“Americans With No Address” 

This important documentary explores why there is a growing homeless crisis in America and offers solutions from people with experience working with the homeless. 

Where: Sacred Heart Catholic Parish Hall

1040 39th St, Sacramento, CA 95816

When: February 10, 2025-  6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Sponsored by:

St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities and California Catholic Conference

SACRAMENTO ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION–$5,000. The Mission of the SAR Charitable Foundation is to coordinate the activities of Sacramento’s real estate professionals in addressing critical housing needs, assisting non–profit organizations to meet other basic needs, and supporting sustainable communities. This foundation has provided grants to TPHS for five years, since the program began operation.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX GRANT–$10,000. This is a project/program based award providing support to non-profit organizations located in Sacramento County that carry out community-based programs and/or services in the areas of arts and culture, community development and services, economic or workforce development​ and health and human services. This is the third year in a row that TPHS has received a TOT grant.

THE DONANT FAMILY FOUNDATION–$3,000. This is a local, private foundation and the third year in a row it has supported TPHS.

THE SETZER FOUNDATION–$5,000. This is also a local, private foundation and the third consecutive year it has supported TPHS. It supports a wide range of nonprofit organizations in the state of California. Preference is given to organizations in the Sacramento area.

EL DORADO SAVINGS BANK–$5,000. El Dorado Savings Bank was founded in January 1956, is based in Placerville, and has 35 branches in California and Nevada. This is the third consecutive year that El Dorado Savings has made a donation to TPHS.

THE BENETO FOUNDATION–$15,000. The Beneto Foundation is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation and the purposes for which it was formed are exclusively charitable. This is also the third consecutive year The Beneto Foundation has supported TPHS.

Bill and Terrie Motmans–$500.

Anonymous Private Donation–$30,000.

These are just a few examples of the families TPHS helped in 2023.

A woman, the mother of three young children, originally contacted TPHS in March. She had moved in with her parents after separating from her husband, but the home in which they were living had mold and no heat all winter so it was uninhabitable and they had to move. The woman was in a job training program. She had developed a plan to pay rent with the help of the Family Stabilization Program and also her sister was going to move in with them and pay part of the rent. It took her three months to find an apartment complex that would accept her. She had paid a $500 security deposit, but when the property management did a credit check it was not good so another $500 for a security deposit had to be paid, but she had no more funds. TPHS paid the $500 balance of the security deposit and the family moved in in June.

The mother of a 15-year-old daughter was unable to pay her August rent of $1,560 because her work hours were cut back and prices for food, gas, and utilities had increased. She had been served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit. She signed up for the energy assistance programs with SMUD and PG&E and was taking on increased work hours and looking for another job so it appeared that she would be able to pay her rent in the future. TPHS paid her August rent.

A woman who previously was treated for breast cancer had to miss work for a breast reconstruction surgery then missed more work when she developed a post-surgery infection and therefore was unable to pay her October rent and likely would be unable to pay her November rent. Her adult son who lived with her was out of work. She had been served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit. TPHS paid $1,962 for the October and November rent plus a $50 late fee totaling $2,012 so they would not be evicted. She returned to work in early November so she would be able to pay the rent in the future.

A single woman and her 4-year-old grandson had been homeless.  She obtained a voucher from SHRA that would pay a large share of her rent and found a duplex but needed the security deposit of $2,500.  The owner allowed them to move in after the unit passed inspection, but they were in danger of being evicted for inability to pay the deposit.  The woman was able to pay $1,700 of the deposit so TPHS paid the balance of $800. 

A single mother of two kids, ages 15 and 17, was unable to pay the full amount of June rent because her daughter was hospitalized because of mental health problems and the mother was unable to work because of her own health problems and need to be present for her daughter. She paid $400 but owed $1625. She had applied for disability, and it was reasonably certain she would be able to pay her rent while not working so TPHS paid the balance of $1625.

A grandfather of two children, ages three years and nine months, had to quit his job to care for the children after his daughter became incapable of caring for them. He got a month and a half behind on his rent and had been served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit in the amount of $2,213.50. We confirmed that he had gotten a job with a cell phone company at which he could earn as much as $1,600 a week and his mother would watch the children while he worked. Because it was reasonably certain he would be able to pay the rent in the future, TPHS paid the amount owed.

