AACFC Meeting Minutes |

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities

DRAFT Meeting Minutes, March 28, 2024, 1:00 p.m. (Zoom)

Introductions:

Jason Bense, Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer

Carol Wuebker, Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer

Tom Tortora, Sierra Vista Community Church

Judy Stoeltzing, LDS

Katie Heffelfinger, LDS, friend of Judy S.

John McCormack, St. Marks United Methodist

Grant Bakewell, noted he is no longer a priest at St. Matthews Episcopal. He was replaced by Kathy Hoffner and Mac Olsen who are temporarily out. Deacon Hagenjos is currently pastoring.

Maureen White, friend of Jason Bense and interfaith chaplain. Member of Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento (ICGS). Completed Clinical Chaplaincy program at Kaiser Morse Hospital in March 2023. Many years of experience in interfaith chaplaincy work. Will attend NAACP Breakfast at the Doubletree Inn on Friday, March 29. Maureen has attended AACFC meetings in past. She provided her email address in the chat.

Bob Herne: Jason introduced as Development Director at HOPE Cooperative. Bob is a 5-year Board Member of HOPE Cooperative and today’s speaker. He was previously Strategic Initiative Director at the National Adoption Association.

Devotional: Jason noted today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy means commandment and our charge is to love one another as Jesus did when he washed the feet of his disciples.

Power Point Presentation by Bob Herne:

The Mission Statement of HOPE is to address problems of mental illness, substance abuse disorder and homelessness and provide independence and stability for individuals. Bob is working part time at HOPE now. The non-profit has 300 employees. HOPE’s 3 key principles are resilience, connection and transformation. They serve 10,000 clients in Sacramento and Yolo Counties. HOPE was begun in 1981 as TLCS- Transitional Living Cultivating Success by 2 community activists. HOPE runs a homeless outreach program in the city of Sacramento and is part of the COC – Continuum of Care. Bob displayed a chart of HOPE’s 5 main work areas.

Outreach and Engagement Center: Partners with City of Sacramento Dept. of Community Response (DCR). 24/7 facility assistance homeless persons to be “document ready” with the goal of moving to stable housing. With the help of outreach worker teams, 50% of persons entering the program exit to sustainable housing.

Crisis Resource Center: An alternative to the E.R. Person in crisis can receive acute care for up to 23 hours. 3000 people served per year. Center is 24/7/365.

CORE Community Wellness Centers: Formerly T-Core. CORE stands for Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment. Facilities at 3737 Marconi Avenue, 650 Howe Avenue and X Street near Broadway in Mid-town. CORE is based on a New York City model which HOPE expanded. There are now 11 CORE facilities in the City of Sacramento. HOPE operates 3 CORE centers, providing food, water, laundry, storage of possessions and pet support. No overnight sites. Meets people where they are at.

New Directions: A full-service Partnership (FSP) with 2 sites in Yolo County providing case management. Addresses serious mental illness cases. Provides 200 housing vouchers but clients still find it hard to obtain rental space due to affordable housing shortage. New Directions offers first month/last month rent and reimbursement for apartment damages. Yolo programs are YOLO ACT and YOLO INSPIRE.

Co-occurring Disorders Outpatient Treatment (COTP): Day clinic services at CORE site at Marconi and Howe.

CalAIM: HOPE supports a new state program (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal). It will focus on “super-utilizers” with chronic diseases. One goal is to lower ER visits. It Includes ECM (Enhanced Care Management) and community support. Staff includes case managers who speak Farsi to assist Middle Eastern refugees.

HOPE Housing: maintains 700 units, including interim shelter housing on Auburn Boulevard, transitional housing for 6- 12 months at Palmer House, Permanent Supportive Housing on 9 sites (2 Home Key sites will open 197 new units in late 2024 plus sites at Northview Pointe and Elk Grove and 47 family apartments in Citrus Heights), Sober Living program (1 male, 1 female home with one year terms) and Scattered site housing using federal HUD money.

The story of Steven: This person broke into the Governor’s mansion while in crisis and was arrested. He had presented as mentally ill as a child. He is stable now and was the subject of a story in Inside Magazine and other media. He is now on the HOPE Board as a member with lived experience of homelessness. He assists the board and staff with medical interventions and therapy as one who understands mentally ill needs. See CBS News report below https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/governors-mansion-intruder-fresh-start/

Questions and Answers:

Tom asked what the HART shelters, Mercy Pedalers and FBO’s should be telling homeless persons when the street sheets are handed out. What are the do’s and don’ts ? Bob encourages persons to come to a wellness center (Howe Ave, X Street or Marconi) and begin the triage process (food, pet support, Medi-CAL certification, job referrals, etc.)
Maureen White asked how HOPE works with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach (HOT) Team ? HOPE has a contract with Sacramento County and gets most of its money from city, county, state and HUD funds. HOPE works with other NGO’s in the area. All requests for housing referrals in the city or county go from the county 211 phone number of web site, regardless of location of person in city or county, except Sober Living program. Bob noted that HOPE gets m=numerous grants to fund its staff and programs but the passage of the new bond, Proposition 1, will change the calculus of local funding. With 9000 unsheltered persons still living on the street (per the latest point in time count in the metro area), affordable housing is very important.
Carol Wuebker asked if we can get the actual Power Point from Bob. He will asked his board and CEO if it can be released to share. Most pertinent information is on the HOPE web site https://hopecoop.org/
Is the Crisis Resource Center (CRC) open 24 hours per day ? Yes, will accept 5150 cases for 23 hour care. Katie Heffelfinger noted she was a social worker in an ER and HOPE has saved many people.
What the growth trends for HOPE ? Currently, there are 365 employee positions authorized but only 320 staff due to turbulence in the medical and social services labor industry. Bob also noted CAP Radio toured the Wellness Center today.
Maureen White asked if HOPE addresses homelessness and food insecurity at CSUS. Representatives of CSUS recently met with Sacramento AARP and Maureen to discuss. Landlords are refusing to take many vouchers since demand exceeds supply. HOPE will be having a landlord education event with the National Council of Jewish Women to educate the public about tenant’s rights.
Judy Stoeltzing noted that her son is the business development manager at Heritage Oaks (Mental) Hospital.
John noted that HOPE Cooperative is a major recipient of federal, state and local dollars and a key and growing player in the local NGO system, using best practices to end homelessness and treat mental illness. The NGO list also includes Turning Point, First Step Communities, Family Promise, etc.

Timeline for HOPE events: Discussion re. a public presentation by HOPE and a facility tour. Should the presentation and tour be combined ? Bob noted that a large group of 50 persons might not work for a tour of a safe space. But small groups of 5 could be accommodated. Katie will look into arranging small group tours for interested persons. The LDS stake at Hurley and Eastern is available for a public Power Point event. Also, SVCC is available.

HOPE needs: Bob noted that clean and new towels are needed at Wellness Centers for showers. This could be an AACFC project. Judy can publicize this on Just Serve. Bob also noted that Deseret Industries just donated $16,000 in credits for homeless persons to buy items at their stores. Bob provided his phone number in the chat.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol Wueber provided the report on screen. The laundry spent $193 this month serving 25 families. Tom noted that he told IRC to publicize the laundry to their refugee families. Current costs per family per Saturday are $7.00 on average.

AA HART supply room: Jason noted that movement of the supply room from Good Shepherd Lutheran back to LCOR is in progress.

Next regular AACFC Meeting: Judy Stoetzing will do a presentation on the Just Serve program at the next regular meeting, Thursday, April 25^th by Zoom.

Respectfully submitted

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities (AACFC)

General Meeting

Thursday, August 24, 2023 (1:00 p.m.) (Zoom)

Attendees: Jason Bense, Tom Tortora, Megan Brooks, Julie Linderman, Carol Wuebker, John McCormack, Deacon Paul Friedrich.

