News & Events

SMUD Giving Monday Personal Care Drive at Cal Expo

Details

November 21, 2023

Donations of everyday essentials support the homeless

In partnership with the Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) and its ongoing community efforts to address homelessness across the region, SMUD is sponsoring Giving Monday at Cal Expo, an effort to collect needed personal care items, including:

• socks
• hand/foot warmers
• ponchos
• gloves
• shampoo
• toothbrushes
• toothpaste
• floss
• water
• snacks
• deodorant
• tissues
• hand wipes
• bandages
• lip balm
• cotton swabs

WHAT: SMUD Giving Monday Personal Care Drive at Cal Expo

WHEN: Monday, December 4 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: Cal Expo Main Gate

Donations from members of the community are welcome from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Cal Expo Main Gate. Just drive on through and drop off your items or donate via Amazon here.

"From our canned food donation drive to our efforts to collect school supplies, SMUD Giving Mondays are an important part of our commitment to supporting all communities," said Rhonda Staley-Brooks, director of Community Engagement. "This winter, we are partnering with HART to help gather crucial assistance and resources, especially during the holidays, for our most vulnerable community members. The overwhelming spirit of giving shown by our employees, partners and customers is truly inspiring."

SMUD has led successful e-waste, coat and school supply drives at Cal Expo. These drives have benefited non-profits such as the Sacramento Children's Home, the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps and the Elk Grove Food Bank.

For more information about SMUD Giving Monday, visit calexpostatefair.com and to learn more about SMUD's community work, visit smud.org/community.

About SMUD

As the nation's sixth-largest, community-owned, not-for-profit electric service provider, SMUD has been providing low-cost, reliable electricity to Sacramento County for more than 75 years. SMUD is a recognized industry leader and award winner for its innovative energy efficiency programs, renewable power technologies and for its sustainable solutions for a healthier environment. Today, SMUD's power supply is on average about 50 percent carbon free and SMUD has a goal to reach zero carbon in its electricity production by 2030. For more information on SMUD's Zero Carbon Plan and its customer programs, visit smud.org.

The Remodel

Details

August 17, 2023

Many of us have walked through major remodels. Maybe to modernize the look of your home. Or maybe you were forced to remodel due to a disaster of fire, termites, or a flood.

Right now, the Elk Grove HART and the City of Elk Grove, in regard to homeless support, are going through a major remodel due to the sudden closing of Sacramento Self Help Housing. Our navigator was no longer employed, we were unable to put any families or individuals into our transitional houses, we had no caseworkers, and even the ownership of the houses was in flux. It became abundantly clear that we had no option but to remodel.

The beauty of a remodel, for whatever the reason, is that you get to transform a mess of what wasn't working. And for us, I mean a "mess" literally. Suddenly we had no lawn care, no way to pay the utility bills or most importantly, no options to give our unhoused neighbors who were truly impacted by it.

As Elk Grove HART's Diane Lampe likes to say, "It was time to stop, drop and roll." That's just what we did. With the amazing leadership of Sarah Bontrager, our Housing Program Manager for the City of Elk Grove, the HART board and city staff, we started the remodel.

I am glad to report that after a lot of hard work and thinking outside of the box, it is going beautifully. We can see the finished product in sight. As with most remodels it will be so much better than before. During this time frame, the City has helped 12 families move into our subsidized apartments and continues to use Federal COVID-19 money for motel stays. The City is hiring, not one, but two navigators! A new, experienced company called City Net will be taking over the management of the transitional houses. The Core Wellness Center has found a permanent home in Elk Grove.

Ballot Measure E passed a 1% sales tax, part of which is slated to go towards supporting the unhoused. For the first time, the City has put out a bid (RFP) for a possible single site winter shelter for this coming winter using some of the Measure E money.

It is common to become weary and frustrated during a remodel, and we have been both of those. But it is important to keep your eye on the finished product, to see it through so you can reap the benefits. That’s exactly what we are doing. This is a season of transition and we have held the course. I fervently believe that Elk Grove will be a better and stronger city in supporting our unhoused because of this. Stay tuned...

Elk Grove to Open Cooling Center

Details

June 30, 2023

Elk Grove will open a cooling center beginning tomorrow, Friday, June 30 and operate it daily from Noon to 8 p.m. through Sunday, July 2. The location will be the Wackford Community Complex at 9014 Bruceville Road.

The Cooling Center is open to anyone who lacks shelter or adequate home cooling. Operating hours will be Noon to 8 p.m. each day. A limited number of animal kennels will be available to house pets, if needed.

Elk Grove Police Department will staff the space. Organizers initiated the opening of the cooling center in response to the excessive heat warning issued for the region by the National Weather Service Sacramento. Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of 100 to 110 are expected through Sunday evening.

Residents of all ages are encouraged to take the following precautions during an excessive heat warning:

• Avoid outdoor activities in the direct sun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and
• Keep hydrated; and
• Stay in a cool space; and
• Avoid area waterways as a means to cool off. Rivers continue to run cold and fast and present dangerous conditions for people of all ages.