Our Progress: First Step Communities in 2024

OUR PROGRESS 2024

OUR MISSION Our Mission

Our Approach

First Step Communities will create interim housing and emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Here they will live in safety and dignity, receive the services they require, and take a first-step away from homelessness toward self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

First Step Communities operates low-barrier shelters, welcoming individuals with minimal entry requirements. We believe everyone deserves access to the support and resources needed for stability. With a traumainformed approach, we offer radical hospitality, treating each guest with care and respect.

979

INDIVIDUALS WERE

PROVIDED SHELTER

AND SUPPORTIVE

SERVICES

OUR HISTORY May 2015

Established the Winter Sanctuary, an emergency shelter program, advocating for service focused shelters.

Jan 2016

2018

We expanded our services by operating a shelter in partnership with Volunteers of America at North A Street Campus. We become the sole operator in 2021.

First Step Communities was founded! Began the Pilgrimage Program, offering overnight shelters and meals in local churches.

2019

June 2020

Due to the impactful services offered at Winter Sanctuary, a year-round service center was established at North A Street Campus.

In collaboration with SHRA, we constructed The Grove, a community of 24 sleeping cabins designed for transitional-age youth.

OUR HISTORY April 2021

SafeGround relocated to the upgraded Miller Park site, ensuring continued support and safety for those in need.

Feb 2022

Nov 2022

Miller Park SafeGround permanently closed, transitioning to Roseville Road Campus, a site featuring pallet homes and trailers.

In partnership with the City of Sacramento, SafeGround, the first sanctioned campground and safe parking site, was established at W/X St.

The Grove expanded to include a total of 50 sleeping cabins, serving a larger number of transitional age youth.

Jan 2024

Dec 2024

Our largest tiny cabin site, Stockton Blvd Safe Stay, opened. This site was in collaboration with The State of California, Sacramento County, and City of Sacramento.

OUR PROGRESS The opening of another tiny-cabin site.

In partnership with the City of Sacramento, Roseville Road Campus opened with 61 tiny-cabins and 32 trailers. The referral process being through the Department of Community Response, the City’s outreach team, this site supports particularly vulnerable individuals, many who have been hesitant to seek shelter. We are proud that this site is dog friendly.

On-site therapy at all FSC shelters.

In 2023, we partnered with Life Practice Counseling Group to offer on-site therapy, removing barriers to this essential support. This year, we brought these services to all of our shelters. This support has proved to be an important step in one’s ability to successfully move forward.

Addition of a Workforce Development Specialist.

Thanks to a generous donation from Wilton Rancheria, we hired on a Workforce Development Specialist. While our case management team offers support with employment, we continue to see a need for greater support. We were excited to offer more employment resources to our shelter guests.

Grant helped our shelter guests step into housing.

We received funding through the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) administered by SETA. This grant covered shelter guests' first month’s rent and household supplies, giving them a strong start toward stability. We’re thrilled to have funding secured for 2025.

314

COUNSELING SESSIONS

151% IN CLINICAL SERVCIES INCREASE PROVIDED SINCE 2023

OUR PROGRESS Bringing medical care to shelters.

For the second year, The Willow Clinic, an incredible team of UC Davis students, operated a free medical clinic at North A Street Campus. The Willow Clinic goes beyond supporting our shelter guests, serving those in need in the River District; they have been serving this area for over 15 years. UC Davis and Sacramento County’s Wellness without Walls began bringing support to SafeGround at Miller Park. When we moved to Roseville Road Campus, they followed, offering this support bi-weekly.

Wellness w/o Walls

UC Davis

The Willow Clinic

“We on the UCD and County Wellness Without Walls team look forward to more opportunities to work together in the future. Our Fridays working with your team has been so rewarding. We hope to expand our partnerships with other University resources in promoting health and wellness in this population.”

-Holly Kirkland-Kyhn PhD, FNP-c, GNP-c, CWCN, FAANP

Elica Mobile Services

338

PRIMARY CARE SERVICES PROVIDED (ELICA NOT INCLUDED)

OUR PROGRESS Creating Change in the River District We partnered with the River District again for our second annual Health Fair, bringing essential healthcare to Sacramento’s most vulnerable. This year, The Willow Clinic joined us, offering preventive care and health education. We also hosted our first Job Fair with the River District at Mirasol Village, creating new opportunities for connection and growth in our community.

