Homelessness to Hope: Saint John's Program for Real Change is a Mother's Salvation.

What if you found yourself on the brink of losing everything, only to rise stronger than ever before? Join me in conversation with Scott Richards, CEO of Saint John's Program for Real Change and Monica, a resilient alum of the organization, who shares her remarkable journey from homelessness to a fulfilling career at UC Davis Medical Center. In a candid conversation, Monica reveals how the program helped her break the cycle of addiction, rebuild her life, and achieve stability. Through her story, we explore the holistic approach of the program that offers not just shelter, but an array of in-house resources like therapy, education, and vocational training designed to empower women and children to rewrite their narratives.

As we continue the discussion, we uncover the power of structured programs and community support. Monica's journey highlights the shifting landscape of accessibility in the program, moving from a once intimidating entry process to a more welcoming embrace for those in need. We discuss the critical role of nonprofit collaboration in amplifying impact, particularly through partnerships that create pipelines for employment opportunities. With insights into systemic challenges and innovative solutions, our dialogue sheds light on the ongoing battle against homelessness and the quest for sustainable, affordable housing.

We conclude with Monica's inspiring transition from culinary training to a successful career, underscoring the importance of community engagement and personal growth. Her story is a testament to the program's impact. This episode not only celebrates Monica's achievements but also demonstrates the full wraparound service that yields incredible results for those mothers and children and familes in need.  It also calls attention to the broader societal issues and the relentless pursuit of solutions to build a brighter future with engagement from a variety of community partnerships.

To learn more about Saint John's Program for Real Change, visit their website HERE

You can call at any hour... 916-453-1482

To watch the video on our youtube channel click the link.

Chapter Time Stamps

(00:00) St. John's Program
(11:55) Finding Hope at St. John's
(14:56) Rebuilding and Thriving at St. John's
(25:49) Nonprofit Collaboration and Funding Discussion
(34:01) Creating Sustainable Solutions for Homelessness
(40:39) Navigating Affordable Housing Challenges and Solutions
(50:07) Community Engagement at St. John's
(54:44) St. John's Program Evolution and Impact

Thank you so much for listening! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

Transcript

Monica: [00:00:00] That first night was like, oh my gosh, this is somewhere that there's a roof over my head. I have somewhere to lay down. Mm-hmm. I have clean bedding. There's a restroom, there's food. No one's coming to get me. No one can leave. That is the safest place that we have had to go for a very long time.

Jeff Holden: Hi, I'm 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 help build stronger communities through shared [00:01:00] voices, and to both encourage and support the growth of local nonprofit organizations through podcasting, thanks to our founding partners for their foresight in helping us transform the way conversations start. CAPTRUST 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 healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families.

For the month of May, I've chosen to do something a bit differently with our episodes. We all know the significance of mothers and children with Mother's Day In May, I've chosen to use the full month to highlight organizations supporting moms and their children in our community. If you like this thematic approach, feel free to let me know through the link on the website.

Enjoy the episode. Children, homelessness and substance abuse create a heartbreaking [00:02:00] cycle one all too common in our community. Thankfully, we also have incredible programs that are working to support these women and children and help them not only get off the streets, but into society and a productive and contributing way.

This episode features one of our most recognized organizations, helping women leave the street and teaching training and helping them rebuild with housing, education, and work. If I simply mention the Red Doors, you most likely know it's St. John's Program for Real Change. We're talking with CEO Scott Richards about the holistic services they offer, including therapy, vocational training, and a nurturing community environment that fosters accountability and hope.

Scott is joined by a former client, Monica, whose powerful story highlights the urgent need for solutions. Through the lens of Monica's success story, we explore the broader societal challenges of homelessness and [00:03:00] underscore the crucial role of nonprofit collaborations in creating sustainable solutions.

For over 40 years, their impact has been profound. Scott Richards, Monica, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. It's good to be here. Nice to see you today. 

Monica: Thank you for having us. 

Jeff Holden: We are so excited to speak with you. Scott, if you would introduce Monica a bit more formally. Sure. Because I know the audience is going well.

Monica, we don't know who, who is Monica? 

Scott Richards: Yeah. Yeah. I'm happy to introduce Monica. So Monica is an alum of St. John's program for Real change. She has an incredible story about, you know, her life and her courage and the work that she did while she was with us. And so there's not much more I will say, because she will talk about her own story, but excited to be here today with Monica and to bring to life a little bit of the work that we do.

Jeff Holden: And I wanna be clear, by alum you don't mean a former employee. You mean one of your beneficiaries, one of your be Aries? Yeah. So 

Scott Richards: [00:04:00] Monica's a former client of St. John's. So she came to us, you know, at a moment in her life where again, she'll, she'll talk about this, but you know, where she was experiencing homelessness and looking to turn her life around and found that St.

John's was the place where she could start to develop the relationships and develop the skills and the things necessary for the goals that she had for herself. So yes, an alum of St. John's is quite an honor and a badge to wear in our community because it means that you've really. Confronted and faced, you know, some, some significant challenges in your life and you found a path to success and stability around the goals that, that our clients have for themselves and for their families.

Or St. John's program for women and children. So Monica came to us with her kids and, and so that's what it means to be an alum, is somebody that has come at a difficult moment and has found a path forward in their life and is now, you know, employed and found a place to live and being a part of the Sacramento community in new ways.

Jeff Holden: Well, Monica, I am both humbled [00:05:00] and fortunate to be able to talk with you today, so thank you. 

Monica: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. 

Jeff Holden: Scott, if you would walk us through the programs at St. John's, what really is the, the greater. Program itself. It's St. John's program for Real change. But it's many programs.

There's a lot of stuff happening. 

Scott Richards: Yes, it is true. It probably should be called St. John's Programs for Real Change. But I think when we talk about St. John's, we're talking about the core, the residential program. So this is what Monica, I. Came in into, at St. John's as our re as our residential based program.

And so when somebody comes to knock on our door and comes into the program or the facility or the community or the home that is St. John's immediately, you know, they have a place to sleep that that is their own, they have meals provided. So anything that you think in a home, a community space where they start to build relationships and start to build a sense of community.

And then we have case managers, [00:06:00] therapists, and a whole set of wraparound services for women as they're kind of navigating. Given wherever they're starting. Like the thing with St. John's, you can come in for different reasons and different places, and so our program is adaptable in that sense. But basically anything that you would want and need to start getting on a path to finding stability, success, however that is for you as one of our clients.

But that could be high school education classes. So if you wanna finish your high school education or, or GED, if you want that, there's some vocational training. But part of that residential based program is vocational learning. So you are, you know, you're working in our industrial kitchen, we have social enterprises with, with plates catering and red door desserts.

So those are all incorporated into this residential program where you're. There's the vocational learning aspect of it, there's the behavioral health component of it, and then we have a family services department that provides all those same services for the kids of our clients. So case manager therapy.

