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If you would like to make a donation, please click here -
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Our Sponsors
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Visit Our Sponsor
 | | Loaves & Fishes |
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 | | Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee |
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Sleeping Bags needed for
Overnight Shelter program | |
If you would like to donate , sleeping bags, tents, or any other equipment, even office equipment (old but working PCs needed), please contact us at 916-448-2448 and/or come by our office, located across from Maryhouse.
Safe Ground Office
1800 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Donations of any of these items are always appreciated:
Sleeping Bags
Backpacks
Warm Coats
Rain Coats
Rain Boots
Scarves
Gloves
Long Johns (thermal underwear)
Hand Warmers (like hunters use)
Insect repellent
Donations are tax deductible.
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Join Our Mailing List!
If you would like to regularly receive this newsletter, and don't already, please let us know at
safegroundsacinfo@gmail.com
And please feel free to forward our newletter to anyone you think might be interested in what we do. |
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Safe Ground Sacramento's
Community Bulletin
March/April 2013
Thirteenth issue
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Hello and Welcome to Safe Ground's newsletter
 | | Steve Watters Executive Director |
Efforts towards achieving some of the objectives of the top Safe Ground initiatives are off to what appears to be a very busy and productive summer. Work towards locating a first site for a Safe Ground Community has been bolstered by the efforts of a Safe Ground - City working group and the ongoing enthusiastic support of city council members Allen Warren (district 2) and Jay Schenirer (district 5). More on those efforts in the article below.
Additionally, we have a major Safe Ground event coming quickly on our calendars (May 1-8). The Safe Ground StakeDown is a week-long festival emphasizing the time for the planned Safe Ground Community is now. There will be a daily theme to the festival, with speakers, artists and community members providing discussion, entertainment and artistic support.
The Safe Ground model sleeping cabin will be on display and presentations will explain the community concept.
Don't miss this opportunity to see the cabin, hear about the community plans, and provide your input.
I also urge you to look at our newly revised website with up to date Safe Ground content and announcements. We designed the site with the skilled assistance of a pro bono webmster, whose work can be seen at http://ophersegev.com
Our newly revised site is http://www.safegroundsac.org
A fundraising event for our partner SHOC is scheduled April 18th. On Earth Day April 21st we will be in Southside Park with ECOS. And April 22nd there is a rally in support of AB5 at the Capitol. See below for details on all three events.
There will be a lot more coming soon about our ongoing efforts to locate a site. Join us at the Safe Ground StakeDown May 1-8 and watch for special email and website announcements of advances and other special events as the next few weeks are sure to kick off a successful summer.
See you at the StakeDown, Steve Watters
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Safe Ground Stake Down
MAY 1-7, 2013
12TH & C STREETS
Downtown Sacramento
Safe Ground Sacramento is holding a week long educational festival to highlight the need for "Safe Ground" for our homeless neighbors and friends.
join us by participating or sponsoring
ACOUSTIC MUSIC
POETRY
SPEAKERS
CHOIRS
ART PROJECTS
MARCHES
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
MOVIES
INFORMATION ON SERVICES FOR LOW INCOME AND HOMELESS RESIDENTS
May 1st Wednesday: Labor and Organizing
May 2nd Thursday: Youth & Vision
WIND Youth Services
May 3rd Friday: Human and Civil Rights
Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee
May 4th Saturday: Home & Health
Sacramento Housing Alliance
May 5th Sunday: Faith & Action
Loaves & Fishes and local Congregations
May 6th Monday: Earth & Sustainability
Safe Ground Sacramento
May 7th Tuesday: Closing Ceremonies
send donations to
SafeGround - StakeDown Campaign
PO Box 1644
Sacramento CA 95814
or Call (916) 862-8649
StakeDown event flyer available here
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Safe Ground Community site search update
SGS Steps up Site Search for Public Parcel
After a December meeting with City Manager John Shirey, Safe Ground has stepped up its efforts to locate an acceptable parcel of land. Steve Watters, Executive Director, and board member Sister Libby Fernandez met with City Director of Economic Development Jim Rinehart in January and started working with a city working group in March to review potential city owned sites.
This effort is strengthened by the support of not only city manager John Shirey and director of economic development for the city, Jim Rinehart, but by the pledged support of councilmembers Allen Warren and Jay Schenirer, both of whom have shared support for a SGS Community site in their districts.
Our site objective remains a two to five acre parcel that is close to public transportation and located in a commercial or light industrial zone as opposed to a residential neighborhood. We prefer not to be next to a park or school to avoid possible security issues in the neighborhood. We will consider a site with a building that has the potential to be repurposed as a community center. Our preliminary designs are flexible in terms of cabin placement and community design.
If you have knowledge of a site that meets these requirements, public or private, please contact Steve Watters at 916-769-8877 or email at SafeGroundDirector@gmail.com.
