Volunteers of America Wraparound Services Change the Face of Homelessness.

Christie Holderegger, Volunteers of America, Sacramento's President and CEO  joins me to share her insights and stories about their mission to combat homelessness and poverty. This faith-based nonprofit has been a providing service in Sacramento since 1911; Essential services like emergency shelters, transitional housing, and support programs across northern California and Nevada. And they've been doing it successfully, well before homelessness became the challenge it is today. Discover how VOA tailors its compassionate approach to meet the unique needs of around 4,000 individuals each night, with a focus on breaking the cycle of homelessness through strategic partnerships and proper education with local governments, foundations, and corporations.

We'll take a closer look at the power of community collaboration, working with large foundations and smaller agencies that contribute to creating impactful solutions for the homeless population. Christie speaks candidly about the financial challenges nonprofits face, from heavy reliance on government funding to the necessity of maintaining financial stability for uninterrupted service delivery. We discuss the importance of paying competitive wages to staff and adopting business-like practices to ensure the sustainability of nonprofit operations while addressing the systemic issues surrounding homelessness.

We also dive deep into the comprehensive services offered to support individuals on their journey to sustainable change. From workplace reentry programs and essential life skills training to addressing mental health and addiction challenges, the conversation highlights the critical need for expanded resources and we'll even speak with Nick Himphill, a former client, board member and board chair. His story will move you. This episode sheds light on the unsettling rise in senior homelessness and shares transformative success stories like that of Pitbull Dave, illustrating the profound impact of community support, love, and purpose. As we recognize the invaluable contributions of all involved, we celebrate the organization's mission of providing opportunities and belonging to those in need, fostering hope and inspiration, as well as, independence along the way.

To learn more about Volunteers of America and their programs, you can visit their website HERE

Chapter Summaries
(00:00) Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America partners with communities to provide shelter and support for homeless individuals, breaking the cycle of poverty.

(10:31) Addressing Homelessness Through Community Collaboration
Collaborative efforts, partnerships, stigma and trauma, financial stability, and operating like a business for sustainable nonprofit solutions.

(17:23) Supporting Homeless Individuals With Comprehensive Services
Life skills, mental health, and homelessness among seniors are discussed in the context of workplace and community reintegration.

(24:44) Supporting Homeless Individuals for Sustainable Change
Addressing homelessness and behavioral health in Sacramento through funding, housing, employment, and

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Transcript

Christie Holderegger: [00:00:00] And we have, you know, 300 employees that just really love people until they can love themselves. And that's one of the things that we focus on is the three main things that we all need, right? We need somebody to love us and that we love. We need to have a community and we need to have a purpose for getting up every day.

And that's the same thing that our folks need when they come through our doors.

Jeff Holden: Jeff Holden. Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion is to highlight a nonprofit organization in each weekly episode, giving that organization an opportunity to tell their story. In their words, to better inform and educate the respective communities they serve, as well as provide one more tool for them to share their message to constituents and donors.

Our goal is to [00:01:00] help build stronger communities through shared voices and to both encourage and support the growth of local non profit organizations. through podcasting. Thanks to our founding partners for their foresight in helping us transform the way conversations start. CAP Trust, fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations.

Runyon Saltzman Incorporated, RSE, marketing, advertising, and public relations creating integrated communications committed to improving lives. And Western Health Advantage, a full service health care plan for individuals, employer groups, and families. Before the episode begins, I want to take a minute to share that we now have a website where you can sign up to get our weekly email updates on the latest episodes, transcripts to prior episodes, and see what else we have going on.

Please be sure to register so you never miss an episode or any other important information we may have to share in the nonprofit space. You can find us now at nonprofpod. com. That's [00:02:00] nonprofpod. com. You'll also notice on the website a microphone in the lower right hand corner. By clicking on it, you'll be able to leave me voicemail messages, maybe a question you'd like me to ask our guests, or just to comment on the program.

I may even play your message in an upcoming episode. I look forward to more engagement with you as we continue to grow and better serve our nonprofit community. Thanks. The story we're hearing told in this episode is one of incredible commitment, compassion, and community. I've spoken with organizations that serve our unhoused population, feed our unhoused, even work to support emotionally and educationally those who are homeless.

It's not many organizations, however, that do all of this with an incredible success rate of putting people back into society with all the amenities an adult should be able to experience once they're on the road to recovery in their very personal journey. And while there are other organizations that may be [00:03:00] similar, None are the same, and certainly few can claim they've been doing this in Sacramento since 1911.

Enter Volunteers of America, their executive leadership is very familiar with the organization. Having worked there for over 30 years, Christie Holder, rigger president and CEO has seen a lot of change in both our community, the need for services and the growth of this iconic organization in our community.

We're fortunate to have what they're providing as you're going to hear in this conversation. Christy Holderegger, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Christie Holderegger: Thank you so much for having me here. 

Jeff Holden: I'm so excited, especially because of the timing of the year and the significance of what you do and the programs you provide.