A single woman who had taken guardianship of a 9-year old boy after his prior guardian, his grandfather, died. The woman had gotten behind on rent in 2022 and signed a stipulation and order by which she was to pay her monthly rent and a percentage of the arrears. If she did not pay, the court would automatically order her to be evicted. Also, she had been laid off from her part-time job in March. She found a full-time job and was waiting for Sacramento County to start paying support for the boy, but she knew her paycheck in July and the support payment would not come soon enough for her to be able to pay the rent and arrears of $2,606. It was reasonably certain that she would be able to pay her rent and the arrears after July so TPHS paid the amount owed for July so that she and the boy would not be evicted.

Without the assistance of TPHS, these people and others we have helped would have become homeless or remained homeless. We thank all foundations, organizations and individual donors for their support and generosity.

The services provided were, food gift cards, furniture, hotel vouchers, SMUD/PGE utility assistance, gas gift cards and rental assistance.  Since programs ended providing financial help during the pandemic and those significantly impacted are the people we continue to serve. Due to this, the calls to Holy Spirit SVdP phone/home visit Vincentian volunteers are increasing. On a recent call a family with 4 children had their power shut off since April 6th, we were notified on April 20th. The family had to make the decision to pay rent as they could not afford to their utility bill.  Another family lost their sole source of support and needed food to get by till the end of the month, we provided food gift cards. Another family stranded during the storms and were staying at the Ronald McDonald home while they son was receiving treatment at Shiners Hospital; they needed food and gas gift cards to make their way back home to Susanville. Our volunteers at times feel discouraged because the needs are so great, but we realize our limitations.  We pray for the individuals and families facing challenges.  Its crisis situations as these that we can help families and individuals needing help.   We could not do this work without your generous support!

If you have questions about the HS SVdP Conference, or are interested in learning more, visit our website at: svdp-holyspiritsac.org and you can call us at any time at:(916) 397-7264.

Due to the generosity of three donors, TPHS is now able to fully resume helping people in need. We are very grateful to these businesses and the anonymous person for their confidence in and support of TPHS. Thank you!

El Dorado Savings Bank Grant

In late September, El Dorado Savings Bank made a grant donation of $3,500. In the accompanying letter, John A. Cook, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We appreciate the important work of Transition to Permanent Housing Solutions program and we are proud to support your cause.”

Beneto Foundation

The Beneto Foundation is located in Folsom and its website states, “We consider all requests from organizations that operate primarily in California. Special consideration is given to organizations that serve children and adults with disabilities and/or very low or no income families with children.” The Beneto foundation made a grant donation to TPHS in the amount of $10,000. In her transmittal letter, board member Amy Monroe said, “The board appreciates the hard work being done at Holy Spirit Saint Vincent de Paul (TPHS) to improve the lives of the homeless and we hope that our support will help enable you to continue this effort.”

Anonymous Private Donation

A person who requested anonymity made a donation to TPHS of $28,000.

The good news is that through the generosity of charitable foundations and private donors as well as fund raising events put on by our hardworking Holy Spirit Conference Vincentians, in its almost four years of operation TPHS has helped a total of 304 people in 113 households with expenditures of $140,445.

One example of a family recently helped by TPHS is a mother and her three children, ages 20, 11 and 10, who had been homeless, but moved into an apartment at the end of August. The adult child had a job so she was able to help pay the first month’s rent, which was prorated because they moved in on the 20th, and half the security deposit. The Dept. of Human Assistance paid the other half of the security deposit. The mother and the adult child were each to pay half the rent, but the mother had just started a job and her paycheck at the end of August was not enough for her to pay her half of September’s rent, so they fell behind and they were served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit. TPHS paid, $1,115, the half owed by the mother so the family would not get evicted. The income from her and her daughter’s jobs would be enough to pay the rent going forward. In an email to TPHS, the woman said,

“Thank you so much for the help. You have blessed us tremendously and can’t thank you enough for your support. We were so worried of becoming homeless again was scary to think of again. You all have given us a chance to pursue our new lives and continuing moving forward in this new chapter of our lives. Grateful for all your help and support, also thank you for corresponding with me and keeping us in the loop.
God Bless You All”

We expect to receive grants in the near future and grant applications continue to be submitted so we look forward to reopening TPHS soon.