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SHOC Fundraiser Thursday April 18th
A Garden Party fundraising event to benefit the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee will be held on April 18th from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the home of Cathleen Williams and Mark Merin. |
Safe Ground at Earth Day Sunday April 21st
ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) is organizing an Earth Day event on Sunday April 21st at Southside Park (U Street between 6th and 8th Streets) from 11 to 4. Over 100 participating organizations and businesses, including Safe Ground and the Sacramento Housing Alliance, will provide information to the public. There will be food and live music and admission is free. Please come by and say hello! |
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AB5 - CA Homeless Bill of Rights
rally at Capitol April 22nd
Introduced last December by CA Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the California Homeless Bill of Rights will, if it becomes law, provide homeless individuals with long overdue basic rights such as access to public spaces and restrooms. For a good overview of what AB 5 will and will not do, here is a factsheet from the Western Regional Advocacy Project.
click here for a factsheet on AB 5
click here to visit WRAP's website
On April 23rd, the ten member Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on AB 5. A majority vote in favor will be a major step toward AB 5 becoming state law.
A rally in support of AB 5 will be held on the North steps of the Capitol from 2 to 5:30 on Monday April 22nd , the day before the Judiciary Committee meeting. For more info, contact SHOC at 916-862-8649.
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Cell phones for the homeless
The California Public Utilities Commission has administered the California LifeLine program for many years. CA LifeLine provides financial assistance enabling the poor to have landline telephones. The homeless, lacking a fixed address, cannot have landline phones. However, the CPUC is expected to soon change the CA Lifeline program to include cell phones. This will help the homeless in job searches, medical appointments, contact with family and friends, etc.
This is part of a long term federal effort, despite the use by some of the disparaging term "Obama phones", to spread telecommunications access to as many citizens as possible. Critics should note that a universal service fund has long supported extending land line service to low income households. The CPUC is talking with Assurance Wireless, which already runs a low income wireless telephone program in 36 states. More information at these links -
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Political Cartoon
The dark humor of this cartoon is supported by the the informative wikipedia article on homelessness in the United States, which can be read here , and which states
"As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people in any given week."
A wikipedia article on worldwide homeless is here .
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Safe Ground Pilgrimage Overnight Shelter Program in Midtown Sacramento
Safe Ground wants to recruit churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, congregations, union halls and business owners in the midtown area to permit Safe Ground sponsored homeless to stay overnight on their property from 6pm to 7am the next day. This provides the homeless with a sanctuary from arrest, and also, during much of the year, gives them a life-saving night free from the cold and the rain. The SG Shelter Program provides its own staffing and cleanup. Many hosts also provide a dinner and/or breakfast, but this is not required. Those who sleep with us promise to be alcohol free, drug free and nonviolent.
We need your help with the following:
Volunteers All Ages:
* Fellowship hosts - Safe Ground sponsored homeless provide check-in. Volunteer hosts welcome people and provide information.
* Coffee host - Brew and serve
* Food supplies, paper cups and napkins - Food and paper supplies are provided by volunteers - bulk items always welcome
* Food preparation and cooking - we have great kitchen captains that would love your assistance
* Food serving - Fill those empty bellies!
* Kitchen & Great Hall cleaning
* Dishwashing
Volunteers 18 Years and older:
* Overnight/breakfast hosts - men and women
All we need is a large room and someone to open the doors. We provide the rest. Please contact Dave Coburn at 916-337-7733 or coburn180@gmail.com or Amani at 916-893-0736 or amani.sfg@gmail.com for more information if you can help.
Pilgrimage Overnight Shelter Program calendar
First United Methodist Church
2100 J Street
Sacramento CA 95816
Contact: Glenn Tilton
tilton2@comcast.net
916-446-5025
March 05, 2013
March 17, 2013*
March 24, 2013*
April 21, 2013*
April 28, 2013*
* = breakfast 8:30 - 9:30
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ
2700 L ST
Sacramento, CA 95816
Contact: Pam Tureen
pamelat2@sbcglobal.net
(916) 442-0814
March 22, 2013
April 05, 2013
St. John's Lutheran Church
1701 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Contact: Steve Ruder
scruder@gmail.com
(916) 412-0075
March 18, 2013
March 25, 2013
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
2620 Capitol Avenue Sacramento, California 95816
Contact: Cheri Meadows
cheri.meadows123@gmail.com
(916) 601-6441
March 06, 2013*
March 13, 2013
March 20, 2013*
March 27, 2013
April 03,2013*
April 10, 2013
April 17, 2013*
* = dinner at 6
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Contact Safe Ground
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Location: 1400 North C. St. Sacramento, CA 95811 (across from Maryhouse)Mailing Address: PO Box 1644 Sacramento, CA 95812 Website: safegroundsac.orgLetters, Questions, Comments
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About Us
Safe Ground was founded in December 2008 by homeless leaders of Sacramento's 2008-2009 Tent City encampment along the American River near downtown Sacramento. We have been incorporated as a 501(c) 3 since January 2010. We support and assist an underserved population of unsheltered homeless adults who sign a covenant to be alcohol, drug and violence free, and who are committed to using every opportunity to reintegrate into mainstream society. We help those who are among the neediest and the most overlooked.
Safe Ground advocates for the rights of homeless adults. Our goal is to create cost effective, model communities where homeless people can live in safety and dignity, without threat of violence, addiction or arrest. We envision communities that, rather
than treating homelessness as a crime, embrace the dignity of each person, and provide supportive housing with a full range of social services. |
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