Volunteers of America is a familiar name to so many of us. But there's really an interesting story here and with good reasons because you've been around for a long time since 1911 in Sacramento. 

Christie Holderegger: In Sacramento, 1911. That's right. 

Jeff Holden: Give us a fast forward version if you could from [00:04:00] then to today. 

Christie Holderegger: Okay. Well, I wasn't here in 1911, but Whew!

You look great if you were. Thanks. Yeah, Volunteers of America started in 1896 back in New York and in 1911 here in the Sacramento region and we started with a soup kitchen and a chapel and over the years we continue to address some of the most challenging community issues around poverty, around homelessness, around unemployment, addiction, and we just continue to try to meet the needs of our community.

So there's, we're an affiliate of Volunteers of America. There's about 36 across the country, but we're incorporated here in the greater Sacramento area. So we have a local board of directors that provides that leadership. 

Jeff Holden: You know, isn't it interesting going all the way back to 1911 and, and, We're talking about food insecurity and homelessness.

I mean, some things never change. And I suspect as much as we would like to, we'll [00:05:00] never get it completely eliminated. But through organizations like yours, we have the ability to at least minimize and support the people who find themselves in these situations. Walk us through the, you have a number of programs.

Walk us through the programs that you would say maybe are most significant and You know what they look like in terms of the implementation in the market. 

Christie Holderegger: Mm hmm. So Volunteers of America is so we're a faith based organization. So we are a church. We're a non denominational organization and our ministry here and across the country is is a ministry of service.

It's how we're providing our services in a very loving, compassionate way. We serve people of all spiritual backgrounds, right? And as well as non faith groups. And it's really about meeting people where they're at and addressing the barriers they have to independence. So emergency shelters, we operate, [00:06:00] and then we want to develop this continuum of care.

which will be able to help individuals transition from homelessness to independence. And that's the goal. So you're right. We've been doing this for a very, very long time, continuing to address homelessness, poverty, but it's not the exact same people that are out on the streets. Right. And we hear that a lot.

It's like, there's still homeless out there. What's going on? We're not successful or the community's not successful. We are really successful, but unfortunately for every person that comes off the street, there's three more people that are hitting the street. And if we can prevent that, if we can quickly.

rehouse people that are situationally homeless, then they don't have to go through that devastation of losing everything and then having to rebuild. And then there's individuals that have been chronically homeless for years. And so there's a different,

And so we want to make sure that we're triaging every person that comes through our [00:07:00] door to find out what's the best approach for them, and that's going to move them through the system as quickly as possible, but with a lot of love and dignity because they have experienced a lot of trauma. 

Jeff Holden: So. You have the situational homeless, which is caused by something.

They're not chronic. And those, I would imagine, are the people that are most likely to re enter quickly. And then we have the chronically homeless, who you also serve with a variety of different programs. Mental health, mental wellness programs. I can only imagine the number of people that are engaged in the support for those individuals.

Walk us through what that looks like. You mentioned emergency shelters. How many people do you house in the course of a year? 

Christie Holderegger: In the course of a year. So let me give you a perspective. Every single night we provide approximately 4, 000 individuals with some sort of housing every single night. So that's emergency shelter, [00:08:00] transitional housing.

permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing and affordable housing in our community. So it depends on what the individual needs are of somebody and where they're in at in their continuum right to independence. We also provide 4, 000 individuals are receiving some sort of housing from volunteers of America every single night.

Jeff Holden: And this is. You do have a larger territory than just Sacramento because you do go into Nevada, Northern Nevada, as well as Northern California. But I would imagine the majority of that is Sacramento, right? 

Christie Holderegger: It is. Probably at least two thirds of our services are here in the Sacramento region. So Sacramento County, Placer County, Oh yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

That's 

Jeff Holden: an amazing number of people. Not so much from the shocking part of the volume of people, but that you have places for them. 

Christie Holderegger: Right, right. So we're really dependent on the partnerships that we have in our community. So it's local government, it's foundations, it's [00:09:00] corporations, it's everybody that wants to be a part of the solution of ending homelessness.

And so, you know, we are ending homelessness for each person that comes through our door, right? And it's, and it's a process. It may not stick the first time. Sometimes it will, but you know, people didn't become homeless overnight. And so it's a, it's a longer term solution. It's really looking at the trauma that they've experienced, their level of mental health, their addiction status.

You know, there's a lot of things that we need to make sure that we're addressing, because if you just quickly look at. Put somebody into housing right off the street, they may not be successful and most likely they won't. So we really need to make sure that we're not setting them up for failure and setting our community up for failure.

Jeff Holden: So it's a full 360 service that's provided to the individual based on the assessment. 

Christie Holderegger: Mm hmm. Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Does that include, we've got the housing, what about meals in addition to a place and you know, a roof over their head, [00:10:00] everything's inclusive? 

Christie Holderegger: It is. So we provide, so all of our emergency shelters we're providing meals to.

So breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks. And food insecurity is a huge issue. So when somebody is, outside experiencing homelessness. It is so overwhelming to think about just your basic survival skills, right? Where are you going to get a drink of water, where are you going to get a meal, where are you going to find a safe place to sleep at night?