And then there's all the things that you would want kids to experience, right? You know, like you're living at St. John's and it's a great [00:07:00] environment. Kids are, you know, they wanna get out and see the world and go on field trips and go to the park and do all this so that family services provides that.

And so the way that I think about it, if I sum it up, is anything you need, you know, we're not referring people out to other agencies. We're not saying, oh, if you want that, you go here. It's, it's all in the house at St. John's and. I probably, probably should not forget, you know, that that journey does start.

If anybody has a history of substance use in either personally, as in, in their own life or in their family background, the the journey really starts in our substance use treatment facility. So you do have a substance use counselor, you have a therapist, you have a case manager, and just the community. I think that's the part that likely our clients really value, right?

Is that you, you're coming home every day or you're there and you have not only roommates, but just the broader community that you're doing life with. And you're all kind of on this path to really, the name of one of our buildings is called OSS, and that stands for a second story. And so this is a place where people are really starting to write the next chapter, right?

What's the next chapter of my life [00:08:00] gonna look like? How is St. John's gonna help me get there? How is my community gonna help me get there? And that's everything that's there. When you think about St. John's program, it is, you're right, there's many programs, but they, they're all centered on. Really helping support the women and children that come through our doors to find stable employment, stable housing, and then whatever it takes to get them to that place.

We're committed to making that happen. 

Jeff Holden: Let me ask how they get there in the first place. How does a woman with her children, which I'm assuming is the majority of Yeah. Your constituents are, yeah. 

Scott Richards: Did they just show up on your doorstep? Prob, probably some do. Oh, seriously. I think there's, so I would think about it probably, uh, maybe in three ways.

I think that there, you know, there is the continuum of care in Sacramento led by steps forward and, and, and coordinating anybody that wants access to any resources in Sacramento. So we, for that as 2 1 1 referrals. So if somebody is in any place in Sacramento, they can make a phone call. [00:09:00] They kind of talk about their circumstances and then that service would direct them to like, oh, here's, here's where you could go.

So we get a lot of referrals from 2 1 1. We also have partnerships in, in Sacramento, and so hopefully my friends are out there listening, you know, we even women's empowerment and going because yes, they are listening and I want You're answering question. Yes. I was like, hello, I'm, I'm, I'm calling you all out.

That question comes up Yes. In the sequencing, but you're answering, which is wonderful. Yeah, I can, I can say more than, but I think that there are referrals through that as well, that, you know, if they're surveying, you know, clients and St. John's can be a good fit for them. We'll get those. And I think there are people through word of mouth that find us, and I don't know if that, that might be through friends and families or, or former alum.

Like, I'm sure that that happens. I would say every, every week there's folks coming to knock on our door through one of those three pathways and working to find a place at St. John's. So 

Jeff Holden: do you have a, a level of criteria or a vetting of sorts. In terms of [00:10:00] who gets into the programs. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. I, I don't want to think of it as like a vetting or criteria.

I, I mean I, yeah. A better way to, in a, i in a sense. I think that they're, maybe we could call them agreements and commitments that a woman and her family threshold of acceptance. Yeah. Like family have to make so that. So the residential program, and we'll probably, hopefully talk more about these other programs.

Yes. But that program is, is a voluntary learning environment. Right. So you're voluntarily coming. It's a sober living environment. So you are making a commitment to, uh, no drug use, no alcohol use, no cigarettes. There's a schedule, you know, like you, you are part of a community and that schedule means that there's.

This is the time you wake up in the morning, you're probably like, yes, there is, there's chores, there's activities, there's classes, right? We kind of structured the curricula around, or curriculum around job readiness, vocational learning and those things. So you're hitting kind of these milestones throughout the program.

And so somebody coming in and they come and they sit down and they talk with us in our intake process, they're learning about [00:11:00] what it would be like to be part of St. John's. And so, and, and there has to be a commitment to say like, yes, I wanna do that. And I would say that's because of the real change aspect of our name, right?

Right. So this is not, I think that there's lots of places where we serve many different needs in our community. When it comes to the, the residential program, the kinda the core of what we do. It is about folks that wanna make that commitment, right? We wanna meet you at that place. And you're like, yes, I want to, you know, like, I'm tired of this way of living, right?

For a change. I've hit, I've hit something. And I think many of us have been there, right? Many of us have been to a place like that. And then this is a place to say like, you know what? We're gonna support you and help you really to the goals that you have. So that, that might be my reticence to say criteria.

Right? Because like, one of the core criteria that might be more implicit is that you do have to have a sense for what you want. Right? There's a sense of agency empowerment. What is the goal you have? And, and those can be many and varied, right? I I think like finding a place to live, finding a [00:12:00] job and a career is definitely central.

But some folks have other goals, right? Being reunited with their kids if there are justice involved. The other issues, you know, through being justice involved that are important to them, that are also important goals. Mm-hmm. And St. John's provides the place to say, Hey, we're gonna help you. We're gonna help you get there.

Jeff Holden: How many residential units 

Scott Richards: do you have that you can house? We could house, let's see. Oh man, you gotta ask me a good math number. Yeah, so it, it's interesting 'cause each room that we have about 31 rooms that have, and I think I have that number right. There can be more than one head of household per room.

Right. Okay. So the reason it gets, the reason you're seeing my hesitation is that if a, if a woman comes in that has four or five kids Right? She might have a room to herself Right. Versus two single women or a woman that comes with one kid. Right. So you could have two heads of household per room. Got it.

So yes, we could, we could house on any given day, probably close to 200 women and children in our facility. I think on, on any given day, [00:13:00] we're just below that. But it, it just depends on the family size. What would be an average length of stay? Oh, that's also a great question. Average length of stay was probably.

Four to six months. Okay. I think that would be the best way I could think of it. Now, you can stay in our residential program beyond the six months, but I, I think what we found, and what I'm learning is that sometimes just depending on who you are, you come in and you're like, I'm, I'm working on finding housing.

I'm working on finding a job. I'm working through these classes. Like it's not, that curriculum I said doesn't say like, all right Jeff, in two months you'll finish these. Another it, it's not that way. So you could work through these classes. It's adaptive. It's adaptive. Yes. It's totally, it's kind of modified to, you've got, I think if I got this right, like, you gotta show up to your classes.

Mm-hmm. Right. And your case manager's gonna be like, did you go to your classes? Uhhuh? Right. And so it, it could take you three months or two months, or one month. So, but I would say the four to six month range is like where I, I think we're finding people are kind of figuring out [00:14:00] where they want to go and what they want to do.

There are people that stay longer than six months, but I think that's a good ballpark. 

Jeff Holden: Monica, I'm gonna ask you now that we've gone through the orientation of the residential housing and everything. Tell us how you got there. How did you end up at St. John's? 

Monica: I actually, my experience was a word of mouth.

