SHOC

Big Day of Giving is May 6, a 24 hour extreme community giving event! Your can donate now until the end of day on May 6. Please donate to SHOC and/or other organizations signed up for the campaign!

Safe Ground is the Way Forward

Every day, many thousands of homeless men, women, children and families are surviving outdoors, struggling to make it on Sacramento County’s streets – no one knows the true number. But we do know that unhoused people camp under freeways, huddle in doorways, and gather on empty lots in every neighborhood.

Safe Ground community downtown Sacramento

Covid-19 means as crisis in homelessness: more evictions from secure housing, more jobs lost. Governmental agencies at every level – federal, state, local – have failed to step forward with sustained funding and supportive services.

At the same time, Sacramento police and Sheriff’s deputies are intensifying their aggressive action to sweep encampments, dispersing homeless into neighborhoods and confiscating their belongings. The constant threat of arrest and displacement, the lack of sleep and lack of basic sanitation, like water and toilets, brings on trauma and exposure to disease for an already vulnerable population.

“Safe Ground” are self governing communities where homeless people can live in peace, leave their belongings and receive supportive services – can and will stabilize this desperate and chaotic situation.

The Safe Ground nonprofit organization currently supports a demonstration site in downtown Sacramento, with electricity, water, showers, food storage, a porta potty and 15 capacious tents. We are working towards establishing more locations.

Being homeless and in need should not be a crime. And it can no longer be treated as an invisible, insoluble problem that we can turn away from. Together, we can tackle homelessness in a dignified, supportive, cost effective way.

This is why many of Sacramento’s largest and oldest homeless service organizations including Loaves & Fishes, Mercy Pedalers, Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Sacramento Homeless Union, and a growing number of supporters have banded together with businesses and individuals to join the campaign for Safe Ground.

Tough times demand creative solutions. With landowner permission, vacant lots throughout the city could be made available. Importantly, Sacramento has public land that no one is using – land that, through this unique approach, can offer  homeless people an opportunity to build a safe, organized community where they can stay until permanent housing is possible. This is especially valuable for women and those with disabilities, but everyone needs a place to be!

We need your support — volunteers to help create and build; advocates to spread the word; sites on vacant land, and of course, donations in any amount. We welcome unsheltered individuals as leaders and participants in this historic and crucially necessary project.

www.safegroundsac.org

This evening’s workshop has been rescheduled to 6pm

Resources for Assisting Migrant Workers

Those who come to this country to find work often have unmet needs, even though they are a vital part of our society. They contribute to the food supply, economy, and culture, but they don’t always know where to look when they need help. The following resources can help you point them towards individuals and organizations that can provide the assistance they need.

Image via Unsplash

Cover Essentials

It’s not unusual for migrant workers to struggle with basic human needs. It’s important to cover their essentials first.

• Many migrant workers experience food insecurity. Let them know about free sources.
• A roof overhead is a must, and several options are available.
• When more traditional housing is problematic, portable options are another solution.
• Healthcare is often a concern. Charitable clinics can help.
• Parents who need child care can hire sitters via the web.

Legal Concerns

The legal system is a complex machine. Deportation, visa alterations, and so forth, can prove challenging, especially during a pandemic. Thankfully, there are people and organizations that can lend a helping hand with various scenarios.

• OSHA has legal safety standards all workplaces are supposed to meet.
• Some organizations are specifically oriented toward assisting the migrant population.
• Another option is to hire freelance legal professionals through online job boards.
• Migrant workers may need to learn how to pay taxes.

There’s an App for That

Mobile apps are available for nearly anything and everything these days. Look to smartphones for other forms of practical assistance.

• There are several handy translation apps.
• Work-related information is also available.
• There are several apps to help those who are undocumented.

Migrant workers are a vital part of the US economy, but they often fall through the cracks. Thankfully, there are resources available, and you can use this guide to help them.

[courtesy of Diane Harrison, diane@healthpsa.info]

Sacramento Services Not Sweeps Coalition stands in solidarity with the current local, nationwide, and global protests and political unrest.

The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Stephon Clark, and countless others lies in the hands of the white supremacist policies, systems, organizations, and individuals that actively work to suppress Black and Brown people. Throughout the history of the United States, Black Americans have continued to be disenfranchised by the systems of oppression built for and by oppressors. Mr. Floyd’s death is no different.