Reflection: Julie led us in a short prayer.

July Minutes: Correction: The proposed date (at the time of this meeting) for the Refugee event was September 13^th , not September 12^th or 14^th. So no correction is needed.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol noted that the current balance is $6588.75. Cash amount of $293 being held for the laundry by Carol and Julie is not included. Julie asked if there is a log of personal donations kept for the laundry to thank donors. Acknowledgment letters are sent to large donors to AACFC but small cash donations may not be.

Fall Refugee event plan: Tom spoke with Shandenia Piper of IRC today and she is confirmed to be the speaker on Sept. 14^th. An RSVP will be added to the meeting flyer being developed to be returned to info@aacfc.us. Jason, Tom and Jeannie Anderson-West have rights to see this email folder. Also, the RSVP will be placed in the body of the email sent out to all on the mailing list. Jason also created a Facebook event on the AACFC FB page with a click to attend button. Shandenia is sending her final edits to Tom and Jason for the flyer, which is needed ASAP. The flyer will be sent initially to the 109 addresses on Jason’s email list. The event is set for Thursday, Sept. 14^th at 6 pm at Carmichael Presbyterian Church, McMillan Hall. The IRC talk will cover their work and current needs with refugees, especially Afghans in resettlement. Jason and Tom will work out the microphone needs. Jason has 2 Bluetooth hand held microphones. Julie Linderman, along with Judy Stoeltzing’s help, will develop a refreshment plan. Also, today, Carol emailed the committee a flyer to be handed out at the meeting.

Laundry Report: Twenty family units, including new guests, were served at the August laundry. Carol and Julie counted all laundry income and expenses. We should continue to publicize donations to our faith groups. Carol will print out business card- sized thank you notes with our IRS Code for donors but the code should not be shared publicly. She will track all donations and sign acknowledgement cards before mailing out. Also, the laundry balance should be continuously synced to the treasurer’s total balance. Small cash donations handed to volunteers are difficult to track and remember. Carol will send a letter of thanks to the Starbucks at Watt Avenue and King’s Way for their ongoing coffee donations.

Resource Guide (“Street Sheet”): Megan and Carol are our designated PC experts. The current version of the Resource Guide is March 2023 and needs revision. Also, QR codes can easily be added to our guide to enable quick access to information, as was done for the January 2023 Rich Desmond flyer. John will draft an appeal to all AACFC members asking for a review and update of information in the guide. All changes and corrections should be forward to Carol’s AACFC address carol@aacfc.us. Jason will add Carol to Door Dash so she can make changes to the Resource Guide. The goal is a new version of the guide as a handout for the Sept. 14^th refugee event.

Leadership Transition: Jason announced that he is stepping down as President of AACFC and will be taking a-3 month sabbatical from November 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024. He will travel to the Holy Land in November, to see his family in December and to Hawaii in January. He will not return permanently as President but wants to remain on the board and active in AACFC. In the next few months, we need a review of the current mission statement and a discussion re. the future direction of AACFC. One goal would be to engage new persons and faith groups that have never participated or have become inactive and have them attend the Sept. 28^th meeting. Perhaps an interim president could be designated for 2 – 6 months. It was also noted that there is an overlap in some of the programs and board meetings and volunteers in Arden Arden HART and AACFC but Arden Arcade HART only serves unsheltered persons. Further discussion on a long-term plan will take place at the general AACFC meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28^th at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Announcements:

Deacon Paul Friedrich of Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) RCC will attend AACFC meetings in the future routinely. Paul is now our lead representation for all Catholic churches in the AACFC area. He will be meeting with the parish council and with deacons from these churches including St. Ignatius, Presentation Parish, Our Lady of Assumption, St. Philomenes and St. John’s which has 2 deacons. Hopefully this will increase their AACFC involvement.
The Carmichael Presbyterian Church Food Closet will have a 50^th Anniversary BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 16^th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. All local volunteers are invited.

Next Meetings:

General Meeting (4^th Thursday of month) – Thursday, September 28, 1:00 p.m. (via Zoom)

AACFC Refugee event with IRC speaker – Thursday night, September 14, 6:00 p.m, Carmichael Presbyterian Church – McMillan Hall

Note: No additional planning meetings for the Sept. 14^th event will be held unless needed.

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities (AACFC)

General Meeting

Thursday, July 27, 2023 (1:00 p.m.) (hybrid)

Attendees: Jason Bense, Mike Grace, Judy Stoeltzing, Tom Tortora, Carol Wuebker, John McCormack, Jim Schaal, Deacon Paul Friedrich.

Reflection: Judy led us in a short prayer.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol noted that the July 23^rd Financial Report had been emailed to the AACFC Board on July 26^th. Current balance is $6624.34. Small amounts of cash are being held by Carol and Julie for the laundry days. Report also included number of families served by the laundry in the last 7 months. Tom noted he received a $100 laundry donation at a recent SVCC service. Acknowledgment letters are sent to large donors to AACFC but small cash donations may not be.

Fall Refugee event plan: A subcommittee has been formed to plan a fall refugee event and met on June 1, July 12 and July 26. The July 12^th meeting introduced two new members to AACFC – Charbell Zyheib and Martin Ross. Tom contacted Shandenia Piper of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) by email. She spoke at the VOAD-Red Cross refugee meeting on May 4. IRC is a large U.S. State Department refugee agency supporting large numbers of Afghan refugees settling in Sacramento. The event committee will decide at its next meeting if IRC should be the only speaker. The goal of the event would be to invite all faith based organizations in Arden Arcade and Carmichael to meet and connect and become involved in actions to support local refugees. Emphasis would be placed on local FBOs which have not attended AACFC events or has become inactive. During the question and answer session, new FBO’s could mention their programs. Discussion occurred re. how to do invitations. Initial invitation would be by email. Jason and Carol will manage this and John will supplement with his group lists. Jason’s AACFC contact list has 200 names. We need to identify actual persons working with FBOs (social justice directors, etc. not just pastors). An Excel spread sheet can be created by exporting Carol’s list of FBO’s and adding contact names and emails. The list will be limited to groups in Arden Arcade and Carmichael although IRC is regional and works in several Northern California counties. Jason noted that Arcade Baptist’s lead pastor, Dan Bryant, just retired and we need to re-establish contact. AACFC had an Arcade representative in the past. Four venues are being discussed for the event. 1) Sierra Vista Community Church – Tom will contact, 2) St. Marks United Methodist – John will contact, 3) Carmichael Presbyterian – Julie will contact Barbara Farley and 4) Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer (Jason). St. Michaels Episcopal is not available due to conflicts with children’s programs. Ample money is available in the account for event snacks and drinks. Next subcommittee meeting will be Thursday, August 3^rd (1:00 p.m.) to allow time to create a flyer and publicize the event.

Announcements:

Josh’s Heart will sponsor a “Homeless Connect” health fair at Folsom Hall, 7667 Folsom Boulevard, near the CSUS campus on Saturday, August 12^th to share resources with unsheltered persons and connect them to services. To volunteer, see link. http://www.homeless-connect.com/volunteer.html John will resend this link to his full AACFC list.
Deacon Paul Friedrich of Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) RCC was introduced by Julie. He will attend AACFC meetings in the future routinely. Paul is the chair of the Sacramento Diocese Ecumenical and Inter-religious Concerns committee and is a member of the Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento (ICGS). Paul will contact St. Ignatius to identify who the current social justice director is. He will also look into other Catholic churches in the area that may have lapsed AACFC involvement.
Judy reported that the LDS Church will be opening a new temple, Feather River Temple in Yuba City. https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/feather-river-california-temple/ Stake President Moser will be there on August 15^th at 2 p.m. to welcome visitors. Temple tours will begin August 19^thand run into September. Some AACFC members did not get an email re. this so Judy will resend.
Jason has started a “Tree of Life” project at Gethsemane Lutheran researching the history of olive trees in Sacramento. Mission Ave. in Carmichael was once an olive grove. An olive press is being set up at Gethsemane to produce anointing oils.
“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry – Julie noted that 20 families were served in July. Her phone number was announced in case other volunteers are available on the next laundry day, Saturday, August 19 at 8:45 a.m. IRC was not aware of the laundry until speaking with Tom.