I was told about St. John's, I think I first heard about it in 2018 by my sister. She had a colleague that went through St. John's program. And so my whole family was very much encouraging me, you should check out St. John's. You should, you should try, you should look into it. And at that time, I think, which might also be happening for other women, that they might not be ready.

I wasn't ready at that time. I didn't believe it. I didn't believe that it was what it is, which really is a one stop shop if you're really trying to make that full turnaround in your life. And so I always had it in the back of my mind that that is probably something that I should look into. Mm-hmm. So then when I finally did, then it was, then it was really a true miracle for me.

Jeff Holden: [00:15:00] To the point that Scott made, you hadn't quite hit yet that bottom mm-hmm. Of necessitating real change. 

Monica: Yeah. I wasn't ready to, to really face. The reality of my situation. I think for myself, my story does have active addiction in it. And so for somebody like myself, I just wasn't ready to stop doing whatever it was that I was doing.

And you're in denial thinking, I can turn this around, I can find the solutions. But that was not the case. That is not something that you can do on your own, and you do need real help, professional help in a setting that is a safe haven like St. John's. So for myself, going there that first night was like, oh my gosh, this is somewhere that there's a roof over my head.

I have somewhere to lay down. Mm-hmm. I have clean bedding. There's a restroom, there's food. No one's coming to get me. No one can leave this. It was the safest night that I had had maybe in four years. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Monica: For myself. And it was really like, okay, I don't want to go if I [00:16:00] don't have to go. And so that really builds up that.

Momentum for yourself. Like I am in the right place and that I could do this. 

Jeff Holden: And did you have your two children with you at this point in time too? 

Monica: I have four children and I, oh, went to St. John's with none of my children with me. But when I had first heard about St. John's, I only had my older two. And so I did go through a lot of things in between the time that I had heard about St.

John's until the time that I had actually arrived. 

Jeff Holden: And how long were you in the program? 

Monica: I came to St. John's in April of 2022, and I graduated July of 2023. And I lived in the St. Johns Square. Oh. From 20, really? From July. From August, 2023 until June of 2024. 

Scott Richards: Oh, congrats. That's great. Almost 10 months. 

Monica: Yeah.

Jeff Holden: And, and what about the programs? What did you learn as you went through the programs at St. John's? What was the orientation, the, the first start of it, Tori said, this is gonna work for me. I'm, [00:17:00] I'm sticking it out. 

Monica: At first, when I had experienced my time of needing to go there, it was still set up in a way that you had to call this hotline or this, this voicemail and leave a voicemail every day with your name and your information, and, and then you just hope that you get a call back.

So for that time, it was a little bit discouraging because I felt like. Am I not homeless enough for this? And then times had changed and I had later heard that you can just schedule an orientation, like every Wednesday. You could call and let them know that you need their services and that they would schedule you to come to orientation.

So as soon as I found that out, I went that very next orientation slot that I had. But I want to bring to light the real reality of it. For a lot of us that go there, that is the safest place that we have had to go for a very long time. You don't even realize that you're gonna learn all these things and it's gonna change your life because you're really just learning that you're safe, which is a really, really big deal for a lot of women.

A lot of people, men are women, but for women in particular, and from my own [00:18:00] experience, that was a 

Jeff Holden: basic human need. 

Monica: Yes. Which can so easily be taken away or taken for granted, especially victims of domestic violence. I have some domestic violence in my story, and so really. That survival mode, you can learn to like, it's okay, let me just wake up.

Let me take a shower. I have a towel, I have soap. There's gonna be breakfast. I didn't even know they had salt at St. John's for the first two weeks. I never saw those salt packets. And so it was like, also, I thought that was a, a special tree. And so just those simple basic survival things. And then for myself, I.

Had done a full month of actual vocational training classes, which is really the basics, right? Yeah. The 

Scott Richards: resume writing, interviewing skills, resume writing. Yeah. 

Monica: Navigating barriers. Mm-hmm. Some domestic violence, some, some parenting classes, some. Just, you know, learning about the brain and learning about recovery.

And so I did that for a whole month. I completed all my classes and then it was suggested by my [00:19:00] other resources that I was utilizing, like CPS and yeah, Sacramento County Drug Court, that I should do a 90 day program there. So then I redid 90 days of the 90 day, like drug counseling classes. So I did classes for four months straight, and I had learned every bit of information that I could possibly learn there.

I had taken every single class, completed every assignment, and I had achieved all of those goals within the first four months that I was there, and then I was able to branch out and do the actual, like job learning. Mm-hmm. Which I think is important because I think if you live in a lifestyle where you're not a normal member of society, you're not going to work every day.

You're not making dinner for your family, you don't have somewhere able to live. You totally forget what it's like to have an alarm and have your clothes ready for work. I mean, now I wake up at 4:00 AM and start work at six 30, but for many years I unemployed by choice. And so then you learned to be responsible and to be on time and be ready and have your [00:20:00] snacks and your water bottle and say goodbye to your kids and make sure you're on time for the bus.

And at that time, our plates facility was off campus, so you had to be on time to make the bus. And if you miss the bus, then you miss work. They're not gonna come back for you. You really learn about being accountable and being responsible, and then if you're scared, it's like, okay, tomorrow's a new day. We can try again.

You're in a safe place to make a mistake and fall down and you're gonna rebuild. It's gonna be okay. There's gonna be the IS staff. I mean, everyone there knows me because I really utilized it. I 

Scott Richards: is, uh, intervention services. Got it. Okay. 

Monica: So I really utilized that place to its entirety. I made sure that everybody knew that I needed them and they were there for me.

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. And today I am looking across at you, you work at uc, Davis Health, uc, Davis Med Center. 

Monica: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Fully employed and doing everything learned from St. John's Yes. With the necessary discipline and everything. After you said four o'clock, you're up Yes. To get there at five 30. [00:21:00] Yeah. There is no one That's a whole different sense of discipline, right?

Oh, man. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. 

Monica: I'm up so early that there's no one to say hello to in the morning on my drive to work, so it's a miracle for me. I feel like I don't wanna necessarily give it all up to a miracle, because like a lot of the staff at St. John's likes to remind me is that I did the work. Yeah. I did the hard work.

I put myself in this position because I dedicated myself. I, I took the time I needed to mm-hmm. Rebuild myself and then applied myself. Then here I am achieving goals. I never thought, that's another thing you learn is that you can have goals and you can achieve them. Yeah. You know an example, like a vision board, it's like silly, but really it's, it's real.

I mean, you should manifest the things that you want. You should believe in yourself. So once I learned that I could make goals and achieve them, it was like, there's no stopping me. There's no stopping me. So that's amazing. I think that's also another important factor along with the survival, the thriving, and then what's [00:22:00] beyond this and the goals and, and that you could really believe in myself.

