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People of Progress

Good will. Good work. Good progress.

Community Safety-Net. Community Catalyst!

Food Bank. Resource Center. Community Gardens & Orchard.

Thrift Store. Information Services.

New Store Hours, Same Office Hours

To help fill our budget shortfall, we've cut back store hours and are now open Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 4:00 and Saturdays from 10:00 to 3:00. We can accept store donations until 2 on weekdays and until 1 on Saturdays.

Key Facts from the 2009 City of Redding Shasta County Homeless Continuum of Care Council's Homeless Surveys

The COC’s year-round homeless survey gathers information on clients from various organizations and agencies throughout the year. Surveys are filled out with each household that is homeless or is imminently at-risk of becoming homeless. They are returned to People of Progress who coordinates this project, tabulates surveys, removes duplicates, and generates reports. Figures are for homeless households unless noted otherwise. A household is either one person or family unit. Results from the one-day count are also below.

2009 Yearlong Survey:

2,450 total individuals representing 1,734 households were homeless at some point during the year and
1,827 total individuals representing 788 households were imminently at-risk of becoming homeless.
533 children were homeless and 689 children were imminently at-risk of becoming homeless.
The total of homeless and at-risk children was 1,222.

Of households that were homeless, 76% (1,316) had only one-person and 17% (294) had children

211 heads of households would be classified under the federal definition of “Chronically Homeless”
(homeless continuously for more than a year or 4 or more times in the past 3 years COMBINED with having a physical or mental disability)

Most households (57%) were homeless at the time they answered the survey for three months or less.
(40 % households were homeless one month or less, 17% households were 2 to 3 months, 22% homeless one year or more )

Top three reasons for becoming homeless: (multiple reasons could be chosen by respondants):
36% job loss, 20% loss of other income, 15% roommate issues.
626 loss of job, 346 loss of income, 263 roommate issues, 215 released from jail or prison, 147 domestic violence, 108 medical or health problems, 100 divorce,
22 loss of child’s income, 17 welfare sanctions, 8 welfare time limits, 84 substance abuse, 41 utility bills, 97 mental health, 137 eviction, 20 fire / disaster,
16 cost of child support, 19 landlord foreclosure, 14 homeowner foreclosure, 47 rent increase, 22 building sold.

52% have lived in Shasta County for 2 or more years, and 53% have relatives in Shasta County.
33% were staying in a shelter at the time they answered the survey questions, 12% temporarily in motels,
25% were on the street, camping or in a vehicle and 28% were temporarily staying with friends or family.
16% had drug or alcohol issues, 26% mental illness, 20% physical disability, 13% experienced domestic violence (past or present), 17% parole / probation, 3% developmental disability, 2% urgently or chronically ill, 1% senior, 5% veteran, 7% foster care current or former, 3% pregnant.

COC 2009 Survey Domestic Violence Facts:
292 (17%) Head of Household (HOH) who are homeless OR imminently at-risk are or were victims of domestic violence
(These households had 297 total kids, 137 under 5 years old)
163 (9%) homeless HOH are or were victims of domestic violence (128 were kids with 65 of them under 5 years old)
383 homeless households and at-risk listed domestic violence – past or present-- as applying to them OR someone in their household.
147 (8%) of homeless households cited domestic violence as a cause or contributing of their becoming homeless

COC 2009 Survey Veteran Facts:
144 total Head of Households (HOH) were homeless OR at-risk. 22 households were unsheltered (staying in a car, camping or on the streets.
103 homeless HOH were veterans. 88 were single individuals. There were 5 children in the veteran households that were homeless.
2 homeless HOH veterans were female and one household had one child living in it
5 HOH were female veterans at-risk of becoming homeless and they had 5 children living with them.

2010 Point in Time One-day Homeless Survey Facts: On January 27, 2010, the COC in Shasta County surveyed homeless persons in camps, staying on the street, in cars, in shelters, in transitional housing or other institutional facilities as well as those who visited food banks and other social service agencies. The COC counted 429 households comprising 729 individuals ( 168 were children). 86 households (20%) comprising 121 total individuals ( 16 children) were not sheltered but were camping, sleeping in vehicles or on the street. 152 individuals were in shelters and 456 were in transitional housing or temporarily staying with friends/family or in other facilities.

2009 Point in Time One-day Homeless Survey Facts:
On January 29, 2008, the COC in Shasta County surveyed homeless persons in camps, staying on the street, in cars, in shelters, in transitional housing or other institutional facilities as well as those who visited food banks and other social service agencies. The COC counted 388 households comprising 734 individuals ( 233of them were children). 99 households (25%) comprising 146 total individuals ( 19 children) were not sheltered but were camping, sleeping in vehicles or on the street. 124 individuals were in shelters and 464 were in transitional housing or temporarily staying with friends/family or in other facilities.