Next Meetings:

Event Planning Subcommittee – Thursday, August 3, 1:00 p.m.

General Meeting (4^th Thursday of month) – Thursday, August 24, 1:00 p.m.

Tentative date for Refugee event – Wed. night, September 13, 2023, 6:00 p.m.

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities (AACFC)

Zoom Meeting, May 25, 2023 (1:00 pm) (DRAFT)

Attendees: Jason Bense, Mike Grace, Julie Linderman, Jim Schaal, Jack Zorman, Judy Stoeltzing, Tom Tortora, John McCormack

Reflection: Jason provided a reflection on the 3-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death and asked for healing for the nation.

Action Items:

Newsletter and Yearly Report for 2022: Work still in progress.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol Wuebker was absent but sent the monthly report by email attachment prior to this meeting.

Meeting on Refugees:

Lengthy discussion on need for a meeting with refugee groups. John noted that VOAD (Volunteers Organized for Assistance in Disasters) recently held a meeting (May 4^th) at the Red Cross headquarters on Exposition Boulevard, where a number of refugee non-profits made presentations. John is secretary of VOAD so has a list of attendees, presenters and contact information. Details of an AACFC refugee meeting need to be finalized (Zoom vs. in-person, venue, date and purpose ?). This meeting will follow on the successful meeting in January with Rich Desmond. A site in Carmichael would be ideal, perhaps at Carmichael Presbyterian or SVCC in Arden. Tom stated he has spoken with Jordan Peterson, the new local IRC refugee coordinator who could be a presenter. Tom also noted that 5 years ago at SVCC, after the influx of refugees increased, a meeting was held there with presenters including Seth Castleman, a rabbi from Davis who does prison ministry and Rola Al Ashkar, a young Lebanese woman who is now an ordained Presbyterian minister. It was also noted that AACFC does things the HART groups do not do and the HARTS focus is not primarily refugees. A decision would need to be made to include only local NGO’s like Nor Cal Resist and Al Misbaah or the large state department agencies like IRC and World Relief. A question was raised re. the goal of the meeting – to learn what refugee groups do, the needs of refugees such as work empowerment, transportation, cars and bikes, etc. Jim noted there are 6 Episcopal congregations in our area who partner on refugee work. So a key question was raised – Are we offering opportunities for faith groups to partner with non-profits or would this be a collective effort for all AACFC members ? Jason likes the first option. The purpose of this meeting should be decided before details are finalized.

Jack Zorman of Mosaic Law Congregation in Arden noted that HIAS https://hias.org/what/resettle-refugees/ , a large national refugee resettlement organization which also helps Jewish refugees. Two reform temples, B’Nai Israel and Congregation Beth Shalom, also work with refugee organizations including HIAS. B’Nai Israel works with Mosaic Law Congregation, Knesset Israel, and the Sacramento Jewish Federation. HIAS also has “Welcome Circles” and Ukrainian families were welcomed to Sacramento in September of 2022 and supported. Mosaic Law is an orthodox temple and has not been heavily involved in refugee resettlement before.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry report: Julie noted there is a need to do a publicity flyer targeted to homeless and low income persons. Jason agreed to cover printing costs from AACFC funds. Julie will note needs and details in flyer. All low income persons are targeted for laundry services but Tom noted that on the 40 meal run, many unsheltered persons do not have transportation to Fulton Avenue. The number of persons served has dropped recently. A $20 contribution to the laundry was receives this month not including donations from St. Michael’s.

Other Business:

Navigator situation: John noted that HART and Mercy Pedalers’ street teams have been asking about replacement navigators for Arden and Carmichael since Sacramento Self Help Housing is out of business effective June 30, 2023. Navigator David Connick lost his job some weeks ago. Scott Young now works for Sacramento Covered and manages the street outreach contract for Sacramento County. He is staffing up 20 Community Health Workers (CHW “navigators” to work the AR Parkway and large county encampments. Prior to the full rollout, Scott wants to provide some navigator services to the AACFC area, possibly at Carmichael Park. In the meantime, the program is in transition but if you know of a person in need in our area, contact Scott at scott@carmichaelhart.org.

VOA Tour: On May 24, John and Miriam McCormack toured the Volunteers of America Family Shelter on Bannon Street near Loaves and Fishes. They provide wrap around services in a 62 bed facility for mostly women and children transitioning into permanent housing. Ana Bankert is the facility manager and Victoria Monroe is her associate.

Diaper Drive: Jason noted that St. Michael’s Episcopal will be having a diaper drive. See the AACFC web site and Facebook page for more information.

Action Items: 1) Develop a monthly e-Newsletter. 2) Produce an Annual Report for calendar year 2022. 3) Subcommittee meeting on Thursday, June 1^st at 3 pm, to plan the refugee event. Jason and Mike are leads.

Next AACFC Meeting: We will continue 4^th Thursday meetings each month. Next regular meeting will be Thursday, June 22^nd at 1:00 p.m. by Zoom. The same Zoom link used for earlier meetings should work.

Note: Mike and John are having problems receiving Zoom Link emails from Jason.

Adjourned 1:55 pm.

Respectfully submitted

John McCormack

AACFC Secretary

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities (AACFC)

Zoom Meeting, April 27, 2023 (1:00 pm) (DRAFT)

Attendees: Jason Bense (logging in from Missouri), Mike Grace, Carol Wuebker, Julie Linderman, Jim Schaal, John McCormack

Reflection: Jason asked for a reflection. Mike Grace held up those suffering in the Ukraine War.

Minutes review: There were no formal minutes taken at the March 23rd meeting.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol Wuebker noted that Julie Linderman provided information on Laundry cash flow. In April, there was $200 in donations to the account and $300 to the Laundry. Current balance for the laundry is $639.10 in cash and checks.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry report – Julie noted that the laundry is booming with more clients attending, although attendance fluctuates. There is money left from the car wash but more sponsor donations are needed. A donation was received from Sierra Vista Community Church last month and is included in the balance. Julie also noted that Carmichael HART is interested in starting a laundry in Carmichael. AACFC can support this with seed money.

Next Public Event – Discussion following January 2023 Desmond event re. a new event in early June. Suggestions were made and planning will begin for the event ASAP.