And so working at uc Davis was actually one of my main goals. Yeah. When I got there, I saw that they were a partner in appointment and I said, oh, I will get 

Jeff Holden: there. Yep. That's awesome. Yeah. That is just awesome. 

Monica: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: Scott, how many people do you serve in the course of a year? 

Scott Richards: This is good. So the way I would think about it, any given day, if you came to St.

John's, we might have anywhere from. 130, 140 or so, women and children on our campus. And I think over the course of a year, just given how, how long people stay or how short they might stay with the average stay, you know, some are three to 400 women and children do we, we serve in any given year. And that's the, that's the best estimate I can give, you know, because I think everybody's story's a little bit different and their path to their goal looks a little bit different, but we're busy.

It's a bustling beehive of activity with, with that many people on a campus from, I mean, every afternoon I'm there at three 30 the school bus drops off all the [00:23:00] kids that are school aged and all the kids come home. You know? So it's a good, healthy amount of folks that are doing the work that Monica's talking about.

Yeah. At one place it's, it is pretty magical. 

Jeff Holden: I can see, just in my mind, I, I know the facility, but as I just visualize, if, if you're listening just hearing this, I had this vision of, I. This, this gigantic campus with a no vacancy sign and all this activity and buses pulling up and kids. Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's what it is.

Like parents and mm-hmm. You know, all sorts of, of Yep. Elements of activity going on. And classrooms on campus as well. Classrooms 

Scott Richards: on campus. She referenced intervention services. Mm-hmm. So that is the team that's on our campus 24 hours a day. So there are three shifts, you know, day, swing, and grave. But those are, I think, I think folks become close with our IS staff as well, because they're, I kind think of 'em as the ra, you know, the college, college, college, yes.

The college days. I was one. Oh, were you? Well, probably the worst 

Jeff Holden: one ever, but yeah. Um, had a great 

Scott Richards: [00:24:00] time. I was here. They had a run for their money, so, but I think these are more than an ra where they are, we talk a lot about, uh, actually I'm, I'm Monica talked about this, right. Having a safe space. Like our mission is to provide a, create a safe space for women and children to heal.

And develop the skills necessary to transform their lives. And so I would say this bustling bi of activity, it is centered around us creating a safe space. And so everybody is considering that. If you're an IS staff member, if you're, we partner with Highland Charters that provides the high school courses.

Like everybody, they're thinking about that. Or through our social enterprises just walking through the door, right? That it's, this is an environment that is designed to create that safe space. And so everybody is geared towards and thinking about how do we do that? We know that the goals that Monica had, right?

If I, if we go back in time, right? Like those are precious, those are sacred. Like those are things that were there to provide the safe space for and help curate and cultivate. We can't. Tell her what those should be, but I think we believe that [00:25:00] that's, that's what's on people's hearts and minds, right?

Mm-hmm. That I, if I can break out like, oh wow, my mom used to tell me how to eat an elephant one bite at a time, right? And so if you can like set this goal and reach it, awesome. And then you do that again and you're in a C of people that are doing that, right? It's a powerful place to be. 

Jeff Holden: Well, to your point, Monica, the vision board, it gave you the ability to see it.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And as you did accomplish one after another, you realized I'm capable. Right. I can do this. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. And I think there's so many, there can be so many messages right in the world around us about who can't make it, who can make it. And the other aspect of this environment is having those stories up on the walls.

Right. And you see exactly the pictures. We probably have a poster of Monica somewhere or maybe, you know, like we do have a video and a story of like, you've got her on the website, we her on the, she can't miss her. Anyway, 

Monica: but that was a real goal and a real inspiration for me when I was there is, yeah, at that time there were storyboards up a posterboard with a picture of a woman or a woman and her children with a brief paragraph of her little story.[00:26:00] 

And I'm like, I am going to have a storyboard. I want to get through this. Yeah. Because I would love for my story to be told. And then other goals were I want to graduate, I want to live in the square. I want to have a car, I want to have a job, not just any job. Then I wanna get to uc, Davis. And so it was like that list that, that I had made, I had accomplished.

And then when I had left campus, it was like, I need to create a new list. And I remember the tools that I was taught by my therapist and my case managers. I mean, even the front desk lady all the time. Yes. You know, there's so many people there to support you, to help you remember that you're valuable and that your goals are real.

And so I just keep doing them. So my largest goal is to own property. So I can't wait to come back and tell you when that happens. 

Jeff Holden: You'll, that's awesome. You'll Scott, collaboration is a critical part of. Our conversation with all the nonprofits. Mm-hmm. You obviously have to touch a lot of different [00:27:00] organizations.

Who do you find that you collaborate most often with? 

Scott Richards: So, for St. John's, there's many, I think that, I know with Weave and Beth at Weave, there's, there's a lot of overlap between what we're doing and I, I mean, I think everybody has their own unique contribution to this, which is powerful. So I think Weave is obviously doing things that, that we're not well positioned to do.

But to your point around collaboration, I think that's what makes it powerful is that when. Folks come together and kind of know what their superpower is. Like, Hey, this is your superpower, this is mine, and find this energy. But it's, it's weave, it's women's empowerment. Uh, just recently got to know, you know, Heartland Jeff up in, in Heartland and, and then just, there's so many employment partners, uc Davis was, and our board member, Kimmy, who was instrumental in helping establish this career pathway for women that are coming out of our program and finding entry level positions.

I don't know how exactly how you entered, but kind of starting out, but knowing that there's a career, a career track to that is important. We do work with a department of corrections. You know, we run a program, uh, it's a [00:28:00] community re-entry program for currently incarcerated women. And through that partnership, we're doing all the same work, right?

We're providing a safe space for women and women. In that case, no children who are finishing up their sentence, they're having all the same opportunities, a therapist, a case manager, high school, saving money, finding a job, getting out and working while they're finishing their sentence. Mm-hmm. So. And I think that comes with a whole, whole lot of partnerships in and of itself, right?

'cause there's the high school credit program and things like that. So I really think it is not possible if we think about the mission in Sacramento. It's not, not just ours, but, you know, ending homelessness or changing the odds around homelessness. You know, not just beating the odds. Like it is going to take all of us, finding ways to work together and to collaborate.

And with women's empowerment, you know, I'm, I'm just getting to meet some of these folks, but they, they do a whole level of like job training. For example, with property management. There's some discreet skills. Well, some of those folks might be able to actually find employment at St. John's. 'cause we [00:29:00] manage property, we manage, uh, transitional housing.

And so that's what I mean, right? Like that means to me, like I don't, being totally transparent, like I don't have to go create a property management program, 

Jeff Holden: right? It's there, 

Scott Richards: it's already in Sacramento. So let's find a way to. These are similarly women who have experienced homelessness or experienced something, you know, something similar experience at women's empowerment, different than St.

