Sacramento Homeless blog

After being away from Union Gospel Mission for a quarter of a year, Jimmy Roughton returned to preach at UGM on the cold night of December 13 -- despite suffering [a little? a lot? dunno.] from a fall from a ladder that likely immediately preceded a significant injury (a wrist that was broken). It was good to see his group from Capital Free Will Baptist Church up on the pulpit, with Roughton rough-and-ready to seduce and inspire the happily-captivate crowd at UGM. Roughton told us in his opening words that he was now in his 27th year coming to the mission. I recall the first preaching I had heard from Roughton on June 13, 2009. At that time and up to the current time, Roughton is the only preacher I had ever heard evoke Pascal's Wager -- which is something he would do, occasionally thereafter at the mission. He would evoke Pascal's wager, yet again, last night [12/13/17]. Pascal's wager Last night, Jimmy evoked Pascal's Wager . He did so near the end of his t...

I have spent the night the past two weeks plus at the Union Gospel Mission and am having an excellent time of it -- not only regards to sleeping in the dorm that the mission has, but also listening to the sermons that are delivered in the early evening. The Christmas music that is performed is also splendid. [And the food -- the FOOD -- has been fantastic during my stay so far! A happier Tom there couldn't be.] I chatted with a pal last night about The Mish – about how things were about five years ago when we both used the mission’s services frequently, and how thing are, today. Five years ago, there were a lot scuffles between the guys when the front gate was opened in the early afternoon and in the area near the contact window there were some brawls as guys fought over where guys were in line to get a bed in the dorm. Nowadays, however, the mission is very much a peaceful place both on the grounds of the facility and and out on the street. I do not know what tran...

I received a generous response from Leo McFarland of VOA on the status of the 200-bed Triage Shelter that is progressing toward completion on Railway Rd. McFarland writes, Tom, all the contacts and referrals to the Triage Shelter are coming from the outreach team called the Impact Team .  No walk ups are allowed per our contract with the City. Last night's opening was scheduled to be limited to 50 individuals for several reasons. First the Impact team transports each referral over to the Shelter which limits the number that could be handled by this group on opening day. Secondly, and more to the site permit challenge, we have not completed the full interior build out as yet. We are going to erect physical walls in the Shelter to provide for guests' privacy in the sleeping areas. Everything is complete for this build except we cannot begin to set it up until the city issues us the building permit.  It is under review by the city and we expect to get the gre...

The 200-bed shelter at Railway Road and Del Paso Blvd opened last night -- Friday, the 8th -- with fifty homeless people spending the first night there. The shelter -- as yet unnamed -- was scheduled to open on December 8, but is not as yet ready to be populated by the maximum number of people and their pets that, when the shelter is completed and ready, are expected to be staying there. The shelter, for winter, will be open through March 31. An article written by Cynthia Hubert in the Sunday, Dec. 10 edition of the Bee, is the source of this news. One peculiarity that is perhaps trivial, but maybe not, is Hubert's unfortunate use of the word "trudge" in describing the, um, walking style of those who first made use of the shelter. "Trudge" is a derogatory word associated with Libby Hernandez, the three-wheel nun. It has been noticed by homeless people, themselves, that they "walk," as opposed to "trudge" when they move forward. In addit...

For many homeless folk: “To panhandle or not to panhandle? That is the question." Stolid citizens of Sacramento ask themselves: “Is it best to abruptly deny panhandlers their requests?” SN&R News Editor Raheem F. Hosseini takes a helpful dash into the question of homeless people panhandling in this week’s edition [for   11/22/17] of the alternative weekly, which I’ll use to try to flesh out a further examination of the merits and demerits for solid citizens and needy desperate homeless citizens who put money in a hand or put out a hand for money . Hosseini tells us that new laws took effect on Nov. 24 in the city that can damper down what success panhandlers can expect, since the money seekers are, for the most part, subject to punishment if their efforts to get some cash are perceived as aggressive, or, even, forthright – but in a circumstance that is no longer deemed lawful . Regarding the new laws, Hosseini writes, Under the new laws, anyone deemed t...

or Toilet Paper and the  reducing of others to mere Its. Getting the average citizens of Sacramento city and county to have a more-positive sense of Homeless People is an important and laudable effort that must be pursued. But how, and to what end, precisely? In recent days, Loaves & Fishes has had a campaign going to get citizens to buy toilet paper and to bring what they purchase to the Loaves & Fishes Welcoming Center/Warehouse. Below is text about the toilet-paper drive, written, I believe, by Justin of L&F: Toilet Paper Drive This Thursday Access to clean fully stocked restrooms is one of life's most basic necessities. Providing those facilities is an essential part of Loaves & Fishes. We need your help to keep everything stocked and rolling. Help us collect for those in need by donating a package of TP. When: Thursday, August 31st, 7am-5pm Where: Loaves & Fishes, 1351 North C Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 ======= A toilet-...