EVERYBODY'S BEEN ASKING

     How is the purchase of the land going? How's the plans for the Tiny Home Village coming along? When will the little homes be built? How many little homes will be built? Will that be enough to help all the homeless people in the area? What's taking so long?  These are questions I'm asked by interested donors and supporters of Sierra Roots who know what our vision and goal has been since 2011. 
     I will try to answer these concerns. A 4-½ acre piece of land in Nevada City has been identified. It is a beautiful piece of land with the required infrastructure and is zoned correctly for a tiny village.  Nevada City leaders have assured us that they see our project as very compatible with their priority of addressing the needs of homeless people. 
$800,000 is needed to purchase the land and then another good million or more to build the homes and community center as planned. Sierra Roots has hired the consulting firm of Thurmond Consulting to help obtain a significant loan to purchase the land and build the Village. Sierra Roots also has an opportunity to partner with Hospitality House to create a comprehensive plan to better serve the homeless community.  
     The "Housing First" movement to address the needs of chronically homeless people who suffer disproportionally from mental disorientation and paranoia, substance use to ease pain and fear, physical disability and hopelessness has been researched and concluded to be the best and most economical way to go. "Community" is an added component to "Housing First" that is essential for success. This is what Sierra Roots has been doing for the last seven years. We have built community WITH our homeless friends and always have had that as an essential part of our mission. We accept people where they are and who they are while knowing respect and care comes back to us when we respect them. We offer advocacy and opportunities for health programs, jobs, and connections with agencies available for them. In a village community where these opportunities are available daily, health and wellbeing will thrive. Safety, security, stability within a community of caring people will help all those who want to be helped to live a good life again.
     Starting out with 30- 40 small homes in a tight community is better than trying to house 100 or 200 right away without building community with the residents. A small Community Village managed by a Council of residents and nonprofit leaders can be a model of a new way to address the homeless situation.
     We are working together and being as creative and economical as we can to reach our goals as soon as we can. We thank all of you who continue to support us in our daily operations as we move forward with this important venture.

~ Janice O'Brien


VOLUNTEER CORNER: 
GOODBYE Mary Kirby



      I wanted to Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words, the party and gifts.  It has been an honor meeting and working with all of you.  You have all been an inspiration to me, showed me how to see people differently, appreciate differently and have made me desire to be a better person and member of the community I live in.  That will stay with me as I move on.  You are all such loving, selfless individuals giving of yourself whether for years or months or just turning up, seeing the need and stepping up. 

      It's what matters most - you're the doers, not the talkers or hand wringers. This community is very lucky, and so am I to have had the opportunity to know and serve with you.
~ Mary Kirby

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS
     
     Caryl  Fairfull i s our newest Board Member. She has been  part of Sierra Roots for the past 2 years, contributing to the Cold Weather Shelter , and more recently serving as an Advocate for a client of  Sierra Roots . The trained Advocates are paired with a homeless person, and  help the client navigate through the considerable daily difficulties faced by a homeless person.
     Caryl, a neighbor of Janice and Jim O'Brien, became acquainted with Janice and her li fe mission. Her retirement goal became helping homeless individuals in some way. She learned about Sierra Roots' vision of building a 
su
pportive Community  Village, Caryl offered to help with fundraising. Soon after that, Caryl  got  interested in  helping Sierra Roots select a  donor database system.  She took on the task of implementing the database and  orienting  Board Members to using it. The database system offers Sierra Roots up-to-date professional tools to improve donor contact and fund development procedures.   
     Caryl 's background is in healthcare as a dietitian and Clinic Manager for Kaiser. She has served on local, state and national boards of the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as some Boards in our local area.  Caryl  brings a lot of heart and many business skills  to the Sierra Roots Board. 


 
     Jim O'Brien is a retired corporate executive, business owner and organizational consultant.He has over 40 years business experience as a manager and trainer of managers. Jim has served on numerous nonprofit boards including the local boards of The American Red Cross, The Conflict Resolution of Nevada County and In Concert Sierra. He is an experienced negotiator and Mediator with extensive experience facilitating the resolution of disputes between organizations and between individuals. He has served as an advisor to Sierra Roots since 2015 and decided to join the board to help move the organization to the realization of the vision of a supportive community of homes for the homeless in Nevada County.


Sierra Roots is very excited to announce 
this performance, Cinematasstic

All proceeds will be donated to our building fund! Thank you to all of the people involved in creating this event, especially Marissa Hernan dez.
Dinner doors, silent auction and cocktails:  5:30pm
Dinner:  6:30-8:30
General Admission doors:  8:30 PM

Post Show DJ Dance party and DJ Mysdefy and guest  performances until  2am

$40 general admission
$100 dinner and a show (includes 1 hour cocktail time with dancers, dinner, silent auction and reserved floor seats)

Tickets at: www. brownpapertickets.com

more info at bowtiebeauties@yahoo.com www.530-263-3811

Reprinted from The Union ~ Other Voices
by Jodi McDonald

     I hope you had a great night's sleep in the privacy and comfort of your home. Did you wake up to a hot beverage and an invigorating shower?  Was it difficult choosing what to wear? Did you have a nourishing breakfast? Me too! All things considered we have a pretty comfortable life don't we?
     Here's the thing. Every day hundreds of people right here in Nevada County do not wake up to the amenities we take for granted. They wake up cold, hungry and displaced. We have a name for them, it's a label really; we call them homeless or "houseless," we call them transients or vagrants, but they are people.
I've spent quite a bit of time lately observing and interviewing people who live without a roof over their heads. I have also spoken with business and property owners. Obviously there are two sides to the story, there always is.
"Helping the homeless is not aiding and abetting, it's finding a workable solution for everyone."  