John's, but they're now trained to be a property manager and we need a property manager. Mm-hmm. So I think those are the kind of opportunities that exist. Well, the 

Jeff Holden: beauty of that is that it, the full 360 of it. Yeah. In every way, shape and form to the betterment of the individual and or the family that comes attached with And the family.

Yeah. With her. Is, it's just amazing. And if you are somebody that's looking for an employee, would you rather have somebody who just comes in off the street? And I don't mean that in, in a no. Yeah, no, that's correct. Or somebody who's gone through this entire program. Yeah. That you now have a real understanding of that individual.

I mean, it's almost like they would be the preferred 

Scott Richards: Yeah. [00:30:00] Candidate. And I think it's probably, if I could wave my magic wand in the world of nonprofits, you get some wave second. Yeah. I won't wave that one just yet. But on this point, there's so many programs that we are, we are really good at what we do.

Creating the safe space, providing that, right? When you leave St. John's, then you go into the world and you need to find the job. You need to find the house, affordable house. And so those aren't things in our necessary wheelhouse. Like I don't run a property development corporation, you know, but there are, there are the partnerships that exist in Sacramento.

And if we start finding. Where our boundaries meet, right? So like that women's empowerment example, you're training folks for property management and you gotta find them a property management job. And so that just necessitates collaboration and partnership in some way. And I think I just, if we could figure out how to do that more, not not put all our eggs in the basket of like, oh, this one program by themselves can solve this problem.

No, there's something we're uniquely positioned to do and provide that is unique in, [00:31:00] in our marketplace, unique in our community, and it's gonna take partnerships and collaboration to actually. See a world in which we don't have these pro, like I think everybody, I don't know, you interview a lot more non-profit people than I do, but I think yeah, we all in a sense wanna work ourselves out of a job, right?

I think if you, it'd the best thing you can do, if you ask any honest person, it's like, yeah, I'd prefer not to do this the rest of my life. Correct. But the reality is, and I've talked about this one, you know, we can do all of the great work inside of St. John's, but you go back into a world in which the odds are still the odds, right?

Like it is still the, the stock of housing is still the stock of housing and, and the job market is still the job market. So I think it's thinking outside of that, we're the partnerships that can help us do, because at the same time, I know, like you see Dave's as a great example. Like, Hey, how do we, how do we build this pipeline?

How do we do it? What do, like, what do we need to do programmatically, like to prepare women for those jobs. Mm-hmm. What do they need to do infrastructure wise of like creating the pathway? I think that's where the magic happens for Sacramento. [00:32:00] And 

Jeff Holden: the beauty of this conversation is somebody hears this, whether they're with another nonprofit that has access to Correct, yes.

And or sponsor in some way, shape or form for any of the organizations who are also engaged with the program. And they go, well wait a minute. I can, I could certainly use a couple of people. Yeah. In the course of any given year. Yeah. I'm always turning over because people grow, they move. Yeah. They onto the next opportunity.

And to be able to have that pipeline is wonderful. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. Yeah. That would be great. And since 

Jeff Holden: you would have one be because you're full all the time, you've always got a pipeline pushing out. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: To that point, any employers out there that are looking for 

Scott Richards: I'm talking to them. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Yeah, yeah. This, this is for you.

Listen up. We'll be back with more from St. John's program for real change right after this message from the people who make our program possible. I. I'm thrilled to have Western Health Advantage partnering with us as they do so much to support so many nonprofit agencies in our community. As a truly [00:33:00] local health 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 healthcare. Western Health Advantage has a plan that fits what you need as an employer for profit or nonprofit business, individual or family. You can find more@westernhealth.com. 

Scott Thomas: Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAPTRUST 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 do discuss your organization, look me up, scottThomas@captrust.com. If 

Jeff Holden: your organization is looking for non volunteer [00:34:00] positions at any level, consider using our platform for your recruitment, whether in podcast content or in the newsletter the audience we're speaking to.

Has your next teammate. Simply reach out to me through the website, nonprofit pod.com, for a customized solution to your open positions. I. Let's talk about funding for a minute. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: How is the organization funded? 

Scott Richards: Like a lot of nonprofits, the two, two big categories, I mean, private fundraising and government funding are the two.

I mean, those are the main categories. I think a lot of our, on the government side is through county, state, local funding through, I mean, county Sacramento is a huge, huge partner in doing this. Mm-hmm. I mean, that's because of a lot of the services we provide with around behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, family services and and whatnot.

Private fundraising is any, any non-profit personnel. It's the, it's the same streams. We have a found a magic, uh, please gimme unrestricted please. Just unrestricted, right? Yeah. I [00:35:00] was like, I could tell you some stories. Yeah. But I mean, it's the same, you know, individuals are a huge part of our. Donor base or our, you know, our partners in this, there's a lot of individuals that support us every year.

There are foundations, corporations, and then organizations. I think, I'm sure a lot of people in Sacramento probably know, maybe know the genesis story of St. John's, but we were born as, as through the Lutheran church, the St. John's Lutheran Church in downtown Sacramento. So a lot of those organizations that are out there are churches that, that wanna support what we do as well.

You know, that's the, that is the heart and soul Right. Of development. It's private and, and government funding. We primarily, I think today we're higher percentage of our funding that comes in year over year is government compared to private. But it's the private funding that is not always restricted.

Right. Less restrictions. Right. And actually, I, I am, I'm very open about that. I've talked to donors that want to give to us and I, and they've, you know, they'll ask, oh, we'd like to, people want to, they do wanna leave their mark somewhere. Right. And I have a lot of respect that, you know, like, [00:36:00] is it. I don't know.

Is it this job or this building or that? And like, yes. And if you really understand our mission, right, $50,000 can help us do a lot. And if you trust us to make a decision on how best to invest that, that's my unrestricted pitch. But I mean, there are specific needs, right? Like I could, I could easily go down a list of We'll get there too.

Yeah. Anybody, anybody wanna do some HVAC repair work? Talk to me. You know, there are specific list, we're not gonna get that granular. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, I know you need, you need be training. There's a course for that someplace. 

Monica: It's a real need. Yeah. Right? 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. So. On the dollars and cents. Yeah. How big is the overall budget?

Scott Richards: Our operating budget is just under 10 million this year. This year. So that's 

Jeff Holden: the sizeable Yep. Organization. We've How many 

Scott Richards: employees? We've grown about a hundred. Just over have 101 Oh boy. Hundred one employees. Yes. Yeah. That's, that's 

Jeff Holden: a lot of employees. And 

Scott Richards: from what I, you know, there's a lot of folks in Sacramento have given a lot to this organization.

It's grown a lot in the past five to six years. So, you know, people that hear [00:37:00] that today are like, oh, wow. I think that's because of the addition of the substance use disorder treatment facility, transitional housing. There are additional programs that are operating under St. John's all centered around and creating a safe space.

