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We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization; 100% of donations go directly toward providing services. Tax ID# 46-4162394

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We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization; 100% of donations go directly toward providing services. Tax ID# 46-4162394

Details: April 01, 2020

Save the Date May 7th BDOG PInk

Elk Grove HART is excited to announce that it is participating again in the Big Day of Giving - coming up on Thursday, May 7th!

Donations made during last year's fundraising marathon provided the funds for Elk Grove HART to maintain two transition houses year-round and to provide a twelve-week Winter Sanctuary. We hope you will consider supporting this important work through your financial donations during this year's event. Look for more informational emails as the Big Day gets closer!

Details: October 24, 2019

Elk Grove Winter Sanctuary was recently featured in the Autumn issue of Ardent For Life Magazine. Click here to view the article https://issuu.com/ardentforlife/docs/ardent_for_life_autumn_2019/52

Our 7th Annual Winter Sanctuary runs from December 8, 2019 through February 29, 2020. We are always in need of volunteers to help us make WINS the best that it can possibly be. If you would like to be a part of our team, please email Jenn at jennjacobs724@gmail.com. Volunteer Sign Ups will be available to everyone starting November 1st.

If you are interested in picking up a copy of Ardent For Life, visit https://www.ardentforlife.net/distribution to see their many distribtuion locations.

Details: September 20, 2019

Teenages Shopping

Thanks to some very generous churches in our community, all five students currently living at our Meadow Family House were able to go back to school with new clothes and shoes.

A big THANK YOU to Sun Grove Church and Elk Grove Church of Christ for providing donations to purchase the needed items for each student.

The kids and their parents met up with Elk Grove HART mentors and spent a day going shopping. They were thrilled to be able to pick out their own clothes. One young lady, while expressing her thanks and delight to the mentor, said the experience was “overwhelming”.

Thanks again Sun Grove Church and Elk Grove Church of Christ. You certainly made some students very happy. We, and those we serve, sincerely appreciate your generosity.

Details: September 06, 2019

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She came upon them accidentally while walking in a Sacramento park. From a distance, it looked like two men kicking a red and white ball back and forth. As she got closer, Lily realized that it wasn’t a ball, but a white, bloodied dog. Running at the men with all of her force she intervened begging them to stop, telling them she would pay them for the dog: $20 each. They angrily explained that the dog had eaten their hot dogs and they wanted to teach it a lesson.

Lily rushed the wounded animal to a vet, repeating “good boy, good boy” over and over again. It’s all she could think of to try and calm down the wounded dog who was laying next to her, barely moving.

It was the start of a beautiful relationship and the name Good Boy stuck. Then it was his turn to rescue Lily. In January, discouraged after a bad hip replacement, Good Boy never left Lily’s side. In May, the house she had rented for 15 years burned down and the owner disappeared with the money. Unable to go back to work because of her hip, Lily was destitute, but still had Good Boy to comfort her.

The two moved into the Grace House this summer and are both thriving! Lily was beyond grateful and did everything she could to become self-sufficient again. This week Lily was hired to be a house leader in a transitional house and Good Boy will be right by her side. Let the healing begin.

Details: August 15, 2019

August Newsletter

Details: June 03, 2019

June Newsletter

Details: April 22, 2019

Be the Change

The day was cold and there was no place to go, as simple as that. He had messed up his life, no one would deny that. His mom was always there for him and he really had no excuses, except that he wanted to have fun and school and work were a chore. Drugs and alcohol deadened the pain on days like today. Drugs and alcohol had stopped being fun and had now become an ugly necessity.

His mom cried out to HART asking for solutions. Sadly, we couldn’t offer her one. Until he decides he wants the help, we are powerless. It is a tortured cry we have heard before from many mothers.

So, in the meantime, we care for them. Twice a week at United Methodist Church, showers are offered, and Christy Cares provides lunch. Sometimes, car repairs, a blanket, clothes from the Clothes Closet and a backpack are offered. And then we wait…wait until they are done with the drugs and alcohol and are ready to take on the hard job of changing.

During the twelve weeks of our Winter Sanctuary we have the opportunity to touch many of the homeless in Elk Grove. While staying at the various churches, we bring in Elk Grove’s Navigator who helps to evaluate what services each person may need. Often the homeless are on disability and just need assistance in finding housing, or they need an ID or a social security card so they can work.

While their moms wait, we wait with them for their desire to change, for it to be stronger than the drugs or alcohol. There is no greater joy then to see a mother reunited with her child. Patience is learned and we have gotten pretty good at it. We’ll wait for your child too.