Fund Development  or
"It always seems impossible until it's done"  ~Nelson Mandela

     Hello Sierra Roots supporters! I have added an extra hat  recently. I am now a bona fide Sierra Roots Board member and my focus is still  fundraising.  It is a big task, but an enjoyable one as it depends on outreach and  relationships with all of you in our community.  I see many new friends in my future. 

     Speaking of relationships in our Community, we have two fundraisers that our Community is throwing for us!!!  The first will be on Friday June 23 fantastic  performance, Cinematasstic. Marissa Hernandez created this event and has designated that certain proceeds will be donated to our village fund. Thank you to everyone involved! Doors open for dinner at 5:30 pm   There will be an opportunity to talk to the dancers and  participate in the silent auction.  Cost is $100.  General Admission opens at 8:30  with music  until 2 am. Cost is $40. WE need suporters to purchase tickets and enjoy the show!  www.brownpapertickets.com
      We need Board Members and volunteers to attend and show our gratitude. Are you an artist or craftsperson? If you have things you could donate to the silent auction, please let me know at cfconsulting12@comcast.net. If they are not ready now, save them for our picnic, but let me know now.  

     Pastor Roland  Meyer and the Nevada City Baptist Church are supporting us with a dinner event on July 28.  All proceeds will go to SR Village! More about that next month.  We plan to showcase our village dream to local VIPs.  

     This summer we will roll out  some new plans as part of our Summer Fundraising Campaign. Stay tuned for  that! At the end of the summer, we plan a special Sierra Roots Picnic, that will become a signature annual event.  Dates and information available next month.   Stay cool until then, 
~Caryl


THE YOUNG ARE OUR LEADERS IN GIFTING

      
      Children in the Faith formation Classes of St. Patrick's and St. Canice Catholic Churches have stepped up for the homeless people of Grass Valley and Nevada City again and again.
       This check was given to Janice O'Brien from the middle school children, teachers and parents of the St. Canice Faith Formation Class this year. Children brought in loose change each week and filled a large mason jar with the coins. Then parents and teachers matched the collection and wanted Sierra Roots to have the money to buy new shoes or boots for those who desperately needed them. All who received new shoes are very, very thankful. 
      The graduating class of St. Canice worked the parish "Crab Feed" and earned over $700 for themselves that they then turned over to Sierra Roots to help build the Community Village we are planning. These young people are so very generous and conscious of those who have less and need a home.  We thank them and admire their generosity.
      In the fall, the children in the Faith Formation classes of St. Patrick's also collected money for the chronically homeless who walk many miles each day to buy new shoes or boots for them.  Their collection  bought new shoes for 52 people who needed them badly.  They raised over $4,000 for them which again showed such care and generosity.  They also made goodie bags for over thirty people which were given out at our Thursday lunch.  Each bag had goodies like a rain poncho, hand warmers, tooth paste, deodorant, combs or brush, etc. These gift bags were also so greatly appreciated.  We thank the children. They are our future and our leaders .  Give them a "thumbs up" or a pat on the back when you see them.

SAVE THE DATE!
SATURDAY, JULY 28TH 5:00 - 8:00P.M.
NC FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 
"IMAGINE"
SUMMER DINNER 
FUNDRAISER FOR SIERRA ROOTS
      There will be a buffet of delicious summer time foods, music by one of our people we serve, with presentation by Sierra Roots of the dream and vision of a Community Village of small homes for thirty eight to forty people who are now without a place to call home. Dream together with us as Janice leads us in a "Conscious Dream". Let us together "dream- create" what we want to provide for our marginalized poor here in Nevada City. Invitations will be sent out shortly and details about tickets and price will be coming.  


VOLUNTEER MEETINGS
 
Next Monthly Volunteer Meeting: 
June 14, Thursday, at 1 PM
First Methodist Church ~ 433 Broad Street, Nevada City
 info@sierraroots.org *  530 751-3263

     Our monthly meetings are intended for those who are just becoming acquainted with  Sierra Roots and want to learn more about the various volunteer opportunities,  as well as for those already involved so everyone is up to date, informed
and involved in discussion and planning.

     Not everyone is aware of the many ways Sierra Roots engages and builds community with our homeless friends while we continue to look for land for our Village.  For example, Sierra Roots operates an emergency weather shelter, serves meals twice weekly, and provides advocacy services, to homeless individuals. You can learn about these and other volunteer opportunities at our monthly meetings.

 530 751-3263

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