HOPE Cooperative – Runs a shelter on Auburn Boulevard for city residents in the Arden area. Well respected NGO.
SETA – Jason noted that he is attending a meeting and discussing community development. Under LBJ’s “War on Poverty”, every county in the U.S. has a community organizing non-profit. Sacramento County’s is SETA (Sacramento Employment and Training Agency) on Del Paso Boulevard. It is directed and funded by the County Board of Supervisors. A speaker from SETA would be informative. Jim Schaal noted that SETA oversees Community Development Block Grants (CDBG’s) for Sacramento County. This could be a potential source of money for AACFC in the future.
VOAD/Community Link https://www.handsonsacto.org/VOAD – Holly Brown is E.D. for this non-profit which recruits and directs volunteers in Sacramento County to assist other non-profit service and emergency providers. There have been no general VOAD meetings this year due to the focus on assisting first responders in disaster response and recovery from winter storms and flooding. Jason will meet with Holly this week to explore ways to partner and have a possible speaking event. VOAD is having a public meeting on May 4^th to highlight work of refugee agencies supporting local refugees. Meeting will be at the local Red Cross headquarters on Expo Boulevard across from Cal-Expo from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. John emailed the AACFC list about this event.
Health Education Council – https://healthedcouncil.org/who-we-are/staff.html This NGO has a focus in marginalized neighborhoods, counseling residents on economic planning, finance, health, diet, etc. They work in the AAC area and Jason’s contacts at Deborah Otto-Kent and Martin Ross.
Fulton El Camino Recreation and Park District – https://www.fecrpd.com/emily-ballus Emily Ballus is General Manager and attended a meeting of AACFC at LCOR in person.
Emily Halcon – Director of reorganized county homeless programs https://schs.saccounty.gov/Pages/About.aspx . Full name of new department is Sac. Co. Dept. of Homeless Services and Housing.
Sunburst Projects – , https://sunburstprojects.org/our-staff/> Originally chartered as addressing persons with HIV/AIDS, it has now expanded into a full-service health clinic like Wellspace. Jake Rowe is the E.D. and the address is 2143 Hurley Way.
LFCD CARE Community Center https://dameroncommunications.com/2021/08/28/lao-family-community-development-lfcd-is-opening-a-new-campus/ Lao Family Community Development has expanded to a new campus at 3205 Hurley Way offering refugee support. They are also a US State Dept. recognized refugee resettlement agency. Kathy Rothberg is E.D.
Oasis Project – Jim Schaal reported that St. Matthews Center received a grant award in the fall of 2022 and has begun a new partnership with service providers. Facility improvements are underway and a neighborhood council has been formed. Oasis will serve in a food desert area.

AACFC Newsletter – Julie emailed a sketch of a draft AACFC Newsletter to generate discussion. It will include updates on past projects and accomplishments and future plans.

Publicity: Brief discussion on strategies to publicize AACFC activities and needs. To avoid USPS charges, plan to continue web site, email and in-person contacts. Hard copies of event announcements can be targeted to specific faith groups or people. Jason noted Mail Chimp is good software for communication.

Respite Center plan – Carmichael HART is not interested in becoming a respite center but has many support programs. Mike will meet soon with Midtown HART director, John Kraynak at Trinity Cathedral with the hope of AA HART opening a few sites for 3-4 hours per day. Central SDA is a possible site. Volunteers are not the problem but finding a location is. Grant money is available when a plan is set and will require close coordination between AACFC, AA HART and Carmichael HART. Faith groups use different permitting rules than NGO’s and the best zone permit category is “O”, which FERPD uses.

Sacramento County homeless plans – Continued monitoring of county projects needed including Watt North Highlands site, hotel conversions, scattered site housing, etc.

“Power of One” Banquet – Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento event to be held on Sunday, May 7^th at Our Lady of Assumption RCC, Cottage Way from 2:00 to 5:30 pm. Jason will provide flyers on AACFC activities if possible. Another networking opportunity.

Action Items: 1) Develop a monthly e-Newsletter. 2) Produce an Annual Report for calendar year 2022. 3) Planning meeting on Thursday 5/11 to set up a June public event. 4) Jason Bense online meeting with Holly Brown on Friday 4/29 then discuss event plan with Mike Grace.

Next AACFC Meeting: We will continue 4^th Thursday meetings each month. Next meeting will be May 25^th at 1:00 p.m. by Zoom.

Respectfully submitted

John McCormack

AACFC Secretary

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities Meeting Minutes

January 26, 2023 1:00 p.m.

(via Zoom)

Attendees: Tom Tortora (presiding), Carol Wuebker, Julie Linderman, Judi Stoeltzing, Mike Grace, Megan Brooks, Stacie Chiles, John McCormack. Note: Jason Bense is at USAF Reserve training this weekend.

Announcements:

CeeCee Coleman has stepped down as President of Arden Arcade HART to join a national Episcopal Church team and is off the AA HART board. Jeannie Anderson-West, Mike Grace and Gabby Yost are the new executive/leadership team at AA HART.
Megan Brooks noted her email address needs to be updated. John McCormack did not correctly copy down the new address she stated. Please advise if you know her new address.
Introduction of new attendee, Stacie Chiles of the Carmichael LDS Stake, which works with Carmichael HART. Her user name for Zoom was “Mom”. Judy Stoeltzing of the former East Sacramento Stake, now closed, noted that some members moved to the Weisman Stake. All attendees welcomed Stacie.

Tom Tortora began the meeting noting that January is Worldwide Christian Community Month and read Galations 3, verses 12-15. He referred to the book “Life after life”, which documents the many cases of near death experiences around the world. His takeaway was that Jesus does not care if you are Christian but that you do good and no harm in the world. In like manner, AACFC does not care about your religion if you are doing good and acting with cooperation and compassion.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol Wuebker reported $300 in donations income in January, 2023 and expenses of $7.95. The current balance as of January 26^th is $5,884.46. To meet 501©3 rules, an annual budget report is needed which includes laundry income and expenses. Julie Linderman will provide laundry figures to Carol by Monday, January 30^th.

“Evening with Rich Desmond” Debriefing – Stacie Chiles and her husband attended this event and questioned how many new navigators are being hired. Is there only one in the county ? Julie had asked this question in the Desmond meeting. John noted that the navigator volunteers for AA HART and Carmichael HART are most familiar with is David Connick. He is very busy and works in both neighborhoods and keeps hours at Carmichael and Town and Country Library for consults. John also noted that Emily Halcon, who spoke at the event with Rich Desmond, was quickly summarizing a lot of information and the number of navigators is a moving target. Emily’s business card was provided in the chat box. Her public numbers are (916) 874-2764 and (916) 207-6804. Email HalconE@saccounty.net. Mike Grace will attempt to reach her and set up a meeting with her in 2 months at the regular AACFC meeting time (4^th Thursday at 1 pm, March 23^rd). The 4^th Thursday of the month at 1 pm was adopted as a regular meeting time by a second by Mike and a vote.

Future Meetings – A question was asked about Carmichael HART’s transitional housing (TH) program. July Linderman will call Scott Young to get details. Suggestion made to try another meeting inviting new members, perhaps with Congressman Ami Bera at a new venue, since few new contacts were made at the Desmond meeting. AACFC should continue to strengthen its role as a conduit to and from churches and faith groups. Looking at the 2023 calendar, a suggestion was made to plan a large event like the Desmond meeting every 3 months.

Question regarding job skills training – Judy Stoeltzing asked about job training programs and whether more could be listed on the street sheet. She noted Deseret Industries on Auburn Boulevard offers successful training programs. Other NGOs like St. John’s Program for Real Change and Women’s Empowerment could be listed. We can poll our members for referrals. Salvation Army and Goodwill also have training programs. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) may have a list of non-profits in this area and Emily Halcon can be consulted for county resources. We will consult Jason Bense on this issue and any information on training/employment skills can be sent to John.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry – Julie Linderman reported she is using donations to cover expenses but not all are covered. About $140 is spent each Saturday. The new installed machines are more expensive. We need to post Julie’s name and email address on the aacfc.us web site to solicit volunteers for each 3^rd Saturday from 9 – 11:30 am. The schedule is set 1-2 months ahead of time. Julie noted that the laundry was not set up exclusively for homeless persons and new refugees and low income persons are being helped. Julie hands out flyers announcing resources. They average 18 family units per Saturday. Carol had the instructions translated into Pashto and Farsi for the Afghan refugees. No proselytizing is allowed. At least 3 volunteers are needed per week. Julie has a young couple volunteering now. Money donations are also needed.

Blanket Drive – Due to overcrowding at St. Marks, some of the blankets were moved to the AA HART Supply Room at Good Shepherd Church. The Dells have been unable to do the St. Marks Mercy Pedaler’s run for 3 weeks due to Dick’s illness but he is better and at home and the team went out on Wednesday, January 25^th with Jan. John will contact the St. Marks Facilities Manager and asked how many blankets remain there.

