On February 19th, non-profit agency, The Effort, will hold grand opening ceremonies at their new Rancho Cordova Community Health Center, (10423 Old Placerville Road), which houses a primary care medical clinic for all ages and state-of-the-art children’s dental clinic. The celebration also heralds the announcement of the change from their longstanding name, “The Effort” to the on-site unveiling of a new name and logo that better reflects the agency’s mission and the scope of services they provide. Elected Dignitaries slated to address grand opening attendees include Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assemblymembers Ken Cooley, Roger Dickinson, and Dr. Richard Pan. “

Billed as the largest event of its kind in California’s capital region, The Salvation Army of Sacramento County held its Annual Community Luncheon on May 29 at the Woodlake Hotel. With nearly 1,000 business and governmental leaders in attendance, the luncheon was an opportunity to showcase its programs, give a fiscal and service report to the community, and thank and recognize the individuals and companies who, through their community service activities or programs, have shown a long history of helping people in need. “Any time we can inform and help people understand the full reaches of The Army’s mission, then that’s a good thing to have,” said Major Bill Dickinson, Salvation Army Del

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson unveiled the preview of his Strategic Plan for Gang Prevention (SPGP) this past Monday morning in the Hearing room of the Historic City Hall. “I am committed to a paradigm shift away from only enforcement and incarceration with more emphasis put toward prevention and intervention,” stated Johnson during his opening remarks. “There is a lot of frustration in the community,” stated Johnson as he referenced the recent community meeting in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood in response to the recent death of Tyrone Smith. Smith died in the custody of the Sacramento Police Department in the aftermath of the shooting of a Twin Rivers officer after a routine traff

On November 10th, at 10:30am, The Effort will celebrate the Grand Opening of their expanded The Effort North Highlands Community Health Center, (6015 Watt Avenue) ushering in a new era in affordable, state-of-the-science child and family primary health and children’s dental care, services largely non-existent for the underserved residents of North Highlands and surrounding areas.   Following opening remarks from Dr. Jonathan Porteus, CEO/The Effort, these local dignitaries will speak.   Congresswoman Doris Matsui Charlene Taylor of Kaiser Permanente Assemblyman Richard Pan, M.D. County Supervisor & First5 Commissioner Phil Serna Assemblyman Roger Dickinson   (Media facility tours will imme

Gang violence took what officials described as a drastic drop since July 2010, attributing the drop to Mayor Kevin Johnson’s gang-prevention programs initiated in June of 2010 and again after last December’s fatal barbershop shooting. Since implementing some of the measures, Lt. Bill Champion of the Sacramento Police Department said that the results have been effective. The number of gang-related firearm assaults has dropped by 60 percent, and the overall rate fell by 39 percent. In addition, there has been a 75 percent drop in homicide rates, and a 100 percent drop in non-fatal shootings. Community leaders gathered at City Hall Monday morning to discuss the mayor’s plan. Speakers, inc

On Thursday, October 27, from noon to 2 p.m., Sacramento non-profit agency, The Effort will hold a pumpkin carving party and Halloween door decoration contest for their client/residents at the new affordable housing community of Boulevard Court. (5321 Stockton Boulevard). The carving party and decorating contest, like other activities facilitated by staff of The Effort, are held to reinforce a sense of community and ownership. “For many of our residents, this is the first time in many years when they will be able to celebrate any holiday season in their own home,” said Effort CEO Jonathan Porteus, “The simple act of decorating a door in effect says…Come to my house…a major declaration f

Non-Profit “The Effort” Hosts Six Free Whooping Cough Vaccination Clinics for Area Children Sacramento—On August 9th, 2011, from 2pm-6pm, The Effort will host the first of 6 vaccination clinics at three of their Community Health Center sites. This first clinic will be held at The Effort’s South Valley Community Health Center, 8233 E. Stockton Blvd, Suite D. (737-5555) The Effort, in keeping with their mission of providing quality health care to the Sacramento area, offers these state-mandated Tdap vaccinations (combination vaccine that protects against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus) free to area students who might have limited access. The 6 clinics will be offered from 2-6pm at

Construction has begun on Sacramento's newest single-resident occupancy building downtown. On Monday, a backhoe operator and other construction workers continued demolishing an old foundation at Seventh and H streets. The eight-story, 150-unit mid-rise being built there by Mercy Housing is the first new structure going up in the railyards redevelopment project area. Once completed, the $47.4 million affordable housing project, known simply as “Seventh & H,” will be one of the city's largest permanent supportive housing projects. Half of the units will be reserved for homeless or recently homeless people, and the rest is aimed at downtown workers making $20,000 to $25,000 a year. "Sevent

While local nonprofit clinics The Effort and the Health and Life Organization are not as well-known as major hospitals like Sutter Health or UC Davis Medical Center, they each serve tens of thousands of people in Sacramento County and play a major role in health care for the region’s low-income and homeless residents. The Effort and the Health and Life Organization allow patients to pay for medical services on a sliding fee scale. About six community health organizations run 29 clinics in Sacramento County, according to Chris Patterson, a media relations consultant for the Capitol Community Health Network. About 14,000 patients made about 35,000 visits to The Effort’s medical sites last

A proposal is in the works to create one of the largest permanent supportive housing projects in the city. The $41 million building at Seventh and H streets also is poised to become the city's newest single-resident occupancy, or SRO, structure. The infill project would feature sustainable design and materials, so the developers and architects will ask the U.S. Green Building Council to certify it as a sustainable building. But perhaps most unique about the public-private project being developed by Mercy Housing and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency is that it would offer support services to formerly homeless people in innovative and mixed-population permanent housing. Its

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) completed her third day of touring Sacramento's health care system on Friday, ending with a round table discussion at the Sierra Health Foundation with health care professionals regarding how to improve health care within the Sacramento district, as well as the nation. A member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which presides over many health care issues, Matsui expressed her desire to meet with the "people on the front lines" of the health care system here in Sacramento, hoping to discover ways that "affordable and quality health care for all Sacramentans" can be achieved. The panel discussion touched on the importance of primary and preventat