Category Archives: Meeting Minutes

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities (AACFC)
Meeting Summary
Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, 4641 Marconi Avenue, Sacramento
Thursday, October 28, 2021

Introductions – Jason Bense began the meeting by asking each attendee to note their skills and state their calling for our mission to address homelessness and other humanitarian needs in our local area.

Tom Tortora – President of AACFC, Missions Chair at Sierra Vista Community Church (SVCC), works with IRC refugee resettlement, Arden Arcade HART winter shelter and 7 X 7 food donation programs. Tom’s passion and long term goal is establishment of a Respite Center in partnership with service providers, not just information sharing. HART programs now have momentum and is getting things done.

Phyllis Palmer – Member SVCC, works with AA HART food donations program, Greer School, Christmas baskets and gift cards for San Juan Unified School District.

Jason Bense – Treasurer of AACFC Board, summarized history of AACFC which met monthly to network re. needs. Board was formed in 2011 and later set up 501©3. Due to many other duties, no one has bandwidth to work on this full time. Covid pandemic killed momentum and attempting to restart programs.

John Skelton – Has lived experience in being unsheltered for many years. Currently housed and willing to provide expertise on critical needs of homeless persons.

Carol Wuebker – Career work at Sacramento County. Has helped homeless persons fight bureaucracy and get benefits. Concerned about lack of medical access except for ER. Supports rollout of a navigation center.

Jim Schaal – Exec. Director of the Center at St. Matthews, supporting numerous programs, including 700 meals per week to food insecure persons through partnership with River City Food Bank, ESL classes for refugees, AA HART involvement and initiation of daily meal distribution program in Arden Arcade. St. Matthews facilities are maxed out but working on $10,000 grant.

Leslie Ann Grace – Working with both of Jason Bense’s Lutheran church programs. Strong housing background. Strong concern around homelessness.

Dylan Hurrie – Formerly homeless and living in Sacramento Self Help Housing (SSHH) facility. Notes that key element of success is community, since humans are designed for relationships, not just food, shelter, etc. Drug  and alcohol addictions are the result of lack of love and community but can be reversed. Has overcome his history through prayer and faith and now mentors others. Supports a community center and works with Salvation Army programs, including the “B” Street Shelter. Salvation Army has vast resources.

Steven Pinedo  – Works as Certified Financial Planner. Called to help the homeless. Likes the UGM – Union Gospel Mission franchise money which receives no government money. Budget – $2.3 million per year with 18 employees. UGM offers a shelter program with 7 nights on, 3 out for 9 months with 28 beds. Also, a 1 -2 month transitional job referral program. Noted that established program structure is needed before fundraising. Government programs have too much bureaucracy and are slow.

John McCormack – Member of St. Marks United Methodist Church in Arden Arcade. Worked with Sac. Co. Winter Shelter program and now with St. Marks Food Closet, Mercy Pedalers, AA HART, Habitat for Humanity, Loaves and Fishes, Sacramento Area Congregations Together (Sacramento ACT) which lobbies government and private fund sources.  Connected bureaucratically to several hundred programs. Unofficial Recording Secretary for AACFC.

General discussion on pros and cons of Resource/Navigation/Respite Center – Tom noted that shelter alone will not solve the problem and before grant writing and money is accessed, we need a comprehensive detailed plan on what AACFC’s Center would do. Must continue to explore how to leverage existing entities like McDonalds, and models like WIND Youth Center, Goodwill, etc. Jason invited Sister Libby of Mercy Pedalers to today’s meeting – we should arrange a future meeting with her. Programs like Loaves and Fishes, UGM, and St. John’s Shelter for Real Change are efficient and use no government money but rely on donations, corporate sponsorships and grants. Jason has tried to set up a meeting with St. John’s Shelter. Other options – pod housing envisioned by Rabbi Nancy Wexler and an RV bus to use on Mercy Pedalers and HART runs. Specifics of our goal of a non-sleeping (day) navigation/respite center need to be articulated (bathrooms, showers, parking lot space, tents, social workers, street medicine, barbers, etc.). Also how many persons would we serve daily or weekly ? Could start small and expand programs.

Priorities – Leslie noted on white board 3 major priorities.

  1. Update and maintain AACFC Resource Guide (“Street Sheet”).
  2. Partner with existing organizations (NGO’s, faith-based organizations and City and County Board of Supervisors (BOS) to build our brand and reputation in the community. Use Inside Arden and other media to promote AACFC.
  3. Stand up a Navigation/Resource Center.

  Dylan noted the two Sac. Co. Wellness Recovery Centers (one in north area, one south) <https://www.consumersselfhelp.org/wrc-north>   They are funded by the California Mental Health Services Act funds (Prop. 63), County Behavioral Health Services and other funds. Were closed during pandemic but now, 3 staff provide mental health services, showers, etc. Wellness Centers (day use only) are a good starting model for our vision of a center. AACFC needs to be intentional about asking for funds and continue to visit NGO’s to see how they work. Also, need to continually monitor County Supervisor Rich Desmond’s plans for a navigation center in Arden Arcade (Bohemian Park).

Committee Assignments –   

  1. Business Plan – Carol Wuebker, Steven Pinedo
  2. Resource  Guide – John McCormack, Carol Wuebker, John Skelton. FYI, Carol has done recent survey of several hundred area providers in Arden Arcade and Carmichael.
  3. Outreach and engagement with NGO’s, FBO’s, government agencies –Leslie Ann Grace, Dylan Hurrie,  Carol Wuebker and Jim Schaal. (Dylan will set up Goodwill Meeting, Carol and Jason will set up St. John’s Shelter meeting).
  4. Complete 501©3 paperwork – AACFC Officers – Tom Tortora, Jeannie Anderson-West and Jason Bense.
  5. Fund and build Navigation Center – All, with administrative support from Leslie Ann Grace at LCOR.

Next Meeting – Tuesday, November 23, 2021 (Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer) Note: Historically we have had monthly general meetings at various locations with speakers and separate monthly officer’s meetings. Tom also noted we have had a large annual meeting with a meal and wide publicity.

John McCormack, Recording Secretary