AACFC Mission/Vision – Julie asked if the mission of AACFC is to serve the homeless. Tom noted that is our primary focus but the long term vision is for a permanent respite center in the Arden Arcade or Carmichael area. This facility would serve all with human needs, whether unsheltered or not. And this depends on continued planning and grant money.

Next regular meeting: Per vote at this meeting, all regular meetings will continue on the 4^th Thursday of the month at 1:00 pm. If there are 5 Thursdays in the month, the meeting will still be on the 4^th Thursday. Next meeting: Thursday, February 23^rd at 1:00 pm.

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

ARDEN ARCADE CARMICHAEL FAITH COMMUNITIES MEETING

Zoom, August 25, 2022 (1:00 p.m.)

Attendees: Jason Bense (President), Dylan Hurrie, John McCormack,Tom Tortora, Megan Brooks, Judy Stoeltzing, Jack Zorman.

Agenda:

Respite Center planning: Jason reported the subcommittee working on this plan continues to meet on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. A brick and mortar site is needed but will be expensive. We need a real estate agent to represent us. Need to keep partnerships with Salvation Army, which could be our leasing agent and Volunteers of America, which has experience managing property. There will be NIMBY issues to address with any physical site. Our new 501©3 status will build credibility and is a huge step after many years. Also, we need to keep our connection with Arden Arcade HART. John noted that one model for a site is the City of Sacramento Respite Center at 3615 Auburn Boulevard (formerly the Powerhouse Science Center) just east of Watt Avenue. This site may open in September. Dylan also noted that our plan must include staffing and funding for staff.

Treasurer’s Report: Carol Wuebker was not able to be present but sent her monthly report to Jason and John before the meeting. Income is growing and the current balance is $4,503.17.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry: Tom reported 12 guests at the laundry on Fulton last Saturday. Laundry is open every 3^rd Saturday and volunteers are needed for Sept. 17^th. Tom and Julie Linderman manage this laundry on alternate Saturdays.

Carmichael HART: Megan reported they will continue last year’s program, which provides day services only. Arden Arcade HART is planning 5 weeks of overnight shelter if rotating sites can be located. Carmichael HART is also operating group homes and youth-related services (back pack and school supply donations). During Carmichael Presbyterian’s shower ministry, nurses are coming in doing basic health checks. John noted there is also a mobile shower ministry called ShowUp Sacramento run by veteran Mark Lytal. Full name is “Showers on Wheels for Unhoused Patrons” <https://www.showupsac.ca/ >. Dylan noted that any shower ministry, whether mobile or permanent, will have code issues to resolve and water/drought code restrictions.

Food Donations (AA HART): Tom reported his team is still delivering 40 meals on schedule to encampments in Arden Arcade and each day of the week is covered. They follow a set route where persons are likely to be. Food runs out quickly. They are seeing more sheriff’s and local police activity. Tom also noted several clothing closets in our area but they are not well managed. Fulfilling requests for clothing from an unsheltered person is difficult since the location of specific clothing at a particular closet may not be known. A distribution system for clothing needs to be set up with a list of cell phone numbers for expediting requests. Dylan noted that Salvation Army has changed its clothing donation policy and Jason noted St. Matthews used to have the largest clothing closet in Arden Arcade. The AA HART donation center at Good Shepard Lutheran has some clothing. Tom’s car is too small to carry food, bottle water and ample clothing for a daily run. Dylan noted need for blankets will increase in the fall. St. Marks has a small supply closet for AA Mercy Pedalers and a coordinator, Cheryl Fuller, who organizes all clothing, food and PPE donations.

Blood Drive: Judy noted then next Vitalant blood drive will be at the LDS Church on Eastern Avenue from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. She will email a flyer to Jason to post on the AACFC Facebook and web pages and via email to the list. Donation policy now allows persons who have had cancer to donate. This event is quarterly and all blood is used locally. Also, platelets may be donated. Donations are down due to the pandemic.

San Juan Unified School District Food Bank: Will host a food donation on August 31 with no questions asked. Location will be at SJUSD office on Engle Road. Volunteers are needed from 12-2 p.m. that day to sort food and donation will be from 2 – 4 p.m. Donations will continue the last Wed. of each month except for Christmas. Judy will send a flyer on this to distribute. Coordinator is Maria Godoy. See link to site – https://www.justserve.org/projects/fe5bf405-c793-4385-9c13-87372df14057.

AACFC publicity: Dylan and his committee are brainstorming names for the respite center. He suggested ”Humans helping humans find hope”. Jason noted that we could use “Human’s helping hands” similar to the title of the laundry. Promotional items such as hats and t-shirts are needed for street outreach volunteers. This helps publicize our programs and gives volunteers ownership. T-shirts not bought in bulk are expensive. At next meeting, will discuss what the respite center might provide.

Future Action: Jason will arrange a tour of the WIND Youth Center at 8^th and S in Sacramento to provide a model for our center. Dylan has interest in going. Tom noted we have had two tours of this site before and is serves use of all demographics.

Next Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, 1:00 p.m.

John McCormack, Recording Secretary

Minutes – Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities Meeting

Thursday, July 28, 2022 (1:00 – 1:50 p.m.) (via Zoom)

Attendees: Jason Bense, Tom Tortora, Dylan Hurrie, Jim Schaal, Megan Brooks, Mike Grace, Keira Miller, Carol Wuebker, John McCormack, “Zoom User” – unidentified.

Agenda

Arden Arcade HART- Jason introduced Keira Miller as a representative of Arden Arcade HART. She noted 7 x 7 meal distributions are ongoing and presented a slide show promoting Winter Shelter in Arden Arcade for 2023. Shelter would be 5 weeks in coldest part of the winter, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 29. If Mosaic Law Congregation (Temple) can get approval, they could host on Christmas Eve and Christmas night since they do not celebrate Christmas. Goal is to continue to build interfaith relations. AA HART is using the Rancho Cordova HART and Carmichael HART models for the intake center and host site. This basic model is required to meet all guest protocols. In addition, faith groups may provide additional resources to honor guests. For example, Gerry Beck of Carmichael HART has provided an intake nurse, giving tree and bookmarks in the past. Also, AA HART has hosted before the pandemic as well. Transportation is needed to 4 separate overnight sites, with rented or donated 12-passenger vans with volunteer drivers. Space for parking the vans overnight would be needed. 22 guests would be allowed per night. Volunteers would be needed for intake center check-in, dinner and breakfast, overnight monitoring, laundering of used sleeping bags and setup and breakdown. Cots and sleeping bags will be purchased new and social and gender distancing will be observed. Partitions and bathroom access would be needed. Having 4 separate sites will minimize loitering by persons not accepted to shelter. Once 4 sites are secured, a volunteer signup system will be instituted. If Mosaic Law allows shelter on 12/25, Christmas gifts could be offered. Publicity re. Winter Shelter can be done during daily meal donations on the street. Faith groups should spread the word on the need for shelter and volunteers. St. Marks has been approached to host but this is unlikely since there is a new minister as of July and many bureaucratic changes underway. Keira and Mike Grace have agreed to be co-chairs of the Arden Arcade HART Winter Shelter Committee, partnering with Jim Schaal and CeeCee Coleman. One faith group may commit by August 1 and the Unitarian Church on Sierra Boulevard is considering being the intake center or a shelter site. Keira shared a summary on screen of intake and shelter requirements and can email this summary to faith groups. As with all shelters, guests would be screened and no alcohol or illegal drugs would be allowed. Smoking might be arranged outdoors in a designated area only as before. With the ongoing Covid risk, volunteers would observe protocols (masks, hand sanitizer, etc.) and air purifiers might be available. Jason noted that Gethsemane Lutheran is probably not available to host since there is a pre-school on that site. If 4 sites cannot be set up, there will be no winter shelter. Meanwhile the ongoing dream of a permanent Respite Center in Arden Arcade is being explored.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry: Tom Tortora reported that the laundry at Launderland on Fulton Avenue has been open for 2 Saturdays. There are signs in the library at Marconi and at St. Matthew’s Center publicizing the laundry. It opens at 9 am and the last load is in at 11 am. Donations are needed for donuts, snacks and coins to run machines and for future operations. Sierra Vista Community Church is doing a once a month collection. Starbucks will continue to provide free coffee. The laundry owner is homeless friendly but cannot offer a discount. Tom and Julie Linderman have agreed to alternate Saturdays for laundry management. Laundry day is the 3^rd Saturday of each month. Jim Schaal noted there is a non-profit in Phoenix named “Social Spin” which has on-site social services and we should explore this model.