But yeah, we we're a significantly sized organization. Yes. You know, like we've got all of the same buildings and facilities and staffing and all that comes with that. That makes, makes the magic happen. Yeah, it's good. And I think that I, I love that financially, like, I love that this community shows up.

Not only St. John's Right. But shows up in so many ways to support work around and in homelessness. Like it is quite inspiring to see that of like, people, how can I make a difference, what can I do? It is encouraging. We do have a, an extremely 

Jeff Holden: philanthropic community. Yeah. And the people who you expect those, those of means and significant means.

Yeah. Business businesses built here generationally, second, third, fourth generation. They are all that. And they do. Yeah. They are. Give it [00:38:00] back, which is they do. 100% is wonderful. You mentioned magic a couple of times, so now let's let, let's wave that magic. Okay? Yeah. If you had that blank check and money was not an object, what would the organization look like?

Scott Richards: Oh, alright. Well, there's, there's two things for me. You know, building off what we were just talking about a few minutes ago. Mm-hmm. I think that one, one half of that wave would create a. Really long-term sustainable partnerships with industries, hospitality, retail, healthcare, maybe government. I don't know if that's, you know, anywhere that we could have, we could create together entry level career track, living wage paying jobs with benefits would be changing for us.

Because I think we're up against, again, what I was saying is like we're doing the transformational work within the walls of St. John's and then we've gotta contend with reality, right? Mm-hmm. The mar the job market and job requirements and the rigors of a job, right? Like tho those [00:39:00] are all things, and like we are, we're eager to do that, right?

I think what we need is to strengthen or build some of those opportunities that, that would create, that kind of remove some of the barriers and how can these partnerships and industry help us remove those? And I really would underscore to the magic wand part of it, like entry level. I think that that makes sense, right?

But also like career track, like I guess it's like finding folks on that side that we both put some skin in the game in a sense, right? Like what we will, what would we have to do if, I mean, it's gonna cost money, it's gonna take people right to like work alongside, come alongside a client and help them through that next three, you know, two to three years.

Right? And I think the second part of that is, I've been thinking about this, 'cause you asked me this once before, but I was like. There's a clog in this whole system somewhere, and I'm learning this from people I work with in homeless around the greater Sacramento County area where we do this work with inside of kind of the walls of our program.

But there's not always immediately a place to go. There's not, there's [00:40:00] not an affordable housing place to go, whether that's an apartment, a condo, a house. I think we have, I I learning, you know, we have some of these kind of piecemeal approaches with some of the, you know, the campsites or the parks and mm-hmm.

That are kind of meeting this immediate need. But if we as a community are committed, this idea that Monica deserves, right. A home on a street and own some dirt and property and let's put some skin in the game there and let's think about what does that mean? And I know that people say we're talking about that, right.

The affordable housing projects and all that. But I think that I. There's just a bottleneck there. Right. And, and I'm, I'm worried that over time that we can do, spend a lot, uh, investing in all of the important work of behavioral health and substance use, treatment and family reunification, working with the courts, and then we just don't have a place for people to go, like, housing is too expensive or there's not enough homes.

And, and I don't have the power to fix that. But if you gave me a blank check, what I would start, what I would start thinking about build that community or high condos, I would [00:41:00] go build a St. John's community. Yep. Right? That's not programmatically designed or anything like that. I'm not going have you wake up at six and do chores or regiment your life, but like, I don't know, and maybe that sounds wild, but it's like, alright, let's, let's double down.

Let's build a sustainable community that you own in some way. And, and however we make that happen and you raise your family there and you send your kids to school. I think that's what we want. I think that's, I think when we think about ending homelessness or let's solve homelessness. There's probably not enough time kind of envisioning, well, what would that actually look like?

Right. Like the physical environment would actually look different. Mm-hmm. You know, like there, there might be in my backyard, right? My backyard. There might be affordable housing units. Right. Where I'm like, oh, this is a place where people can live. Whatever community you want, you know? Right. I wanna live here and I can afford a thousand bucks a month on rent.

All right. But, and I'm using that 'cause I, I visited housing development. That's what it was. But that's what I [00:42:00] would want to see. 

Jeff Holden: Boy. And think of the shared experiences of the people that were in the St. John's Yeah. Development where they could support each other as well. Yeah. In so many different ways.

And grow together. Yeah. And see families grow together just like any other neighborhood. Only it's got a different set of circumstances. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: That you are familiar with. You all would be familiar with. Monica. I'm gonna throw this to you just for a, an observation. If you're looking at the organization and how it went for you, what would you say?

Boy, would've been great if. 

Monica: I think you touched on a lot of good points that the more accessible employment and not all of the women that are coming through there have that privilege of being employed. A lot of them don't have a background that is going to tell them, please employ me. And so they have those challenges.

I, my story's a little different in that sense. I might have made some intense choices in my life, but I kept it to where I was always still employable. My background wasn't heavy at all in that [00:43:00] sense. So it's brings up a challenge for other women that. They're gonna have to find it harder to get employed.

Now, for those that are normal background, it say, and, and it's just a matter of are there jobs available? I think also that the women in that program, that entire community surrounding the community of St. John's has employed at least one girl from St. John's. Mm-hmm. Right? I mean the, all of the stores across the street, the grocery store, I mean, everything that's like walking accessible, light rail, accessible.

We have tackled it and we have tried to work there because that's just the main goal. Not everyone is able to have a car, have a license, or those are things that they weren't able to achieve. Mm-hmm. Maybe ever. Mm-hmm. Or even given a safe environment to think you can do that. Right. Yeah. And so that's also something that St.

John's offers. And I think also with the housing, it was so scary. I thought, I'm definitely going to live in the transitional housing in the back because why would I not? And it was so affordable to where I felt I could really build up my life. I [00:44:00] could save some money, but I also had to deal with the reality of my, my credit, my renter's credit.

I had an eviction on my credit that I owed $8,000 on. Oh yeah. But I was able to talk them down. I paid 32, I think a hundred. And I had been saving, 'cause I lived in the transitional housing, which is under $600 to rent the room with a washer and dryer, which is also another, if I may put that out there.

Yes. Affordable housing with a washer and dryer inside, please. We love that. 

Jeff Holden: So we know where this blank check is going. I told you mommys love that got things. We got some things. Mommies 

Monica: and women love washer and dryer. So then. I actually found the community that I live in from another woman that I work with me at uc, Davis, that also came from St.

John's. She didn't graduate, but she did spend a, mm-hmm. You know, a significant amount of time there. And so she said, I live here. I got in try. And so I went and I spoke with the manager and I built that relationship. But I was able to get my apartment with my credit, my income, no co-signer needed. 'cause I was able to [00:45:00] take care of that at that time.

Mm-hmm. But I think that that is. Very, very discouraging. A job within reach. And then also can't, do I qualify? Do I make enough? 

Jeff Holden: Just can't get it. 

