briggs Wineries Coordinator: Samantha Hawkins Entertainment Producer: Forrest Reed Supporting Group: Kennedy High School Criminal Justice Academy Committee Members: Alex Zabelin, Carla Meyers, Forrest Reed, Gary Gallery, Greg Bunker, Kim Tucker, Samantha Hawkins, Tina Reynolds Video Staging: Michael Stavros Sound: Gabe Lewin of Clarity Sound Entertainment: Jazz Gitan, Mumbo Gumbo

M. H. Mohanna Development 1025 9th St. Suite 205 • Sacramento, CA (916) 447-5232

Our heartfelt thanks to the more than 100 volunteers who stepped up to make this wonderful evening possible, and to our volunteers that generously give of their service to the many clients of Francis House weekly.

7

SureWest Communications A better experience

3fold Communications

Digital TV High Speed Internet Voice

Marketing Agency

1.866.787.3937 surewest.com

916-442-1394 1722 J Street, Suite 17 Sacramento, CA 95811

Law Office of Jane Zerbi 777 Campus Commons Rd. Sacramento, CA 95825 WEBSITES & GRAPHIC DESIGN 916-446-1082 UPTOWNSTUDIOS.NET

BONNIE PANNELL

BONNIE PANNELL Councilmember District 8

A Full Service Marketing Firm (916) 662-0008

infuzemarketing.com

916-925-9600

REMY, THOMAS, MOOSE & MANLEY LLP RTMMLAW.COM 455 CAPITOL MALL, SUITE 210 916-443-2745

THE BECKER GROUP (916) 921-2700 2004 S Street Sacramento, CA

Francis House 40th A nniversar y Celebration Program | Paid Adver tising | You Can Make It Happen | www.FrancisHouse .info | 916-443-2696

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