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HANGTOWN HAVEN currently hosts about 30 homeless residents. Democrat file photo by Pat Dollins
Hangtown Haven Inc., the Placerville non-profit corporation established to create and operate a homeless facility on upper Broadway in Placerville, has been awarded a grant of $7,500 by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, according to Priscilla Enriquez, chief giving officer for SRCF.
The legal encampment on Broadway has approximately 30 residents and an operation agreement with the city of Placerville that extends until November 2013.
According to a press release from Hangtown Haven Inc. president Art Edwards, the grant will be used to pay for the operation of the homeless center through the winter months and into the summer. The grant will pay for general operation of the facility, including electricity, the rent of portable toilets, lease cost and grounds upkeep and maintenance.
“We heard about the grant from Bill Roby, president of the El Dorado County Community Foundation and applied for it,” said Edwards. “Priscilla Enriquez came up for a tour of the camp and we were notified a week or two later that we had been awarded the grant. ”
The money has already been received and Edwards said, “This will get us through the winter.”
“During the six month period since then (camp start-up), we have offered a place to live for as many as 40 homeless — all of whom were previous residents of Placerville. The site has the capacity to house approximately 60 guests,”said Art Edwards.
After an intial 90-day trial period, Hangtown Haven Inc. was given a Temporary Use Permit by the city to operate the homeless camp until November 2013, giving the organization and volunteers time to find a suitable site for a permanent shelter.
“We’ve been looking for properties and at existing buildings for months, but all of them have had different problems associated with them, so we’re stalled at the moment, ” said Edwards.
An Interfaith Rotating Shelter also operates during the winter with both the shelter and the camp funded by the donations from members of the community, churches, foundations and non-profit organizations.
The Sacramento Region Community Foundation is an advocate for quality of life and dedicated to connecting people who care for charitable causes. As stewards of the region’s charitable assets since 1983, the foundation’s mission is to serve as a leader and trusted partner in expanding philanthropy and enhancing its impact in the community
Contact Wendy Schultz at 530 344-5069 or wschultz@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @wschultzMtDemo on Twitter.
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working stiffJanuary 18, 2013 - 8:21 am
Perfect! Lets keep encouraging the drunk and lazy to remain as such!
Single MomJanuary 18, 2013 - 8:23 pm
Try educating yourself on the mission/goal of this encampment!!! Not all homeless are lazy drunks! Have compassion and empathy! In this economy; which will only get worse, you could end up needing the use of this service! If not you, someone you know! Many homeless are addicts and/or mentally ill! Our system doesn't care for them! Work hard and do for others! Society is failing because we are selfish! This is a great opportunity for our community to keep people safe and aid them in getting back to functioning in society. Keep it up Placerville. Make the world a better place on small step at a time. (:
LazinessJanuary 19, 2013 - 7:01 pm
Your mission appears to be giving free hand outs to free loaders. How many job applications have you handed out? How many have filled them out and interviewed. I have been working for 35yrs and never took a free hand out nor considered not providing for myself or family....through many bad economic times. There are all kinds of jobs for those who want to work. "If you keep feeding these little kittens, they will never leave or learn to fend for themselves." Liberals will never get it.
Single MomJanuary 19, 2013 - 7:12 pm
I'm not a liberal. I have a job. I pay taxes. I have nothing to do with this camp. Lucky you to have never been homeless. These people are not so fortunate. My father is an engineer who was laid off from a major company. He spent nearly 2 years looking for work! Most places wouldn't hire him, even Mc Donald's, because he was too educated! Work is not so easy to find! My family could have very easily ended up in a camp! Never judge another persons life. You've never walked in their shoes.
LazinessJanuary 19, 2013 - 8:31 pm
Single Mom, Your father sounds like a proud, hard working man with integrity and responsibility. But, I was talking about these Hangtown Haven people. Again, how many applications have been offered....because some choose not to seek them out themselves. If these people are truly interested in helping themselves (even with some help from others, like bringing job applications) then you or the people in charge of this hand out will have a percentage of the tent people actually trying to get out of their circumstances. All I have seen is giving out free stuff perpetuating their lifestyle and not focusing on an ultimate solution to get them back into society and contributing. I wish you luck with your optimism. I'll stay with the reality odds.
Single MomJanuary 19, 2013 - 8:41 pm
Thank you for the kind words. :)