And so to think about. What their next step is in how to get out of homelessness, you're just surviving, right? And so when they're coming in to be able to provide meals throughout the day, anytime they're hungry, they can just come and get a meal and get a snack. That's huge. And so we have to take care of their basic needs first and then start looking at that long term plan.

Jeff Holden: How does somebody know what they're doing? How do they know you exist? How do they know where you are? I mean, we know where something like Loaves and Fish is in [00:11:00] certain organizations like that, but Volunteers of America, I, I can't say I see a sign that says Volunteers of America, Shelter, Housing, Food, Here.

Christie Holderegger: Yeah, that's a good question. And that's something that I've been working on for the last 33 years with VOA. Our name, first of all, implies that we're a volunteer organization and we certainly use care. um, volunteers especially during the holidays, wrapping gifts and you know, coming out and serving meals, but we have over 370 paid employees that are in our shelters 24 seven really serving those that are at risk or currently experiencing homelessness.

You know, a lot, a lot of times it's word of mouth. We have been this best kept secret in Sacramento and that is not a good thing. 

Jeff Holden: You know, let's change that. 

Christie Holderegger: Let's change that. Absolutely. Because there is a lot of hope and we need the whole community to be a part of the solution. It's not just the government.

It's not just volunteers of America. It's not just our other colleague providers in the [00:12:00] community. We also have to be a part of this solution. So certainly people can find information on the website, VOA NCNN. org, which is, stands for Volunteers of America, Northern California, Northern Nevada. 

Jeff Holden: And I will put that in the show notes too, so it's an easy click.

Christie Holderegger: Okay, wonderful. And it's, you know, it's, it's our board members that are, Just amazing leaders in our community that are talking about the services. It's a lot of people that have received services from Volunteers of America. I, I run into people all the time. In fact, just last week I ran into somebody that had been in our program, our shelter in 2007 and she just talked about how we changed her life and her family's life because she had small children at the time and she still uses the same.

skills and resources that we provided to her back then. And it's just so. It's amazing and that's why I'm still here is the stories. 

Jeff Holden: And that's, that's the rewarding part of it. You get to [00:13:00] see somebody who's gone through the program. You see the benefit of the program. You know the program works and to some degree that's the minimization of the issues we're trying to address.

Help and resolve. And there's the example of yes, it works. Yep. And we just need more of it. We do. 

Christie Holderegger: We do. We do. You 

Jeff Holden: mentioned collaboration and it's a big part. It's a big topic of our discussion always with everybody that we speak with. Who do you connect with? I mean, I can think of a million names, but I'd rather have you tell me what they look like, because yeah, At this point, at least today, as we're speaking in toward the end of 2024, some of the most downloaded, call them popular episodes, have homelessness in the name in some way, shape, or form.

So it gives you an idea of what the community is interested in, what our philanthropy and philanthropists are looking at. They're looking, how do we minimize or, or help, you know, absolve this, this homelessness situation and food insecurity. So who do [00:14:00] you, 

Christie Holderegger: So it starts with local government. So City of Sacramento, County of Sacramento, Placer County, City of Roseville, Rancho Cordova, Eldorado County.

All of those local entities that We want to address homelessness in their districts, their areas. And so we want to make sure that we're a good, a good partner with them and we're collaborating on what's the best way to provide these services. So we start with those, those entities and then we continue to reach out to other corporations.

So it's, you know, I hate to name some of them because we have so many that support You're going to forget once you do it, right? We are. We are. You know, some of the real big ones are, you know, Wells Fargo and SMUD and Kaiser and Sutter Health and, you know, those entities that are really wanting to make a difference.

And, and they understand that for every person that leaves homelessness, It benefits [00:15:00] all of us, right? It, it benefits their family, absolutely, but then our schools and our businesses and you and me. And so it's, it's a community issue. Again, it's not just the government's problem to solve. We all have to be a part of that solution.

And it's interesting when we have, You know, our board members, our volunteers come down and serve meals. And it sends a message to those that we're, that are in our shelters, that the community really does care about them. And there's so much shame that is associated with being homeless. Mm hmm. That, you know, A lot of times they feel like they don't deserve it and they don't want to ask, especially when they're a veteran, right?

There's so much pride. 

Jeff Holden: And, and by shame, you don't mean the fact that they happen to be in this situation. You mean coming to seeking help. 

Christie Holderegger: Absolutely. Well, and, and it's both of that, right? They're, they're ashamed that they've let their [00:16:00] families down. They've let their community down. That they have lost everything and they're finding themselves in this situation and sometimes they don't want to reach out to family.

They may have burned all those bridges and they just don't feel like they're worthy. Every single person that walks through our doors has had some kind of trauma and you think about it, spending one night outside is traumatic, right? It's like, how did you get here? get to this point. 

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Christie Holderegger: And, you know, oftentimes I, I meet with our, our staff.

