The possible human rights violations of the local homeless was a main topic of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s press conference Tuesday. The conference was held to announce the expansion of Bank on Sacramento, a collaboration between local nonprofit organizations, banks and credit unions, to help people receive low-cost accounts and financial advice. Despite the announcement, the topic of homeless rights were heavily discussed. Catarina De Albuquerque, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, recently sent a four-page memo to warn Johnson about the possible violation. The current policy of removing the homeless from tent cities denies the homeless safe drinking water and sanitation, wh

Larry Ottoviani officially lost his job after seven years with the 7Up Bottling Company for doing the one thing that helped him counteract the anxiety in his personal life. That one thing was feeding hungry cats. “I love cats and don’t like to see them go hungry,” Ottoviania said. “When I’m feeding cats I can forget everything else for awhile.” Ottoviani had been warned several times by his supervisor not to feed the cats. The official termination notice dated Jan. 4, 2012, stated that Ottoviani violated his “last chance agreement not to feed the cats on company time and/or company property.” While Ottoviani does not deny feeding cats, he denied doing so during company time and on comp

While most families in Sacramento were cozy at home enjoying a traditional Christmas morning with loved ones, a small group of dedicated volunteers braved the early morning cold to participate in the sleeping bag giveaway hosted by Safehaven Ministries of Sacramento. Overseeing the entire event was Safehaven Outreach Center Site Pastor Joe Talancon, the inspiration and driving force behind the concept of a sleeping bag giveaway. “Today has been a blessing,” stated Talancon when commenting on his impression of the event. “This is the first time we’ve had our Christmas morning service indoors,” explained Talancon in reference to the Safehaven Outreach Center which was established at 1400

Sacramento, CA – Sacramento Steps Forward will expand its emergency shelter program to meet additional demand. An additional 57 beds will be made available through expanded Winter Sanctuary and Motel Voucher programs. Councilmember Steve Cohn and Jay Schenirer met last week with Sacramento Steps Forward, Sacramento Housing Alliance, as well as homeless advocates, the faith community, and business leaders to discuss the critical need for additional winter shelter options. The added beds will double the existing capacity of the Motel Voucher program from 40 to 80 beds and increase the Winter Sanctuary program from 100 to 117 spaces per night. The additional beds are not fully funded for th

Q. My brother is going to get out of jail soon, and we were planning on him moving in with me, but his parole officer told him he couldn’t because he has to register as a sex offender and I live too close to an elementary school, which is against “Megan’s Law” or “Jessica’s Law” or something like that. Isn’t there anything we can do? I’m afraid if he doesn’t live with me he will be homeless. Jerri A. California’s Megan’s Law requires anyone convicted of a wide range of crimes, including forcible sex crimes involving non-consenting adults and most sex crimes involving children, prostitution, and child pornography, to register as a sex offender upon release on parole or probation or discha

While most people will spend Christmas morning at home celebrating with loved ones, a group of dedicated volunteers will be hosting a sleeping bag giveaway 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Outreach Center of Safehaven Ministries of Sacramento. The event will be located near the homeless shelters and food kitchens at 1400 North C Street, Sacramento, Calif. 95811. This past Saturday, a group of dedicated volunteers spent the morning unloading trucks and accepting donations in preparation for the Christmas morning event. Approximately 800 brand new sleeping bags along with mats, gloves, socks, clothing and headgear will be available on a first come-first served basis on Christmas morning. The mot

In spite of a $75,000 funding shortfall, Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento’s interfaith community are going forward with plans to offer nightly shelter and meals to Sacramento-area homeless men and women. The second season of the collaborative “Winter Sanctuary” program began Dec. 1, and is once again offering people in need safe and comfortable shelter in the dining halls, community rooms and gyms of faith-based centers throughout Greater Sacramento. While funding has only been secured to guarantee operation through January 2012, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada and Sacramento Steps Forward have decided to open the doors now to prov

“Searching for Safe Ground,” a film series by Costa Mantis, reveals the daily struggles of being homeless in Sacramento and addresses the bleak reality of not having a safe place to sleep. Starting in October and continuing until February, a different episode of the five-part series will play at First Methodist Church on the corner of J and 21st streets during Second Saturday Art Walks. Mantis moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Sacramento on Apr. 1, 2009 on a “mission to give the homeless a voice,” he said. In 2009, an estimated 250 of Sacramento’s homeless lived in a collection of tents on the banks of the American River in a community called Tent City. Without running water, bath

Art does many things. It gives us a history of culture. It decorates our homes. It helps the homeless. This 2nd Saturday, Vox Sacramento art studio is giving back to the community, as well as providing a unique art show called “Home.” The studio is asking locals to bring camping equipment, blankets and coats to the exhibit. Items will be used by Safe Ground Sacramento, a homeless advocacy organization supported by a coalition of local non-profits trying to provide a safe, dry and warm solution for local residents without homes. SafeGround supports a self-governed, alcohol, drug and violence free homeless community alternative. The exhibit features several local artists, including: B. Sh

Sacramento County and City are working together with generous donors to coordinate winter shelter services for the homeless. “It’s imperative that the County, City and private interests work together to maximize available resources in preparation for winter shelter needs,” said County Supervisor Phil Serna. “We hope that individuals, businesses, labor organizations and others will continue to donate, volunteer and otherwise support the efforts of our shelter providers and our local faith community.” At last night’s Sacramento City Council meeting, the City Council approved $100,000 for the homeless motel voucher program. In addition, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which