55 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

19 EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES

377 SUPPORTED

Our community partners joined together to provide services to those in need. Not only was this beneficial for those attending, but we witnessed great collaboration between providers.

Businesses hiring and employment support services joined us at our first Job Fair in partnership with the River District. We hosted this at Mirasol Village, giving those in the area access to this support.

At both of these events, we helped 377 individuals.

Putting on these events confirms that our community is need of these services and we will continue bringing these events to our community.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

“Our partnership with First Step Communities is vital for our unhoused community members. At this year’s health fair, we expanded services to include veterinary care for pets of people experiencing homelessness. Each year the health fair grows a tiny bit more to meet the changing needs of community members.”

Cristina Navarro, River District

OUR PROGRESS The Grove Store Makes an Impact.

The Grove team set up a small “store” where shelter participants can shop using earned “Grove Bucks.” To encourage self-sufficiency, the team aims to positively reinforce this behavior. Their vision is to keep building rapport and fostering collaboration with shelter guests.

Brought more joy to our shelters.

North A Street brought excitement with fun activities like a fashion show hosted by Miss Sacramento, a pajama party, and more!

Roseville Road Campus hosted crafty evenings and bingo nights.

The Grove added to the fun with karaoke nights and holiday gatherings.

Administrative Office Opened.

For the first time in FSC history, we have an adminstrative office, located on Q and 21st. This space allowed for staff trainings, leadership meetings, hiring events, staff onboarding, donation storage and more! We were grateful to take this step.

Increase in Community Events.

We were excited to connect with our community more this year! We held more tabling events, sharing our resources with the community.

We connected more with local businesses and were grateful for many that hosted to donation drives. We also engaged more with media and had a few visits on the local news!

Community HealthWorks Brings CalAim to North A. The dedicated team at Community HealthWorks visited North A Street Campus, connecting individuals with CalAIM providers and supporting their transitions. 173 individuals were referred to a CalAIM provider. First Step Communities is also on the path to becoming a CalAIM provider in 2025.

OUR PROGRESS Opening of Stockton Blvd Safe Stay We’ve opened our largest tiny cabin shelter, Stockton Blvd Safe Stay, which provides 175 beds. It’s also our second site that welcomes guests with dogs. This shelter was made possible through a partnership with the State of California, Sacramento County, and the City of Sacramento. We’re excited to share the positive impact of this site in 2025.

Growth at North A Street Campus.

Blue Shield employees joined together to make an impact at North A Street. They transformed the space in front of the shelter, where people often gather, from dirt to a beautiful garden. Shelter participants helped care for it and grew fresh produce. This made a huge difference in their days! Thank you Blue Shield!

Community Shop Class Community Shop Class invited a small group from The Grove to work on a Build a Cabin project. As people who have experience with living in a cabin, their feedback was essential to this project.

They learned how to work with tools, met others who worked in the construction industry, connected with their creativity and much more! Thank you Chad for giving them this experience!

Connecting more with students.

Our team found more ways to bring students into our work. We tabled at hiring events at Sacramento State University. We brought students onsite for tours and presented to classes about our mission.

We look forward to finding more ways to work together next year.

Putting miles on the van!

Thanks to a generous van donation from Paul Esch, founder of Concrete Value, our team provided vital transportation to job fairs, the DMV, housing appointments, and more. This year alone, we provided1,088 transportation services!

OUR COMMUNITY

Greenhaven Lutheran Church

Zoe Coffee and Tacos

Leash and Collar Dog Boutique

Supporting since the Miller Park SafeGround Project, Greenhaven Church has brought a meaningful Bible Study to Roseville Road Campus biweekly. Deanna also drops off Noah’s Bagels weekly and they offer transportation to their Sunday service.

Thank you for showing up for our community!

Our coffee neighbors stepped up and donated leftover breakfast tacos. This was a great way for shelter guests to start their day.

We are grateful to all the caring businesses in Sacramento! They have the best coffee too!

Our neighbors at Leash & Collar were incredibly supportive! They held donations drives for our pups at Roseville Road Campus.

They also invited us to table at one of their events where we collected winter items for our humans too!

“While the unhomed folks have been very important to me for some years now, First Step because of the success of the program is the most “heartfelt” program I have seen in the Sacramento area. Getting to know some of the Roseville Road residents has been a real blessing & my heart is always fluttering when I am interacting with my friends.”