We have a lot of staff, probably close to 50 percent that have lived experience, that have had experiences outside, are in recovery. And so they understand what it's like. And, you know, oftentimes they say, you know, when you're outside, you have to look unapproachable. You have to look scary because it's our survival.

Jeff Holden: And we wonder why people turn to substance abuse and or drugs or [00:17:00] whatever in that situation just to numb this, the unfortunate nature of it. We have so many 

Christie Holderegger: individuals that fall into homelessness, not because of addiction, but they certainly end up turning to that afterwards. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Yep. Tell us a little bit about the funding of the organization.

You, you touched on city and county. So I'm sure that's a big part of it as a fee for service is, is that how it works? Yeah, 

Christie Holderegger: it, it is. So it's, you know, we have probably about 95 percent of our funding is coming from local government. So it's a pass through. So, you know, oftentimes I'll hear from maybe a small foundation that's like, well, you have a huge budget.

You have 40, over 40 million. But that's 40 million of services that are going back out into our community. And we have to do, and we have to do more fundraising. We raise over 2 million a year from philanthropy, but that is just getting us to break even and sometimes not break even. Mm 

Jeff Holden: hmm. And 

Christie Holderegger: so. [00:18:00] So, you know, especially with a lot of our contracts, you know, we're providing the services and then we have to get reimbursed.

And sometimes there's delays. And I would imagine it's not the most 

Jeff Holden: timely, right? 

Christie Holderegger: Unfortunately not. It's not a perfect system. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. 

Christie Holderegger: And so when there's delays, you know, we have to make payroll. We have to keep the doors open. People rely on us, not just for employment and working in our programs, but the clients that we're serving.

We can't just shut the door and say, okay, we don't have the money, so, you know, maybe come back next month. 

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Christie Holderegger: It doesn't work like that. So just like any other business. You know, no margin, there's no mission. We have to be prepared when we have to put a new roof on a facility. We have to replace a vehicle.

You know, our staff, you know, a lot of them are, I hate to say, not even making a living wage. And we have to continue to address that because our staff cares so much about the population. They love what they're doing, but I got to make sure that they're able to make their one goal. Flat tire away from being homeless themselves.

That is not right. That's [00:19:00] something we have to address as a community 

Jeff Holden: Well, I know one of the conversations we have often with so many nonprofits is just because you work for a nonprofit It's I mean you take a vow of poverty as well I mean They have to be run as businesses and they have to be competitive which means they have to have the resources to be competitive because they're experiencing Everything that a for profit business does, just because the stack tax status is different, that doesn't change the business operation.

And I see so many in that situation of, Oh no, no, we've got to make sure that margin, no, we can't have any margin. You, you need margin. You need cash reserves. You need the ability to fund to go forward. So, as people are listening, outside of the nonprofit leadership that's listening and understands what we're saying for the philanthropists and the donors who are maybe not so aware of this.

That's the environment we're in. And if you don't pay a competitive wage, you lose the people. You lose the people, there goes the service, the service goes more homeless. And [00:20:00] it's this cascade of

I think we're at least making noise to where people are starting to recognize that, oh yeah, we need to fund these a little bit differently. We need to look at it a little bit differently. If budget were no object for you, what would the organization look like? 

Christie Holderegger: The organization. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we already are a very comprehensive organization, right?

So we're not just providing meals, 

Jeff Holden: right? 

Christie Holderegger: We are providing housing, case management, meals, addressing someone's mental health. Making connections, working with landlords, developing relationships, getting our people housed. You know, it's, it's a whole spectrum of services. That's really expensive. 

Jeff Holden: And workplace re entry.

Christie Holderegger: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Absolutely. I don't want to Sure. You [00:21:00] went through a litany of But that's how comprehensive your programs are to get somebody reoriented into the community and productive again. And you know, that sense of pride and accomplishment that they've gotten from here to there is huge. 

Christie Holderegger: It is. And it takes time.

You think about, you know, raising your children and all the things that go into teaching them how to open up a bank account, how to budget, how to, you know, when they leave the house, how to set their temperature, how to pay their, their bills, all of that stuff is, it's a lot. And for those that, um, may have not even had those, you know, lessons growing up or have lost everything and they have to rebuild, you know, those soft skills and how to make eye contact and have a communicate with an employer to deal with conflict.

All of that is, you know, we have to rebuild people's lives and give them the tools. I mean, they're doing all the work, right? We're just walking beside them and helping them. We're not going to work any harder than they are. And that's what we [00:22:00] say, you know, we're not going to work any harder than you, but we're going to be here.

Every step of the way. And so, you know, if there was, if money wasn't an object, we would be able to continue to invest in individuals really addressing all their mental health needs. Right now, when folks come in the door, we don't have therapists on staff. We don't have drug and alcohol counselors on staff.

We have a lot with that background. And some of the programs, we do have a little bit of the drug addiction specialists. We need in all of our programs, we need to be able to triage them and then start providing those services. We have so many individuals that come in and they want to see a therapist or a psychiatrist right now.

Jeff Holden: Mm hmm. 

Christie Holderegger: And we can't get them in anywhere. 