Our Community Orchard!

In December 2008, we planted an orchard with 44 trees next to our community garden in Enterprise Community Park. This will produce food for our food bank for the next 20 or more years. It is also a great, centrally located site for community workshops on selection, care and pruning of fruit trees so that more people will consider planting them and more people will know how to care for their trees. This was a huge effort with tremendous support.

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation provided expertise and help with resources through their arborist, Rico Montenegro. Lindsay Olives of Corning provided funds to purchase the fruit trees. Rotary Club of Redding provided most of the funding needed for planting and fencing along with magnificent volunteers.The two main leads, Judy Salter and John Ryan were essential. Pat Corey owner of McHale Signs (and Rotary member) provided his crew who did most of the tough part of the fencing. First Choice Landscaping's owner Gordon Elliott provided major help installing the irrigation system. Bracken Gardens Landscape owners Felipe and Maria Duran, did 800 feet of trenching! Amigos Irrigation Supply gave a generous discount on irrigation supplies, Wyntour Gardens discounted the trees and many volunteers turned out from the community on a cold but gloriously sunny day and planted an orchard legacy that will serve our community for decades to come. Thank you to all!

Human Bean Evenings

January & February, 2010

Join with other Human Beans throughout Shasta County and beyond! Invite your friends to your house or your colleagues to the lunchroom and we'll provide the Human Bean soup mix along with a host packet filled with information on hunger and homelessness in our area, conversation catalysts and suggestions on what people can do to help reduce hunger in Shasta County. Contact us if you'd like to host a Human Bean friend-raising event!

Our Program:

Food Bank & Resource Center Hours: 10:00 - 1:00 Monday - Friday. Clothing assistance is from 10 to noon Monday - Friday. Our Food Bank is also open Saturday mornings by appointment and week day afternoons by appointment. Food, clothing, blankets, personal hygiene, diapers, rent, voicemail, motel shelter, prescription assistance, bus passes, information/referrals, emergency-oriented casework, and one-on-one strategic to help people move forward. Saturday mornings are by appointment and for food bank services only. If you cannot arrive within office hours, please call for assistance.

Store Hours: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Monday - Friday and Saturday 10:00 - 3:00. Donations accepted until 3:00 on weekdays and until 2:00 on Saturdays. We have to limit donations to 4 boxes or bags at a time. If you have a larger volume than that, or something you are unsure that we are able to use, or a large furniture item please give us a call! 243-3811 Thanks!!!!!!

More About What We Do...

Each year, our food bank and resource center provides food for over 211,000 meals to more than 14,000 people who would have gone hungry otherwise. We also help in many other ways. Hunger is a growing problem too many in our own community face. Seniors who are homeowners and can't afford to repair their roof; persons on and SSI disability income of $900 per month, mothers who go without lunch at work so their children have enough to eat; kids who arrive at school hungry; people working at low-wage jobs whose utility, food, fuel, and rent bills keep rising while wages are stagnant; and anyone who has been laid off and is trying to hold their household together with an unemployment check.

EACH HOUSEHOLD WHO SEEKS OUR HELP HAS THEIR OWN STORY, THEIR OWN SITUATION, THEIR OWN STRUGGLES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY -- THEIR OWN ABILITIES TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE HELP THEM THROUGH THEIR IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, HELP THEM WITH INFORMATION AND STRATEGIES AND EMERGENCY CASEWORK SO THEY CAN MOVE AHEAD.

Our Resource Center's Emergency Assistance Program provides shelter for homeless people unable to stay in local shelters. Our rent assistance prevents about 20 families each year from becoming homeless who had a loss in income or high medical bills. We provide voicemail boxes to help people connect with employers, service providers and family. We also give away 8,000 clothing items, shoes, blankets, diapers, personal hygiene kits and over 2,000 bus passes for essential appointments.

Our services provide an essential community-based safety net for those most in need.

We are a member agency of the United Way of Shasta County. The United Way chooses to support agencies that provide outstanding, essential community services in an efficient manner and who conduct an annual independent audit.

Contact us for ways you can help! Here's some easy ideas:

Host a sock or blanket or penny or umbrella or coat or shampoo or laundry soap or canned food drive at your workplace, school, civic group or church.

Bring in paper and plastic bags in good condition for our store.

Bring in egg cartons for our food bank -- we have ongoing "egg donors" but never enough cartons!

Attend an event and bring a friend.

Donate camping gear, furniture, small appliances, shoes, underwear and clothing!

Volunteer -- contact us on specific needs we have and skill you have!

We hope you find our web site useful. We often update and add new areas of information, so please come back to our website or e-mail us with any questions or suggestions you may have.

New Shasta County
Community Radio Station?
The FCC Application is submitted and now we're waiting....

-- page updated 8/2009 --