We are not paid, we do it because we believe the homeless need the opportunity to live a better life and can do so with a little help.

May 2nd is the Big Day of Giving. Please give generously and be a part of helping the homeless of Elk Grove get off the streets and into permanent housing.

Details: April 11, 2019

Reset

Towering well over 6 feet tall makes Kurt an imposing figure, but it doesn’t take long to realize he is a “gentle giant”. Diagnosed with autism at a young age, he has worked hard to overcome some of the mannerisms he exhibited as a child, such as lashing out in anger at unpredictable times. It caused him to be removed from almost every school he attended and babysitters refused to care for him. Mom finally home-schooled him in an effort to moderate his environment. It was a full-time job which meant actually losing the career that paid their bills. It also meant downsizing and reducing their costs wherever possible. His disability money covered the rent of their little apartment, but as costs rose over the years, their disability payments did not.

Forced to give up their apartment, they moved into their car and put all they owned in storage. Kurt needed routine and Mom did everything she could to keep things as normal as possible. She made sure he got to his job of collecting shopping carts a couple of hours a day and rented motel rooms when Kurt’s anxiety seemed to be elevating. A warm shower and watching sports on TV always had a calming affect, especially when his Dallas Cowboys won.

A year ago, Kurt and his mom moved into the Grace House, HART’s house for homeless adults. At that time, their car had broken down and mom was losing her vision, recently diagnosed with irreparable and painful retinal degeneration. They settled into the master bedroom where they were able to recuperate from months of the mounting stress from being homeless.

HART helped mom to navigate getting disability for her vision disorder and she and Kurt now have their own place. Kurt’s room is decorated with sports memorabilia and he especially likes his exercise bike. He has even learned the bus route to get himself to work. Mom’s dedication to her son has paid off, he is charming and loved by many. She can now rest and know he is thriving.

On May 2nd is the Big Day of Giving. Please give generously and be a part of helping the homeless of Elk Grove get off the streets and into permanent housing.

Details: April 11, 2019

Safety Net

Her car was her safety net. Homeless, it’s where she kept all she owned. Where she stayed out of the rain after HART’s Winter Sanctuary and where she could find rest from her disabling pain.

Running the heater periodically to stay warm during the cold winter storms proved to be too much for her old car. The radiator overheated, blew a hose and the battery finally gave up. Unable to move her car surely meant it would be towed and the end of her safety net. She didn’t dare cry for fear the tears wouldn’t stop.

Thanks to Linda and Ken Strom and HART, who came to her rescue, with the help of our generous mechanic, Steve Kuhs. Not only was her car fixed, but it also passed the smog check provided by Smog ‘N Go of Elk Grove.

Now the dark clouds of winter have passed and her spring looks so much brighter. She is now sharing a house and looking for an apartment of her own. Gratitude exudes her.

No one likes car problems, but for a homeless person it can be devastating. Not only is it a safe place to stay, keeping them out of the weather, but it also helps them to keep or find employment.

The Big Day of Giving is an opportunity for you to help a homeless person keep their ‘safety net’ running. Please give generously on May 2nd.

Details: April 10, 2019

Old Life New Life

Attending one of the best private schools in Sacramento didn’t prevent her from falling short of so many expectations and ultimately becoming homeless. During a rebellious streak while dating a “bad boy”, a pregnancy resulted. She had so many regrets, but not for giving birth to her precious son. He is now her life.

College was out of the question. She needed a job and money to survive. She worked hard at a sandwich shop, rising to a managerial position. She took a second job working nights and weekends at special events, but it just wasn’t enough to keep a roof over their heads. The final blow was her roommate moving out and leaving her to pay all of the rent. It caused her to sink into the “quicksand” of homelessness.She and her son moved into the Meadow House; HART’s house for homeless families. Along with her mentor, Diane Lampe, she set up and worked toward goals that would help her to secure housing, needed car repair and reliable childcare. Diligent with her money, she saved the majority of it. The “quicksand” she was sinking in has now turned into solid, fertile ground that she and her son can thrive on.

They are currently thriving in the Meadow House. She is continuing to save and working on providing a stable environment for her and her son. We are looking forward to her son hearing the many stories of how his amazing mom overcame the adversity of being homeless and be as proud of her as we are.

You have the opportunity to be a part of helping the homeless of Elk Grove climb out of the “quicksand” of homelessness and get their lives back onto solid ground. Please give generously to Elk Grove HART during the Big Day of Giving on May 2nd.