Jeff Holden: Mm 

Christie Holderegger: hmm. Or they want to get into recovery today and there's no place to put them. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, that's the worst thing. So it's like we lose 

Christie Holderegger: people, right? Or then it's just they've changed their mind and addiction [00:23:00] today is so different than it was even 10 years ago. The drugs are so much more just, it's just taking a hold of people's lives with no, just, it's, I'm lost for words.

But it's, it's what we hear from our staff is that, you know, especially with the fentanyl. 

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Christie Holderegger: It's, the drug dealers are creating this. Customer for life, 

Jeff Holden: right? And sadly with fentanyl, there could be a short life. 

Christie Holderegger: Absolutely. And it's being laced in everything. And, you know, and it's, and I think the community is starting to understand that when it's happening to their own family members, right?

Their children. And once they're, they're hooked, it's, it's devastating. They actually feel like they're gonna die. If they don't get that next 

Jeff Holden: in. How many shelters are there in just like say the greater Sacramento region ish? 

Christie Holderegger: In the community or just for Volunteers of America? 

Jeff Holden: Oh yeah, no, [00:24:00] no, just yours.

Okay, 

Christie Holderegger: so we have We have two navigation centers, a hundred bed men and women shelter. We have a hundred bed women's shelter. We have a 60 bed co ed shelter in Eldorado County. We have two senior shelters, 15 bed shelter and a six bed shelter for seniors. And that's what's interesting is the fastest growing population in our shelters.

I'm just going to go there 

Jeff Holden: because I remember this from a prior conversation. It's seniors. 

Christie Holderegger: Yeah, crazy. In, in Sacramento, it's about 40%. 

Jeff Holden: Forty percent of the people in the shelters are seniors? At our shelter 

Christie Holderegger: are over the age of 55. 

Jeff Holden: Oh my gosh. 

Christie Holderegger: Yeah, it's devastating. And, you know, when there's more services for, you know, youth, which you understand, right?

But when there's, you know, when people are living on Social Security, and they're falling through the cracks, and they find themselves homeless, 

Jeff Holden: Sure. Your fixed income doesn't even cover your cost of rent. 

Christie Holderegger: It doesn't. It doesn't. Mm mm. Mm mm. 

Jeff Holden: And I don't see that getting any [00:25:00] better anytime soon with the bubble of 

Christie Holderegger: baby 

Jeff Holden: boomers coming into retirement, whatever we call it, and at this point, it may be homelessness.

Yeah, that was shocking to me to hear that that's the greatest, and I would imagine as organizations go, you're not alone in seeing that. So anybody that's working with the homeless is starting to see this big bubble of seniors coming into their organizations. Absolutely. We've got some engaging conversation coming up with Christy and an astounding story after we hear from the wonderful businesses that make this program possible.

I was in the media business for over 35 years and had the great privilege of working with Runyon Saltzman, RSE, Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations. We collaborated on many different campaigns, but their commitment to the nonprofit sector hasn't changed since their founder Gene Runyon started the agency.

Over many years and many campaigns, Runyon Saltzman has been committed to improving lives by tackling California's most challenging issues. [00:26:00] Guided by research informed strategies and insightful, creative solutions, RSE develops innovative communications campaigns that raise awareness, educate, and reduce stigma in diverse communities throughout our state and beyond.

To learn more about RSE, visit rs e. com. 

Scott Thomas: Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAP Trust in our Sacramento office. I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations. Annually, we survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges they see in today's environment.

In our more recent survey, we heard concerns about proper board governance, mission aligned investment, and how to implement alternative investments. If you would like a copy of the survey or to discuss your organization, look me up, scottthomasatcaptrust. com. 

Jeff Holden: I'm thrilled to have Western Health Advantage partnering with us as they do so much to support so many non profit agencies in our community.

As a truly local health [00:27:00] plan, you'll find individual and family options, employer options, plans for CalPERS and Medicare Advantage. From medical services to pharmacy, health and wellness support, as well as behavioral health care, Western Health Advantage has a plan that fits what you need. As an employer, for profit or non profit business, individual or family, you can find more at westernhealth.

org. I want to take a little bit step back. We talked about the city and the county in terms of funding resources. In collaboration with other organizations for the community, do you see people, do they send people to you or do you send people out to them for some of the other non profits? Is there An ecosystem of relationship there?

Christie Holderegger: There is. There is. There is a coordinated entry, and so individuals have to be, they go through a, kind of a, a test. It's called a VI SPDAT. And it's to look at how many Wait, what is it called? VI SPDAT. Okay. [00:28:00] That's what I thought you said. It's an acronym. But it's really a, it's assessing somebody's level of barriers to independence.

So depending on how high you score. You're going to be at the top of the list to come into shelters. And so, you know, they're, they're assessed for that. And then there, there is a, really a system of the shelters that are available. And so we'll let that queue know when we have an open bed and everything is on HMIS, which is the Homeless Management Information System.