Treasurer’s Report – Carol Wuebker noted that the AACFC account balance on 7/22/2023 was $4040.93 and July expenses were $802.33, including homeless outreach, laundry expenses, and DOJ filing fees. We are close to gaining full non-profit status, as all requirements of the Franchise Tax Board, Dept. of Justice and California Secretary of State have been met. Only the FTB is waiting on documentation from the Secretary of State to sign off. Kudos to Carol Wuebker since this process has taken approximately 10 years to complete. Since we are now legal and credible, we can now accept donations and note they include tax write offs and apply for grants.

Report from Carmichael HART – Megan Brooks monitors the work of this group and receives their minutes. They recently received a Sacramento County grant for $150,000 for transitional housing. Navigator David Connick connects with homeless persons in Carmichael and Arden Arcade and notes that street grade fentanyl is a now an addiction problem. Also, evictions are increasing as government subsidies are ending. Carmichael HART needs more volunteers for food donations and shower outreach. Also, they are having a backpacking drive. The winter PIT count showed Carmichael’s homelessness was up 67%. Megan attends Christ Community Church on Manzanita, which has its own missions team working in many areas.

June Minutes – Jason noted that minutes for prior meeting should be reviewed and changes noted to John. Keeping current minutes is important to maintain our non-profit status as it demonstrates the ongoing social service work we do.

Announcement

Auburn Boulevard Homeless Site – The City of Sacramento is opening a site on Auburn Boulevard east of Watt Avenue near the Children’s Receiving Home to be used as a respite center. There was NIMBY blowback (including TV coverage on Channel 3) against this site due to its proximity to the Children’s Home but the director of this non-profit testified there was no problem and the City Council approved the site with a 5 – 0 vote. See text below from recent Sacramento Bee news report.

The city of Sacramento will open a building essentially 24/7 where homeless individuals can escape the weather and access services, the City Council decided unanimously Tuesday, reversing a previous decision to only open it when strict temperature thresholds were met. The former Powerhouse Science Center at 3615 Auburn Blvd. will serve 50 unhoused individuals and families around the clock by September. “I’m not going to allow a vacant city asset that is large and that is perfect for city (homeless services) to just lay fallow,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who proposed the item after learning Sacramento’s homeless population has nearly doubled in the last three years. The adjacent Children’s Receiving Home, which opposed the idea previously, this time was “neutral,” following conversations with Steinberg. The idea was still somewhat controversial, though. About a dozen people called in to oppose the proposal, citing safety concerns that the children in the receiving home would be endangered, property values would decrease, and that the nearby fragile Del Paso Park would be damaged. “You can’t solve one problem, the homeless problem, by creating an even worse problem, by endangering children who have already been traumatized,” said Cathy Cook, who lives nearby, and participated in a protest at the site Monday night. “It’s unimaginably callous and insensitive.” The city owns the building but is paying a nonprofit group up to $3.3 million to operate it. This summer, the city only opened the center when the National Weather Service issued advisories for extreme temperatures — six days so far. Temperatures hit triple digits for six days in a row last week, according to weather service data, but there was no advisory so the center’s doors were shut. Extreme heat and cold can be fatal. Two homeless individuals died with heat stroke as one of multiple causes of death in 2020, according to the Coroner’s Office. Ten homeless people have died from hypothermia since November 2020. The council voted to open a 24/7 center at the building in March 2021, but then Councilman Sean Loloee, who represents the area, blocked it after hearing concerns from the receiving home. He again voiced concerns Tuesday, mostly about encampments increasing in the area when people are turned away, but ended up voting in favor.

Bee subscribers Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/homeless/article263858002.html#storylink=cpy

Blood Drive: Judy Stoeltzing email John before the meeting to report the June 23^rdVitalant Blood Drive at the LDS chapel today was a success with a steady stream of donors. The next drive will be Thursday, Sept. 22nd at the same location. Also, many volunteers are working with International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Wednesday food distribution on Kent Drive to help newly arrived refugees.

Next Meeting: August 25^th (1:00 p.m.) by Zoom – Meetings are last Thursday of each month.

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

Minutes – Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities Meeting

Thursday, June 23, 2022 (1:00 – 1:50 p.m.) (via Zoom)

Attendees: Jason Bense, Tom Tortora, Dylan Hurrie, Steven Pinedo, Judy Stoeltzing, Jim Schaal, Julie Linderman, Megan Brooks, John McCormack

Agenda

Sacramento County Safe-Stay Shelter Sites: John noted that Sacramento County has numerous properties being considered for county-sanctioned homeless shelters. The first one approved is at Florin Road and Power Inn Road and will have 100 Pallet tiny homes housing up to 125 people with wrap-around services. Opening is set for November, 2022. A second shelter is being considered for 7001 East Parkway, north of Florin Road and west of Fwy 99. It would be located in the north end of the Sacramento County Dept. of Human Assistance Office and have 44 tiny homes. Possibly, minimal opposition is expected since there is only a church and some apartments nearby. A 3^rd site is being considered behind the Carmichael Library in a lot accessible from Robertson Avenue. The library is adjacent to Carmichael Presbyterian Church which provides various homeless services.

Treasurer’s Report – Carol Wuebker was absent but will a financial report to John for the minutes. Jason noted that the current account balance is $3, 693.26. The amount received from the car wash, including matching funds and expenses, will be included in the report.

Car Wash – Was considered a success and we received approx. $700 in matching funds. Dylan and Steve provided snacks and worked on car washing with other volunteers. Having the event annually, around Memorial Day weekend is being considered. Hours for the event may be reset from 11 am to 2 pm since customers stopped coming around that time. The event also provides good awareness raising for AACFC.

“God’s Helping Hand” Laundry: Julie Linderman stated that the re-opened laundry was last Saturday, June 18 at Launderland on Fulton Avenue. In the past the laundry had congregational participation from AACFC members but was closed due to Covid. St. Michael’s Episcopal and St. Matthews were lead congregations but all FBO’s are encouraged to support. Julie did not know the annual operating budget prior to the pandemic but has the records. Forty loads were done last Saturday at $5 per load. The price has probably doubled since before the pandemic. This laundry has single, double and triple machines. In the past, only 20 guests were allowed in during set hours. Starbucks will continue to provide free coffee. The laundry owner, Albert, is welcoming and homeless friendly and will print flyers to give out in the community. Tom gave out Laundry flyers to a woman employee of the Center at St. Matthews since the Center had used some before for RCFB and their other programs. Tom will email Jim Schaal to print more flyers. Laundry rules need to be set for guests to avoid contamination of dryers with soiled sleeping bags and urine smells. The next laundry day is July 16^th (the 3^rd Saturday of each month).

Blood Drive: Judy Stoeltzing noted that the Vitalant Blood Drive at the LDS chapel today from 2:30 to 6 pm. The blood will be used for local needs.

