Press Conference Called in Front of the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center Tomorrow 1:00pm March 8, 2012 – Earlier today news broke that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, earlier this year, decided that because the new Executive Director of Francis House Center, Reverend Faith Whitmore, supported LGBT marriage rights and the organization, Planned Parenthood, they would abruptly pull their yearly donation to the homeless organization. While Rev. Whitmore was eloquent in an interview with the Sacramento Bee and News 10 of how she took the news when she received the letter from the Diocese, members of the LGBT community, the faith-based community and homeless rights advocates were qu

On Thursday, March 8, St. Anna’s Greek Orthodox Church will host a special forum discussion that will feature Rev. Joseph Mumita of Kenya, East Africa. He will discuss efforts to help feed and enrich the lives of some of Kenya’s poorest children and how people can become involved. “It’s not often that we host someone from East Africa who is so involved in helping God’s poorest children,” said Father Christopher Flesoras. “We are very pleased to be hosting Rev. Joseph and look forward to hearing about what is going on in Kenya.” Projects Rev. Joseph will discuss include: Daily lunch feeding of more than 400 school children who would otherwise only get one meal a day. Efforts to support

“Walk a mile in my shoes” is exactly what about 50 mostly middle-class legislative staff, service providers and individuals did at Step Up’s Poverty Simulation on Wednesday downtown Sacramento at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento. They were invited by Step Up, an organization established by Catholic Charity members. Step Up, with the help of Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, had recruited about 20 people who currently live in poverty to play the roles of service providers, police, social workers, bankers, landlords, store clerks, employers, other professions and criminals that a poor person may have interact with. They attended a brief training and were assigned their vario

Project61 Update:   "Feast for the Forgotten" This Saturday, November 20 at 2:00pm under the 12th Street Bridge. Saturday is the annual "Feast for the Forgotten" Thanksgiving meal and gathering for those who meet up once a month under the 12th Street bridge. This monthly event is called Project61 and was started by local rapper and motivational speaker Minister RMB in the fall of 2004 with some friends.  RMB says, "Everybody wants to know they are valued and loved...regardless of their current situation or background.  People desperately need love.  Love with no agenda.  We have all experienced times of brokenness, failure, loneliness, betrayal, abandonment....and it was during those ti

Francis House of Sacramento is launching their capital campaign to raise $250,000 to expand their facility and provide more services. To kick off their campaign the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, owners of Cache Creek Casino Resort have contributed a generous seed donation of $50,000. Greg Bunker, Executive Director for Francis House is pleased with the great start and is hopeful organizations and companies will consider helping with this important project. Our economy is experiencing a slow recovery, but still the staff and volunteers of Francis House are overwhelmed by the continued increase in need over the last few years. Bunker is hoping to expand the facility to include extra space for c

Sasha Abramsky, an accomplished author, teacher, and senior fellow at Demos think tank in New York City, posed a tough question yesterday at his book launch party for Breadline USA: The Hidden Scandal of American Hunger and How to Fix It, hosted by the UC Center of Sacramento. "How do you feed people who are hungry in a country with an abundance of food?" The question is one he explores in Breadline USA. Abramsky's book documents the stories of several American families and their struggle with finances and food. During the late years of the Bush administration, Abramsky described an increase in attendance at breadlines, lines of people waiting to receive food from a charitable organizati