So we're all able, all the providers in the area can access that. access to see if somebody has already received services from a shelter and where they're at in the system. And you know, each of the shelters, at least in, you know, in our region are trying to address homelessness in that area, right? That district first, and then if there's open beds, then they can get individuals from other areas as well.

Jeff Holden: See, I didn't know that existed. That's, it's almost like a booking [00:29:00] reservation system, so to speak, that everybody can see what might be available. Are you full a majority of the time? Is that what it looks like? 

Christie Holderegger: We are almost always full. If somebody's moving out, somebody else is coming back in. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. Or 

Christie Holderegger: coming in for the first time.

Mm hmm. Mm hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Boy, I had no idea. Now we get back to the reality from the big picture, no budget. 

Christie Holderegger: Mm hmm. 

Jeff Holden: What would be the greatest need that you see? 

Christie Holderegger: Mm hmm. 

Jeff Holden: For Volunteers of America. 

Christie Holderegger: The greatest need for Volunteers of America would be having access again to that mental health. If we were able to have the funding to be able to hire individuals that could provide that mental health therapy and access to meds.

For the individuals that are coming in and access to substance abuse treatment, we would be able to move people through the system much more quickly and healthier for them. So our whole [00:30:00] vision is to create a healthy community for all people. And to do that, we have to address their mental health and their addiction, and to help them on that road to recovery.

It's the right thing to do for, for them and for our community. 

Jeff Holden: In terms of what that looks like to you, is that through a particular donor, donation space? Is it through more city, county programs? How does that manifest itself from, from the outside and say, okay, I want to help that. How do I help that?

Christie Holderegger: It's a mixture of both. I mean, we're working on proposals with, with funders through the local government to be able to fund those positions, but we really, it's going to take. a long time for that to happen. So if we had, you know, donors that were interested in really addressing behavioral health in our shelters, we would welcome that so we can then bring people in and look and be able to [00:31:00] prove that this is what it takes and look at the impact we can make if we're able to get people early on.

So, you know, right now, you know, like our X street navigation center, which is down off of X street and Broadway, um, Forty percent are leaving housed, which is huge. So, you know, What could we do if we were able to address more of their mental health? You know, and it's interesting too, it's also the housing issue, right?

We have so many people that have employment in, can't get in our shelters that can't find housing. Mm-hmm . So we have to be creative. We're constant reaching out to landlords and building relationships and, you know, making connections. So, you know, two clients get to know each other and then they can be roommates out in the community.

So we're just, we're having to be really creative and innovative. But the lack of affordable housing is an issue, especially in Sacramento. So we have to address that. We have to address behavioral health and then employment. So that's the area that we want to continue to [00:32:00] grow is having employment opportunities to do job training like we used to do a few years ago.

But that funding went away. So if we can continue to build that. One of the areas we also want to grow in is around a kitchen operation. So we provide over 3, 000 meals a day to the community in our shelters and other shelter providers. And we want to continue to do more job training in that space. And so we're giving people that soft skills and that job training, build up their resume so they can go into the community and be employed.

Jeff Holden: And that all comes through the organization in that 360 process of getting them fully Soft skills, job skills, opportunity for employment. And we know that there's jobs out there because we haven't filled everything. There is a need and some of those are the less skilled jobs, which I would imagine works really nicely for somebody who's just coming out of a program to say, I just got to get started again.

Christie Holderegger: Right. But we [00:33:00] also want to make sure that they're ready too, because we don't want to set somebody up again for failure, you know, the company that's hiring them. So we want to make sure that they're stabilized, they have some good job skills, and they're going to, they're going to be successful. And it really comes down to addressing the trauma again, you know, really understanding what people have faced and what's gotten them there.

Because if we don't address that trauma And they're not able to heal from it, it's gonna continue to surface for them. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Back to the need of the mental health mm-hmm . Side of it. Mm-hmm . To service them properly right from the start. 

Christie Holderegger: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: What's the best way to learn about the organization? Back, back to the website.

I'm gonna imagine back to the 

Christie Holderegger: website. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And would you give us that URL again? 

Christie Holderegger: Sure. It's uh, www.vacnn.org. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. And as I said earlier, I'll put that in the show notes too, because with a little dyslexia, I'm going to get those all screwed up. Even if I try to repeat them [00:34:00] back to you, short of looking up at the website that we've got up on the screen behind us.

Any success stories that you'd like to leave us with? 

Christie Holderegger: I have hundreds over the years, being with this organization for 33 years. Gosh, there's been so many, and that's what keeps me going every single day, because it is devastating to drive down the street and see people camping outside, seeing individuals that are, you know, half clothed and screaming at nobody standing in front of them, and thinking that it's their human right to be outside.

In this weather and freezing to death when they don't have the capacity to care for themselves. That's heart wrenching But at the same time, I'm so hopeful because I've seen people that would have ever thought that they would be housed, employed, and contributing back to our community. So I have individuals that were veterans that [00:35:00] spent 36 years outside, like my good friend Pitbull Dave.

I have Who was 

Jeff Holden: nicely featured, I believe, in a Comstock's issue just a month or two ago. 