Outreach: Steven reported that he and Dylan did a site visit to the City of Sacramento sanctioned encampment at Miller Park and spoke with representatives of the contractor, First Step Communities. They are also establishing a good relationship with NGO’s for in-kind donations such as soap. They also reached out to New Hope Church in Citrus Heights, with the intent to build a relationship with one church at a time to get involved. We need one reliable contact at each FBO to share information with their congregation. Also, Steve and Dylan are providing food donations and on the last Friday, contacted 17 people. They have 2 trucks now for runs and are getting some in-kind donations, copying the Mercy Pedaler’s model. Also are considering using tri-cycles for closer contact with clients. One tricycle costs up to $1300. People are moving about slowly due to the heat. Some folks were found at the Arcade Library as usual. Steven and Dylan are limiting the number of volunteers on their run to three to avoid intimidation of clients. Also, considering breakfast donations at Miller Park. Steve tries to follow an established route just trying to meet people where they are. In Carmichael, one day per week, they go from north Carmichael to Fair Oaks Boulevard to the American River. On the Arden Arcade route, they go from Howe Avenue to Fulton Avenue to Wat to Bingo Alley, which is similar to the Mercy Pedaler’s route. I noted that Jeannie Anderson-West of Arden Arcade HART should be consulted on what days of the week donations are lacking. She coordinates donation days. We need a direct liaison with Arden Arcade HART and Carmichael HART. Megan Brooks noted attempts to connect with Carmichael HART. Tom is on the board of Arden Arcade HART and Jim and John are involved. July noted that she knows Barbara Farley of Carmichael Presbyterian and St. Michael’s Episcopal belongs to Carmichael HART. Carmichael Presbyterian has re-focused away from AACFC to Carmichael HART in past few years. Farley is a long-time Loaves and Fishes volunteer and helps with the Carmichael Presbyterian showers, food donations and breakfast programs. She is second in command to Scott Young at Carmichael HART. There are many new un-sheltered persons in Carmichael, especially after the pandemic. Carmichael HART ran a day respite center when there was no overnight shelter during the pandemic. Sacramento Self Help Housing (SSHH) navigator, David Connick, works with persons located in both HART areas.

Franchise Tax Board process: John noted an email from Carol Wuebker to Jason, Tom and himself re. a request from Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for written information re. all activities and accomplishments of AACFC and all financial data since 2014. Carol will request that FTB exempt earlier years and only require data from 2021. Jason noted that he has a digitized file of all AACFC activities and financial records back to the start of AACFC. We cannot do political endorsements. Also, Julie noted that Congressman Ami Bera may be able to assist us in expediting the 501©3 process since we are his constituents. This would not be political but the normal work of a congressman.

Branding of AACFC: Dylan noted the need to discuss this. Tabled to next meeting.

Next Meeting: July 28^th (1:00 p.m.) – last Thursday of July.

John McCormack, AACFC Secretary

AACFC Meeting Minutes

May 26, 2022 (1:00 p.m.)

(On Zoom)

Present: Julie Linderman, Carol Wuebker, Megan Brooks, Tom Tortora, Jason Bense, Jeannie Anderson-West, and Judy Stoeltzing.

Jason Bense called the meeting to order at 1pm and led a meditation/reflection on the Day of Ascension and the presence of God.

Carol Wuebker provided a Treasurer’s Report. The current bank balance for May is $2074.72.

Tom Tortora presented a report on “God’s Helping Hands Laundry Day” with plans to work with Launderland on Fulton. The first Saturday of laundry will be June 18, 2022 from 9-11 at 3100 Fulton Ave. Jason will offer clerical support to get an electronic flyer produced for Laundry Days.

Jason presented a fundraiser donation based car wash for this coming Monday, May 30 from 11 am-4 pm at Gethsemane Lutheran (4706 Arden Way). Sign holders, car washers and donors are still welcome. Carol Wuebker shared that the car wash donations will be matched by a generous donation.

Jeannie Anderson-West reported on Arden Arcade HART. The meal distribution started in May 2021. The current meal distribution includes Sierra Vista on Mondays. Tuesdays and Wednesday distribution is by Mercy Pedalers Arden Arcade (Kathy Stricklin and Mindi Jung on Tuesday and Jan and Dick Dell on Wednesday). Higher Heights Community Church distributes on Thursdays. Fridays had been Mosaic Law Congregation. Saturdays are shared between the Latter Day Saints, Central Seventh Day Adventist, St. Matthew’s Episcopal, St. Ignatius ROC, and Good Shepherd Lutheran. Sunday’s meals are distributed by the Unitarian Universalist Church on Sierra Boulevard. Jeannie shared that homeless sweeps are happening again in Sacramento County. The donation site is at Good Shepherd is only to serve Sacramento Self Help navigators, Mercy Pedalers, and HART meal distribution teams. Arden Arcade HART is still meeting on Zoom. The board meets on the first Thursday of each month and the general meeting is the second Thursday at 12 noon.

Julie provided an update on Carmichael HART. Carmichael HART maintains Thursday lunches and Saturday showers. They can use more volunteers for shower days and lunches.

Judy Stoeltzing shared that a Vitalant blood drive will be held Thursday 23 June from 2:30-6:30 p.m. at the LDS Church on Eastern Avenue. Information is online at justserve.org.

Julie Linderman shared that John Jervis is in the hospital after a stroke and John McCormack is incapacitated due to temporary hearing loss and we hold them in prayer.

Jason shared that he was recently placed on the board of Hands on Sacramento for Sacramento Regional Food and Housing grants, and he closed the meeting at 1:51pm.

February 24, 2022

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities

Meeting Minutes, Feb. 24, 2022 (1:00 p.m.)

Jason Bense noted he was elected President of AACFC at the last meeting on January 22, 2022. Jeannie Anderson-West was elected Vice President, Carol Wuebker was elected Treasurer and John McCormack continues as Secretary.

Introductions:

Julie Linderman – St. Michael’s Episcopal member, lead for God’s Helping Hand laundry. Replacing Mary Grosbeck as St. Michael’s representative.

Jason Bense – Pastor at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer. Noted there was a shooting at Planet Fitness on Watt near El Camino recently and a murder on Marconi near Fulton Avenue involving a homeless encampment. Per Jan and Dick Dell’s Mercy Pedalers’s weekly report, the suspected shooter is Song, boyfriend of Crystal, both of whom are known to the Dells. Media reports that they are now both on an all-points bulletin for arrest. Jason also noted that Jeannie Anderson-West (not at today’s meeting) wanted the Arden Arcade HART Open House at their new Donations Center at Good Shepard Lutheran, Arden and Morse to be announced. Event will be Thursday, March 10^th from 5 to 7 p.m. Ingathering will be at 5:00 to accept donations and program at 6:00 p.m. Donation Center continues to collect and distribute food, PP, tents, sleeping bags and hygiene kits to support AA HART and Mercy Pedalers’ street ministry.

Tom Tortora – Sierra Vista Community Church mission lead. Noted that supplies and money for AA HART are dwindling and more donations are needed. SVCC supports 10 local projects, two projects in Africa and one in South America. SVCC also supports IRC – International Rescue Committee, welcoming Afghan refugees. There is a severe housing shortage for the refugees. Also, SVCC participates in the AA HART/Mercy Pedalers 7 x 7 meal donations weekly. SVCC does a run on Mondays. SVCC has a bicycle donation program to allow refugee breadwinners to access government agencies and stores. The IRC is now acquired storage space and is accepting furniture.