Occupy Sacramento protesters told City Council members Tuesday in no uncertain terms – “Tyranny.” “Unconstitutional.” “Treason.” – that their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly are being violated by an ordinance that prohibits overnight camping in city parks.) “We should not be here to teach you about the Constitution,” said Sacramento resident David Witkin, 28. “We are here to tell you what your constituents want.” Protesters who have taken over Cesar Chavez Plaza for nearly two weeks showed up in force at City Hall Tuesday to ask council members – again – to consider an exception to the law allowing them 24-hour access to the park. “The Constitution wasn’t drafte

In a survey given to 375 homeless people in 2009 and 2010, the Sacramento Housing Alliance found that 30 percent of the homeless population reported that transportation was the largest barrier to employment and a new program is planned to help. Paratransit’s Mobility Training and Job Search Shuttle for the Homeless, commonly known as Wheels to Work, launched Wednesday morning at the Volunteers of America Family Center, 470 Bannon St. Wheels to Work is a program dedicated to providing homeless and low-income earners with transportation and mobile job training by means of two large vans. The vans are designed to give homeless men and women access to job training and transportation that is

On the same day that activists and supporters rallied together for homeless rights at the Safe Ground Jubilee, attorneys for the city of Sacramento were busy filing a motion to appeal a Federal Court decision in a contentious homeless class action lawsuit. “Our rationale for appeal is based primarily on procedural and evidentiary rulings that came up in the trial,” Brett Witter, supervising deputy city attorney for Sacramento said Thursday. The motion for appeal was filed Sept. 14 in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by attorney Chance Trimm, on behalf of the city. According to court documents, the city is appealing a May 24 Federal Court decision that found the city liable on two of s

The Salvation Army officially opened its new E. Claire Raley Transitional Living Complex on September 20. The 35-unit center, located near I-80 and Watt Ave., will house families who were homeless. Each family had qualified for this housing program through The Salvation Army’s Family Service Department. All participating families may live in the units from six months to two years. Case workers will work constantly with each program participant to find permanent housing and employment. The living complex is also a clean and sober program. For those who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, recovery and prevention meetings will be available to them. The new program is a blessing for 32

The smell of chocolate truffles, orange cream and strawberries flooded the KVIE commercial kitchen Wednesday morning as Women’s Empowerment graduates were hard at work. Making 1,200 desserts for 550 people was no easy task, but the 10 women took on the challenge with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. The desserts are for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Independence Gala that benefits Women’s Empowerment, a Sacramento non profit that helps homeless women find jobs and housing for their families. The gala is Thursday from 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 1215 J St. The women worked diligently to make the perfect cheesecake bites from a recipe of one of the graduate’s grea

"I did it!" is an often heard refrain after the Mustard Seed bike ride for kids. On Sunday, September 25th the 7th annual Mustard Seed Spin in Sacramento will take place on the American River bike trail. This bike ride -- by kids for kids -- has already raised and donated $120,000 to the Mustard Seed School for homeless children. All rider fees are donated directly to the school. More than 700 riders are expected this year, slightly more than last year. The bike ride introduces kids under the age of 18 to organized cycling, teaches bike safety, and hopefully creates a whole new generation of bike commuters.  There is also a bike Scholarship Program which hosts 50 underprivileged kids at t

Just a week ago, the Sacramento Press reported on a local documentary about youth homelessness and on Thursday, "Beautiful Youth" screened for a packed house as part of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival SummerFEST.  The Festival contacted the filmmakers as a result of that article and, given only a week of lead time, the size of the audience was both noteworthy and a testament to the interest in the topic.  The film itself has a running time of 47 minutes and was followed by a Q&A session with filmmakers Jennifer Lystrup and Mackenzie Long which lasted equally long.  Even more remarkable, almost the entire audience stayed throughout the post-screening discussion and asked questions of b

A longtime friend of the homeless and down-and-out, the late Greg Bunker will be officially recognized for his service to the Sacramento area at a benefit concert Friday. A city resolution honoring Bunker for his 21 years with Francis House will be delivered Friday night. “Greg was a generous man who left a lasting impact on our community,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said Wednesday. “He was a tireless advocate for the homeless and (worked) hard to serve those less fortunate.” Bunker died from a heart attack last December. “His contributions to Sacramento will surely be missed,” Johnson said. The resolution, which denotes Friday as “Greg Bunker Day,” comes as Francis House doubles its operati

Francis House’s Feast of the Streets on Wednesday will be a bittersweet celebration of both the 20th anniversary of the event, and the life of former Executive Director Greg Bunker, who died in December. “About 1,000 people came to his memorial service, and this is sort of our memorial for him,” said Forrest Reed, program director for Francis House. The banquet will kick off with a four-minute video of Bunker’s life. Francis House is a nonprofit organization founded in Sacramento 40 years ago that offers counseling services, hotel vouchers and help getting California identification to people in need, such as homeless people. Feast For the Streets is the biggest fundraiser for Francis H

A group of Sacramento-area faith community leaders came out to be recognized on Tuesday for their participation in the Winter Sanctuary program to house the homeless in the winter. “From December to March, (the) Winter Sanctuary program sheltered 550 homeless men and women,” County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan said. It also served to aid the homeless with resources, employment and treatment of health issues, MacGlashan noted. “(In addition), they were provided with sleeping bags and transportation each evening by bus to a safe congregation, and there the volunteers from each congregation (served) them with dinner, breakfast, social and spiritual fellowship,” MacGlashan said. Under the