Christie Holderegger: Yes. A very proud Marine that, uh, You know, came back with so much shame again for what he experienced and what he saw that he stayed outside for 36 years. He didn't feel like he deserved help. And now he's this amazing employee that is doing the same thing that the staff did for him four years ago and bringing him indoors.

You 

Jeff Holden: said employee? He's an employee now of, 

Christie Holderegger: yes, he volunteered for a couple of years with us and now he does outreach and works at our, at our shelter. 

Jeff Holden: That's incredible. 

Christie Holderegger: Yeah, he's just this amazing human being and we have, you know, 300 of those employees that are just like Pipple Dave. That just really love people until they can love themselves.

Mm hmm. And that's one of the things that we focus on is, You know, those three main things that we all need, right? We need somebody to love us and that [00:36:00] we love, we need to have a community, and we need to have a purpose for getting up every day. And that's the same thing that our folks need when they come through our doors.

And so we have individuals like Pitbull Dave, and then I have a former board member, Nick Himphill, who spent a couple years outside, homeless with his wife, addicted, and he came through a number of our shelters and transitional housing employment programs and, you know, over 20 years ago. 

Jeff Holden: So on the heels of the conversation we had about people who have gone through the program, I think we have somebody who would like to say something.

Christie Holderegger: Absolutely. I know he would love to. 

Jeff Holden: Nick Hemphill, you are the beneficiary of the service and the product of Volunteers America. Would you tell us briefly your story? 

Nick Himphill: Yeah, so um, because my story starts off, I'm an addict. I'm in recovery. I've been in recovery for 22 years now. And because the choices that my wife and I both were making back in the day, I'll say, [00:37:00] led us to homelessness.

We were homeless for over three years. At that point, Um, didn't really know how I was going to fix my situation. I don't even know if I was willing to try to fix it at that point. Um, we were unemployed, unemployable, you know, I was an intravenous drug user. So everything that goes along with, with that lifestyle, um, had, I'd become powerless over it.

My wife, um, had been hearing the message from my brother who's in recovery and she heard about some programs that might possibly be able to help us. And she came to me one day and said that she can no longer live that lifestyle. And she needed to get some help. Um, I was okay to stay where I was if that's what I chose, but she was going to make that move.

I followed her into the programs, not thinking they were going to work, not thinking it was going to help us, but I didn't have anything better to do at the time, so I, I followed her in and we made the phone call and landed in the homeless shelters, um, for Volunteers of America. From there is where our lives started to change because we were introduced to some staff members who had lived experience and some who were just counselors.

Who were able to break through that barrier [00:38:00] of that trust barrier that we had back then and gave some suggestions on how to move forward and what we're gonna do with our life. And it volunteers America, the staff, I'd say the best thing that they did is they never broke any promises to us. They laid out a plan and gave us some suggestions how to follow those plans.

And, um, from a program pathways that was transit that was built to transition us from living on the streets to a more structured environment. Um, from there we graduated and we were able to apply for the Mather community campus program where we applied for and were accepted to that program where we got to go there for two years and start, begin to rebuild our life.

Jeff Holden: How long sober at this point? Are you today, Nick? And how long have you been married? 

Nick Himphill: So I'm 22 years in recovery. So I have 22 years clean now. My wife and I have been together for 32 years. 

Jeff Holden: That's incredible. It's an accomplishment and what an amazing accomplishment. And getting into the Mather campus wasn't a piece of cake either, if I understand.

Nick Himphill: No, there are some requirements that I had to some barriers I had to get through before I [00:39:00] was able to qualify for Mather. Um, part of that was taking care of my legal issues. I had racked up numerous charges on the streets everywhere from vehicle violations to possession charges, to shoplifting, to vehicle theft.

I had to turn myself in and clean up a lot of those barriers before I was eligible to. It's one of the things that Volunteers of America did for me. What's the help me navigate that some people are wondering why people who are homeless are resistant to programs? I was one of the people who was resistant because again I'm married and I didn't want to leave my wife alone on the streets to me I was protecting her by not turning myself in because Well, let's face it, you know things happen to women who are on the streets alone And, um, I didn't know how to navigate that.

And so when I posed that question to Victoria, who was our counselor at the time, and I get, I do get emotional still about this 22 years later, because nobody had spoken the truth to me about what was actually going on. I was a person who was keeping my wife on the streets because I was on the, I was unwilling and unable to take care of those barriers because of my unwillingness.

We [00:40:00] were still in that situation. Victoria laid it out to me pretty clearly. Jill was not alone. She was, she was with them. She was in the program. We had friends in the program. She was moving forward. If I was to turn myself in and end up in jail, she would move forward in her program, I would get out eventually, and I would follow her and meet up with her again, and we would continue.

At that point, I had already trusted Victoria, you know, wholeheartedly, so I turned myself in and was able to navigate that and clear up those charges, move forward, and my wife and I were able to go to Mayfair together. And move forward with that program. 

Jeff Holden: So that would seem like a happy ending at this point.