Monica: You just can't. Yeah. You just can't. And so there, and there is some affordable housing. Yeah. There's a nice new one that they just built on Stockton. Mm-hmm.

Right by uc. Davis called The Heights on Stockton. And I went in there the other day actually and asked them, what does this look like? They said, we get 6,000 applicants almost a month. You know, the wait list is ridiculous. And we opened the, the wait list two years ago before we even were finished building.

And then a lot of them, it's just filled up. And so it's your waiting game. And so it's like, we know what 

Scott Richards: we need to do there. The waiting game is the hard part. Right. That's what I'm the interim. Yeah. So in the interim, what you do, and I don't know, right. But then you have to default to the kind of the, the system that's in place.

Right. And it's not a, it's not a judgment on the system, but it's like. We have a whole incredible programs that are doing this amazing work to like address the trauma of domestic [00:46:00] violence or substance use. Right. And people, all right. And then you get out and you're like, now I gotta wait. I don't know how long the wait list is.

Right? Six months. Six months. You mentioned 6,000 people for, and if you have applications Yeah. Somebody list 

Monica: are two, three years. And a lot of us, you know, when you first come into St. John's and you're taking, there's a course, I think it is about like credit and they give us a list of all of the affordable housing.

Scott Richards: Yeah. 

Monica: And they're telling us to apply now. Yeah, we do. Well, the thing is, is like we don't have, we're not, we're from day 

Scott Richards: one 

Monica: employed yet. We don't have jobs yet. We'll apply the time that we're gonna come up on that list. We will be employed, we will have our own transportation, we will be ready to go. And you have to have, you know, three months of employment, proof of employment to be able to qualify.

And so it's, it's scary. But I think that, I've always thought there's gotta be a realtor out there that will do that. That nitty gritty research on what's out there, what's available? Is it two times the rent? Two and a half times the rent? What's in there? Is there a washer and dryer? Is it close to a light rail?

Is it close to a con? You know, this area here that we're in right now, it's so busy. Sunrise area is [00:47:00] very popular and so I feel like there is someone out there that would love to do the research and find those actual obtainable places to live for women, young people. Anyone that is up against that challenge that could say, Hey, come here.

Give me all your information. What are you looking for? Oh, I have this spot, this spot, this spot. Just like if you were to look, buy a home. They 

Jeff Holden: have it. They create that list. There's your collaborative, Scott. 

Scott Richards: Yeah, we need to, they build an app. I was gonna say, we need an app. We need some ai. We, 

Jeff Holden: we just solved the problem here.

I'm serious. We some link, 

Scott Richards: right? Like how, how much different would it be if like you come through St. John's or your, any program in Sacramento? We have, we have. Dunno, we call it some app, right? Mm-hmm. And it is feeding real time information, right? Yep. Yeah. That would be brilliant. 

Jeff Holden: Yep. Now, back to the reality of it all.

You've got your budget. What is the greatest need at St. John's? 

Scott Richards: The greatest need, love this question. You know, I do think that, I've been thinking about this. I could go so many different directions, but I, [00:48:00] what's coming up to me right now? I would put in a category of, of people and talent and, and staff. I think that we, we could, we could use, and I think we have great staff.

It's not, it's not that, it's just that we have vacancies and openings for therapists, case managers, and I think part of the challenge for us is. How do we keep pace with the market, the labor market and pricing and cost and salary and compensation, and filling those positions with the qualified folks.

I'm sure you know, that makes a difference, right? In terms of who's sitting across from you mm-hmm. And talking to you about your life and your kids. And it's not a statement, I, we have an incredible staff, it's just that we're growing, right? Like we have literally probably almost doubled in size in terms of staff from, I don't know, six, seven years ago because of the need and because of the demand.

And then I do think space, but I'm just thinking about try not to, I was trying to think. So I go practical, like somebody's out there, I could write a check for that, but 

Jeff Holden: no, and I like that you're not, because yeah, we all know you can use the money. And some [00:49:00] organizations, literally, it is just the money based on the nature of the organization.

But to hear, I think you start saying people it's, yeah. And it's, it's the right people. And not to replace what we've got. No, no. Just more add to add. Add to add. Yes. 

Scott Richards: To add. And like. The ratio from some of our behavioral health staff to the number of clients I'd wanna see a little more balanced. And then just space.

I, I think trying to find a place for people to work in these, like I do not have the ability, nor do I really want to like go on some capital, like let's build a new office building, 

Jeff Holden: right? '

Scott Richards: cause we don't, I think it's just like, I've heard of folks that, you know, like redesign office spaces, you know, and find your feng shui and how do you create the office of the future?

Like anything like that. Because I think we are, hopefully this would resonate with a lot of my non-profit colleagues. Like you're more day to day thing about the mission, right? You think about the kids, clients and the women and then you hire somebody, you're like, oh, just sit right here for the next six months and we'll find you a desk [00:50:00] sooner.

Or we'll find you an office sooner later. 

Jeff Holden: Don't you believe? You believe in the mission, right? You believe in the mission, right? I wanna see bleed first. Right? 

Scott Richards: You'll be fine. Why do we do that to people? I don't know. Right? I think that's why I started thinking about peoples right. Be I think any, any. Even corporate private, you know that like 80% of your budget are people and salaries.

Mm-hmm. Right? Like 80% of, I talked to my wife about her company all the time. Like, 80% of your company are salespeople, right? Like you need people and then you need an experience that they're like, oh, I, I can work here, I can thrive, I can learn, I can grow, I can take other, and I think it's, it's that, it's the people and the space to make it happen.

It's funny, I had never thought about it until I've been in, in our buildings of like, yeah, like I would, you know, we're thinking about an expansion over this next year or so and how our housing, so it'd be more aligned with the transitional housing, but rental assistance and then post tenancy support and things like that.

Well, that takes people, and then people need a place to work with, with all 

Jeff Holden: [00:51:00] the elements and the variety of touch points that you've got. And, and before we go there, I wanted to ask you about that. They come through the door. Why 

Scott Richards: the red door? Yeah, the red door has a lot of symbolism to it and I think in two ways.

One, there's re religious symbolism for those that are familiar with the Bible and the biblical stories of the Old Testament, Israel and Egypt, and. The red door, the door being painted was a symbol of safety and missing judgment or, you know, being a safe space and in, and in more modern history, the underground railroad and safe places were marked by red doors.

So I think those two symbols, those are where it comes from. I think this symbol for us, in terms of the red door, you will see it from, obviously the moment you come to being on our property, you'll see red doors. I always think of it as I came into it, you know, it's a door of opportunity. That's what it is, right?

It is a safe space. I think that's the symbolism, uh, from history. But I think it, it represents. Walking into a new chapter of your life. Whether that's home ownership, whether that's stable employment, [00:52:00] right? Like you are opening the door to a new, a new chapter and a new you. Right. And a new, a new alternative reality that is, is powerful.