- Deanna Vattuone FSC staff member with hygiene kits donated by Bayside Outreach

OUR COMMUNITY Fundraiser at Menchie’s

Bayside Local Outreach

Miss Sacramento Leads Change

We tried something new and hosted a fundraiser at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt on Howe. While we didn’t have too many folks stop in on the rainy day, our team had a blast and we look forward to doing similar initiatives in 2025!

When we had big needs, they were there! During our heatwave relief drive Bayside delivered a truck full of water and many reusable water bottles. They also donated hundreds of hygiene kits that supported multiple sites.

Helen Dang, Miss Sacramento, brought joy to our shelters! She hosted a fashion show at North A Street and an Open Mic Night at The Grove. She also taught an employment series called ‘How to Get What You Want’ at The Grove.

A Seat at the Table

Fleet Feet

A Seat at the Table bookstore in Elk Grove has spent the year collecting books to donate to all of our shelters.

Their kindness brings joy and a sense of connection to our spaces, and we’re deeply grateful for their support of our community!

Midtown Fleet Feet hosts a shoe donation drop-off at their store, allowing them to provide numerous pairs of shoes to our participants.

We’re so grateful for their generosity and the support they bring to our community!

Mas Bueno Winter Drive Mas Bueno Boutique held a winter wear drive at both of their stores, providing muchneeded support during the colder months. We’re inspired by local businesses stepping up to help our community!

OUR COMMUNITY HomeAid Sacramento HomeAid Sacramento has been an amazing partner this year! They began by adopting 20 cabins through our Adopt a Cabin Campaign and didn’t stop there.

They launched a beautification campaign that helped us enhance not only the tiny cabins but also our entire site. Their dedication to the young adults we serve shines through in everything they do, and we’re so thankful to have their support in making a difference.

Concrete Pathways Created HomeAid Sacramento championed the addition of concrete pathways, giving more easy access and dignity to those we serve. Huge thank you to Rescue Concrete, L&S Construction and Timberworks Construction.

Thank you, HomeAid Sacramento, for including us in your events and helping us spread the word about The Grove! We had the opportunity to attend the golf tournament and trap shoot, sharing more about the work we do. At the Unplugged event, a few Grove residents joined in on the fun, and a Grove graduate shared her inspiring story. These moments brought joy and connection, and we’re so grateful for the chance to be part of it all!

OUR COMMUNITY The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a tremendous impact this year by meeting a variety of needs! From hosting clothing donation drives and serving meals at our Health Fair to leading a Self-Reliance Group, building planter boxes, serving breakfast, organizing clothing closets, and supporting holiday events, their generosity touched so many areas. We were also thrilled to be part of The Giving Machine for the second year, helping us collect essentials for those we serve. We’re incredibly grateful for their unwavering support! Brad and Karen Wilkes put together a review of their impact - read here!

OUR PARTNERS

A NOTE FROM STEVE Last year, 2024, was a year of strategic planning and preparation for growth. We made significant improvements to our HR department with the implementation of Bamboo HR software, new hiring and training procedures, enhanced employee benefit packages, and new onboarding procedures. Our finance department added a senior accountant and, at year's end, named a CFO. Our IT department refocused our data gathering for decision-making and updated software packages. Our operations department hired a new COO, rewrote policy and procedures manuals in preparation for a large new site, Safe Stay Stockton Blvd (SSS). With all that accomplished, we successfully brought in 40 new employees and opened SSS, a state-of-the-art facility, without any major glitches.

As we look to 2025, we are prepared to start CalAIM operations at our sites, providing expanded benefits to our clients, including housing-related Medi-Cal support. Additionally, we will be adding a Coordinated Access Navigation Program, supporting the entire County of Sacramento 211 referrals for navigation/case management support in the field, and preventative measures to support housed individuals in danger of losing their housing. We hope to expand the Roseville Road Campus, adding up to 100+ new cabins during 2025.

First Step Communities will continue to need your help as we move forward, building bigger and better programs that can stabilize lives and build individualized pathways out of trauma and homelessness. Please visit our website for additional ideas on how you can help and to watch announcements during 2025 of our expanding plans.

Stephen Watters, Chief Executive Officer and Founder

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