Now you're good and, and you have to work. You, you don't wanna end up back on the streets again. You know, a cascading cycle of things that just don't work. So. I understand that. Are you working for Volunteers of America? 

Nick Himphill: No, I'm not working for Volunteers of America. I'm on the Board of Directors. I've been on the Board of Directors for nine years.

It's a volunteer board. And you're right. Where does it go from there? Because now we've been [00:41:00] accepted to the Mather Program, but Jill and I, And their counselors and everybody were pretty clear with us that that wasn't the end point for us. That was the starting point. We still had things we had to navigate.

Resumes. We had to figure out what we're gonna do with our resumes because there's a gap from us living on the streets and before we came back into employment. So I had employment service workers. We had You know, case management, we had support staff, you know, we had credit specialists to help us rebuild our credit and those two years helped us navigate all that as well as getting back in contact with our families and building our support system and building our recovery is really an all inclusive program.

That was that was tremendous. 

Jeff Holden: So you're a board member, but you Have a job, what is it you're doing? 

Nick Himphill: So in, that's another funny question. So in 2007, my brother and I, going through the Mather program, I was able to get back into my field of choice, which was to get into the electrical field and become an electrician.

That's what my brother was doing at the time. So I gravitated towards that. In 2007, my brother and I started our own company, which is Hempfield Electric, [00:42:00] and then 2015 we went corporate. Uh, we still hire people who are in recovery to this day, are licensed in California, licensed in Nevada and doing well with it.

Jeff Holden: Nick, that is, it's just an incredible story. Not just the time of addiction, the source of addiction, the homelessness, the marriage. I mean, 32 years for a marriage to last through the cycle of what you guys have been through is incredible. Marriages don't last for business owners, much less everything else that you've gone through.

Those are incredible challenges. And you've just done an amazing job with the support of Volunteers of America. To get you to where you are today with a successful electrical company. 

Nick Himphill: Yeah, it really is. I, I still pinch myself every now and again, because I can't believe that, you know, we've come so far and it is, it is truly because of the programs and the help that we've received.

We wouldn't have been able to do it alone. A lot of challenges, like you say, keeping the marriage together, but back in the early days, even when we were having, I always [00:43:00] laugh because I say Volunteers of America was everything for us. They are our drug counselor. They're our employment service worker.

They're our case workers and they're our marriage counselor as well. So. 

Jeff Holden: Nick, I can't thank you enough for sharing that story. And I'm so anxious to see the benefit of what this program will do. And I mean, the podcast with Christie, Christie explaining the organization and now you a Testament to the success of the organization.

So thank you again. Thank you for having me. Those are the answers we want to hear. Those are the things we want to hear. Even if it's just one out of a hundred. It's that one that makes all the difference in the world. And it's one less person who is living a life of insecurity and homelessness. No contribution to society whatsoever, back to your point of shame and guilt and, and worthiness.

Mm 

Christie Holderegger: hmm. Mm 

Jeff Holden: hmm. Amazing. 

Christie Holderegger: It is. And it's, you know, it reminds me of the, you know, that starfish story of, you know, you can't save every starfish that comes up on the [00:44:00] beach, but by throwing one back, you save that one. Right. And, you know, I often time have individuals saying, well, yeah, there's so many people on the street and, and we're, we're.

We're losing, right? Or it's just getting worse. It's like, yeah, but they're not the same people that were there a month ago, six months ago, right? They've come through the programs and they're back in the community. They're different, but it's so sad to think that, you know, everybody looks the same. Mm hmm.

That, that, you know, because we're not really seeing people for who they are, and, and they're invisible a lot of times, and we can't treat them that way. We gotta give them a voice. 

Jeff Holden: Well, and to your point earlier, you had mentioned something before we started the conversation of, nobody wears a badge that says, I'm food insecure, I'm homeless, I need help.

Mm hmm. You know, they, they, it's just not human nature. Nope. You, you don't do that. So, either They, they see the value in the [00:45:00] program because it exists, and if it doesn't, we lose them. 

Christie Holderegger: Yep. Absolutely. Well, 

Jeff Holden: 33 years of involvement, now as president, CEO, you've seen so much take place in the community and with the organization.

That is a, that's a long, long time with the organization and that experiential equity that you've got is so valuable to not only the community, but to the people that you work with. Yes. I mean, from the homelessness and employment support, you know, Volunteers America is just an incredibly valuable resource to us in our communities.

So thank you and thanks to all the employees and the volunteers that you've got who are doing what you do every day. We know it's a struggle. And I don't think anybody on the outside recognizes the difficulty that you deal with every single day and in some cases your own employees because of the pay structure.

So, to them, a big thank you to you for keeping them together and, you know, on task for the mission. We so appreciate what you're doing. 

Christie Holderegger: Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity, um, especially [00:46:00] during this season. It's all about gratitude. It's I'm, I'm grateful to our staff that show up every day with love in their heart to give people an opportunity and, and let them be seen and love them until they can love themselves because that's what it's all about.

Thank you for letting me be here. 

Jeff Holden: Christy. Thank you.

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