So I think the door carries a lot of symbolism for us because of the threshold. You cry, there's so many metaphors to run with, right? But I think it's not gonna go away. It's, it's ingrained in who we are. And it's steeped in meaning for every person. Every person has a story, right? About what brought them to the door and what led them across the threshold.

Well, that's their first contact. That's their first point. That's the first thing you'll do through 

Jeff Holden: those red doors. Yeah. To say I'm safe. Yeah. Monica, is there anything you want to add before we we wrap? 

Monica: Yeah, I definitely would like to touch on the great opportunities that St. John's offers and has that involvement of the community, which I think is, is a wonderful thing.

And having the red door desserts partner are with outside. Restaurants and other entities and hosting those guest chefs. And then once a year, that really nice big [00:53:00] party, the party for change, which I think it all ties together. So I believe you. It's still once a month where we have the guest chef. Well, I had first received my first employment from Sutter Club, which is a private members only club downtown because.

Sutter Club was the guest chef at my very first guest chef that I got to participate in, which was four months into my program. And so it was long awaited and I was just so excited to do it. And I met the head chef there and he and I had worked with him and he said, when you're ready for employment, let me know and, and I have a spot for you.

And so that's where I was experiencing my first time of leaving the nest, if you will, and going to work every day. I took the light rail every day and worked at Sutter Club and it, and it was amazing. It was a wonderful experience. I didn't get my employment with uc Davis until about a year later. And so I just think it's really important that the community understands that we, as the.

[00:54:00] As the clients looked forward into participating in the Guest Shep event so much, it was our chance to connect with the community and be proud and say, look, we set these tables and we made this food all week and we worked so hard and we met these outside people that believe in us and and think that we can do it and trust us.

And now you're here. It's like breaking bread or inviting guests into your home. In some cultures they say like if you eat dinner with somebody three times, you have a true friendship. And so for us coming together as a community and then being able to share that with the outside community was a really big part of our pride, our confidence, and believing that we could do this.

And it gave us something to look forward to. And then we get to come back and tell all of the staff, we did it and we did this, and we cleaned it up. And it's that hard work and that, you know, blood, sweat, and tears in it. And it's important for the community because those people seem so proud of us. And other restaurants or whoever.

No, they didn't 

Jeff Holden: seem They are. Yeah. It just, they are very proud. Real. It's great. So it is for real, 

Monica: for anyone that's an interested, that has a great [00:55:00] restaurant or a great company that wants to be involved, I think that the guest chef is a wonderful way to get to know us a little bit better from the inside out.

Jeff Holden: So there's so much here. Yeah. What's the best way to learn about it? Where do we go? Where do you send people? 

Scott Richards: Well, there's, there's two places I will send you. One is come down and visit us and take a tour. So if you're listening and you're in, you have a company mm-hmm. And you wanna volunteer, you wanna serve, I think it's a natural way to get involved.

Right? There's a way that you can come take a tour. If that's where you wanna start, you'll meet our volunteer coordinator and, and get plugged into opportunities to volunteer. 'cause we have volunteers every day of the week. Our website's a great place. I think for anybody that's wanting to learn about St.

John's from the programs we offer to Red Door desserts. Plates, catering, all of it's there. You know, anybody wants to know like, how do I get a, how can I get connect? How can I be a part to this? And part of the brilliance of the folks on my team are thinking about that as like, how is the website, right? A portal [00:56:00] into St.

John's so that if you're looking to hire a caterer, you could find that if you're looking for red door desserts, you want some cookies, y'all out there, you want some cookies for your team party. So good you can find it. But clients as well, like, I think that, I think I've been trying to think a lot about this idea of how do we, you, you were asking me how do people find St.

John's? Mm-hmm. Um, I do think we kind of find it, it's word of mouth. There's referrals and I think how do we have as open door? Policy, for lack of a better term as possible, where like if you are that woman and, and children or no children, you're just single woman. Like, how do you get to US website? You have to have access to internet and you have to have a phone or access.

But I think that's the point is like, how can we get as many people that are looking for this access to this and that, that would be the website. But I know part of like, you know, anybody who's thinking about how do I get involved in this, how do I support this tour, visit our website, come to guest Chef dinner, come to Party for Change.

But we're there 24 hours every day. So we're always, and u rl on the website [00:57:00] is the URL on the website is www.stjohnsprogram.org. All one word all spelled out. It's, it's, it's S-A-I-N-T. 

Jeff Holden: Monica, you are amazing. Thank you. You, you truly are what a special person and what a gift. That you've both been given and that you're giving back your flexibility in, in sharing your story.

It's not always easy. And, you know, congratulations on your, your success with uc Davis. I know you'll have real property at some point in time. I can just see it. You, you exude. 

Monica: Thank you. You exude 

Jeff Holden: it. 

Monica: I appreciate it, 

Jeff Holden: Scott. The program is amazing. Yeah. Thank, thank you. And I've been aware of it for a long time.

Yeah. And, you know, have been in the community for a long time, but never really to the depth and the understanding of what it's encompassing. Yeah. And how, you know, 360 degrees from, from start to finish. Yeah. Putting you back out to, you know, complete. And full responsibility for [00:58:00] yourself. 

Scott Richards: Yeah. Yeah. And that's huge.

Yeah. And I appreciate the opportunity. Like you said, we were started in 1985, been around Sacramento because of all, all queer people is when you got here 1985. And I think that part, one of the reason I'm excited to be here with you is just to talk about what we're doing, right? Because I think it has been kind of, it's been a part of this community for a long time and sometimes you're understanding what we're doing or how have we grown or how have we changed, how have we evolved over time?

Or what are we about now? What do we do? I would say to our listeners out there, the St. John's program of today, 2025, looks different than it did in 2015. Mm-hmm. 2005. 2000. Very different than 2019, and I think a testament to all of the staff and the people that have done that. I, I, I get to just kind of stand on the shoulders of giants, but it is, we have adapted, we've thought outside the box, how do we meet women and children where they are, and how do we utilize the resources of this community that does just what you said.

Yeah. It's people [00:59:00] on a path to their dreams and their goals. Well, it's great. Thank you both. I really appreciate you coming in. Thank so much. Thank you so much. It's been good to be here. Thank you.

Jeff Holden: Thank you for listening to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. I hope you enjoyed the episode. If what you heard moved you, please reach out to that organization and do what you can to help. If you like and appreciate what we're doing to support local nonprofits, please give us a positive review, subscribe and share.

If you're a nonprofit with an interest in participating in an episode. You can reach me at jeff@hearmeowstudio.com. If you have a need for the services or products our sponsors offer, please reach out to them. CAPTRUST 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, [01:00:00] a full service healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families.

The Nonprofit Podcast Network is a production of, is recorded at and edited by Hear Meow Studio.