John Jervis – Member of St. Michael’s Episcopal. Works with Carmichael HART. St Michael’s has a $100,000 reserve fund which is offering bids to IRC, River City Food Bank/St. Matthew’s Center at Edison and Bell, Family Justice Center, Women’s Empowerment and WIND Youth Center. Proposals are due March 15^th. Julie Lindeman noted that Carmichael HART has been doing a day winter respite program at Carmichael Presbyterian (CPC) that ends this week. St. Michael’s hosted 5 respite days at CPC with 30 clients per day. Naps, coffee, snacks etc. were available. Other churches will continue this program until March 15. Carmichael HART will continue Saturday showers only at CPC indefinitely. Also, St. Michael’s will do a “Rise Against Hunger” meal packing event as was done there 2 years ago and at St. Marks and St. Ignatius before that. 120,000 bagged meals ready to cook will be made up. All faith groups are encouraged to do this. St. Michael’s did a parish-guided grants program in Fall, 2021 with 7 NGO’s recommended by church members. May do again in Fall, 2022. St. Michaels is in the Carmichael HART zone but is affiliated with St. Matthew’s Center in Arden Arcade.

Judy Stoeltzing – Attended January, 2002 meeting. LDS member. Works with JustServe, an online site that recruits volunteers. Is involved with International Rescue Committee which now has a warehouse in Granite Bay to collect donations. LDS members Brad and Karen Wilks are collecting feminine products for “Days for Girls”, a foreign program. Retired military can buy items cheaply at the McClellan Park BX with no state tax.

Carol Wuebker – Member of Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer. Continues work with planning for Respite Center in Arden Arcade. A team consisting of her, Dylan Hurrie and Stephen Pinedo is meeting weekly on Wednesdays at LCOR to advance the plan. The 501©3 paperwork for AACFC needs to be upgraded before we can collect donations. They are coordinating with Volunteers of America (VOA) and Salvation Army to model the plan and synergize.

Dylan Hurrie – 3 years of work at Salvation Army. Has had some success in reducing homelessness. The gift is connecting people to people. Dylan writes programs for homelessness initiatives and his vision includes Substance Abuse Disorder/alcohol counseling, job therapy and not just a place to stay. Has been a house leader at Sacramento Self Help Housing (SSHH) for 3 years, managing and cleaning houses. A place is needed in AA to build relations. He does not like to go to encampments, since he feels this is an intrusion into people’s privacy. Better for clients to have respite center to come to for support.

Stephen Pinedo – Certified Financial Planner. AACFC Board Member. Feels we are building momentum and making some progress on a respite center plan. Enjoys working with Carol and Dylan.

Julie Linderman – Member of St. Michael’s Episcopal. Reviewed history of God’s Helping Hand Laundry started 5 years before the pandemic. St. Michaels and other churches in AACFC supported with donations of money, soap, etc. First location was at Morse and Arden where Mary Grosbeck coordinated volunteers (mostly from St. Michael’s), who handled money and supplies while assisting clients to do 2 loads of laundry per person (30 loads on average day). The laundry moved to a second location on Fulton north of Marconi. Helping Hands Laundry was suspended due to COVID pandemic. Tom noted that Lucille’s Laundrette on Morse, now called Dirty Boy’s Laundry, is still being used by unsheltered persons. He will stop by on one of his Monday runs to check status and ask if the landlord can lower rent for adjoining space for AACFC. Mary Grosbeck is no longer able to serve and has given the books and supplies on-hand to Julie, who is willing to continue coordination. St. Michaels has continued safe keeping of unexpended monies donated for the AACFC laundry. AACFC Treasurer Carol Wuebker, requested accounting records from St.Michael’s . As Covid conditions have improved such that in-person service to help the least among us is more practical, it would not be terribly difficult to re-start the program. An agreeable Laundry site must be found. A schedule of volunteers must be established (Four volunteers are needed per day, 8:30-12:00, once a month on Saturday. We can ask Starbucks and deli restaurants to donate again. Steve Pinedo noted that this program ties in with the respite center model and will help. Restarting this program helps our credibility with grantees. One church gave $500, 4 years ago to the laundry. SVCC does donations too. We can recruit faith-based organizational youth and high school interns to help out. Julie Lindeman will attend the next Respite Center team meeting (next meeting is March 16^th). The team is meeting next week with Loaves and Fishes.

Respite Center Plan – The planning team meets every Wednesday at 9 a.m. at LCOR. Jason also met with Nick Himphill <(916) 833-8215> of Volunteers of America headquarters on Marconi at Watt this week. Additional meetings have been held with Salvation Army, Loaves and Fishes and Emily Halcon, the new homeless coordinator for Sacramento County. She notes the county is committed to partnering with others to improve paths out of homelessness. She also notes it is hard to build up capacity for new NGO’s. The multi-year vision of the Respite Center is three-fold: 1) Meet basic needs of the unsheltered, 2) bring in other needed services such as mail connections, ID’s, veteran’s benefits, social security signups and 3) reach higher barriers for individuals (county work contracts, Cal-Works, work transportation, shuttles to medical clinics, etc.). Momentum must continue to be built. Tom recommended AACFC do another field trip to the WIND Youth Center downtown. WIND is an established NGO for youth services and has operated since the 1970’s. Goodwill is the parent organization for WIND. Fundraising options, including car washes, are being considered. The goal is a brick and mortar storefront somewhere in Arden Arcade, where unsheltered persons can come to phone and computer charging stations, bathrooms, showers, mail boxes with coffee and snacks, ppe and other services. It would not be an overnight shelter at least initially. A navigator could set hours to help persons become paperwork ready. It was also noted that Sacramento Steps Forward is the flow-through agency for federal and state homeless money and the Continuum of Care (COC) includes all partners receiving funding. John noted that Joe Smith of Loaves and Fishes recently reported to the Sacramento ACT-LOC team that there are currently 63 points of entry for persons to access to get out of homelessness and 112 separate providers. The plan is to revise the 211 phone system as a single entry point. Current system is problematic and confusing for the unsheltered and for volunteers and providers.

Executive Session– Jason Bense called for a session of current board members to elect new officers. Jeannie Anderson-West has requested to Jason that she continue to be Vice President. Jason made a motion that the following persons be elected to the AACFC board to replace current officers: President: Jason Bense, Vice President: Jeannie Anderson-West, Treasurer: Carol Wuebker, Secretary: John McCormack. Dylan Hurrie seconded with no discussion and motion passed. Jason then made a second motion to elect the following members at large: Tom Tortora, Dylan Hurrie, Steve Pinedo, and Jeff Powell <jeffpowell591@gmail.com>, who was not present this day but requested to be on board and was recruited by Dylan Hurrie. Motion seconded and passed. Jason then asked if there should be a St. Michael’s Episcopal member on the board. Julie Linderman or John Jervis are active and would be obvious choices. Sue Gaston had been the St. Michael’s representative in the past. Jason then amended the second motion to add Julie Linderman to the members at large. Seconded and passed unanimously. Rev. Mary Claugus at St. Michaels will have to confirm her as a representative.

501©3 paperwork – We have delayed paperwork and need to get out of delinquency status with the CA Franchise Tax Board. A one page annual report is due with a summary of cash inflow and outflows and the names of new officers will have to be filed with the CA Secretary of State. Scott Young of Carmichael HART and SSHH is most conversant with this process and can assist us. John will email Irene Celedon, St. Marks UMC Office Manager and asked if mail is present there. Also, Dylan noted that there is still federal Covid-19 relief money available for non-profits.

AACFC Web Site – Jason will talk to Carol Wuebker about updating the AACFC.us web site and archive old posts. Jason thinks there is a way to keep old posts accessible but show new and current information first on the page. Julie thanked Carol for redoing the AACFC “Street Sheet” and she has shared it with Carmichael HART and Carmichael Presbyterian.

Next Meeting – It was decided to continue monthly meetings on the 4^th Thursday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Next meeting will be Thursday, March 24^th at 1:00 p.m. (Zoom and in-person at LCOR).

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Next Meeting – Tuesday, November 23, 2021 (Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer)

Thursday, October 28, 2021