Pilot Project Aims to To Expand Sonoma County’s Homeless Intake

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Santa Rosa’s Catholic Charities will head the expansion of a 2- year old pilot program. The program hopes to expand the county’s reach from single families to over 3,000 people – the county’s entire homeless population.

As it is now, the homeless community has to navigate a various programs and waiting lists to gain access to proper shelter. In the months to come, this will no longer be an issue due to a centralized system that will be put in place by the local government.

Before the launch of Santa Rosa’s Catholic Charities initiative, the homeless community of Sonoma would have to go through a lengthy process of partaking in many in person visits as well as hope to make good connections to and/or be placed on a waiting list. This approach has without a doubt made it difficulty for many of these families to achieve their goals of finding a safe place for their family to stay in the face of difficult times.

This initiative known as the coordinated intake,  was prompted by the Board of Supervisors and will allow members of the community to have one point of contact throughout their entire process and said point of contact will be responsible for handling helping the families find housing beds or shelter in Sonoma County.

For more information of this initiative, visit the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa at   www.srcharities.org

Restaurant Saved by Community Effort

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Derrick Alger

In Buffalo, NY, there is a small soul food restaurant on East Ferry Street. It holds a whopping 4 stars on Yelp, and its charm comes from more than the food. Gigi’s Soul Food Restaurant is something of a landmark in Buffalo. It is a beloved, family-owned place whose charm far exceeds its rough ‘greasy spoon’ exterior. People refer to it as the perfect place to go if you’re craving some good old macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes.

Unfortunately, Gigi’s is now closed. This restaurant, which has been on East Ferry Street since the 1960s, was destroyed by a devastating kitchen fire on a quiet November morning. The damage was irreparable. The owners knew it would cost a large amount of money to rebuild the restaurant from scratch, money they just didn’t have. In short, they believed that their restaurant was gone for good.

Thankfully, the power of community saved their business. A GoFundMe page was set up online and countless donations poured in, as well as overwhelming support from the community. A large number of churches got involved as well, urging their members to donate to bring the soul food restaurant back into business. True Bethel Church, for example, managed to raise $17,000, and presented the check to the very grateful owner of Gigi’s, Blondine Harvin. She thanks God for the support of the community, and the opportunity to give her restaurant a second chance. She has owned Gigi’s restaurant for over 50 years and is grateful for the opportunity to keep going.

Now that money is coming in, plans are being made to rebuild the restaurant. Harvin admits that it will take a long time, as they need to literally start from scratch. Nothing in the restaurant was left intact after the kitchen fire gutted the building. So, Gigi’s will remain boarded up as the building is cleaned out and the restaurant is rebuilt, but Harvin is confident that it will come back stronger than ever.

You may be wondering why so many people in the community would come together to support one little restaurant. Aside from the fact that Gigi’s has been a staple in the Buffalo community for over 50 years, it has also served as a symbol to those that are familiar with it. Gigi’s main focus is its community. Its sole mission is to serve its Buffalo people, and it has effectively been doing that since it opened. It also is something of a beacon for small business owners. Gigi’s was begun by a family and expanded into a profitable business, making it a symbol of success for people aiming to start their own small businesses.

All in all, the fire at Gigi’s was able to prove the amazing things that can happen when a community comes together for a cause. To read more about Gigi’s Soul Food Restaurant and its rebuilding efforts, visit this page.

The Sanders Effect

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The race for the presidency has been something out of daytime television. Candidates run the gamut from honest to absurd, all vying to sit behind the most coveted desk, in the most famous office in the country. And though initially eclipsed by the enormity of more boisterous candidates, Bernie Sanders is pulling ahead and receiving his well-earned time in the spotlight.

For Derrick Alger .info

His campaign gathering steam, Bernie’s major success in Iowa has been invaluable to cementing his position in the polls. A massive outpouring of support from the general public, along with a team of highly motivated support staff stand poised to vault Bernia over his competition, and land him in the oval office. Take Caleb Humphrey for example, the 30-year-old Army veteran met with Mr. Sanders in Iowa after making over 2,000 calls in support of his campaign. If this is the sort of dedication his bid for presidency is receiving from motivated citizens, imagine the effort his staff is putting forth.

With 53 people on his Iowa staff, and plans to hire many more, the Bernie Sanders train is moving at full speed. Alongside a team of highly trained individuals working with Bernie directly, recent numbers have indicated more than 1,700 volunteers are operating 15 different campaigns to raise awareness of Mr.Sanders and his message. Logging over 10,000 phone calls and knocking on nearly 20,000 doors, the support for Bernie’s bid is practically unprecedented. Beyond those who simply believe his message, more than 140,000 supporters have registered as volunteers on his campaign website.

Mr. Sanders’ support is so immense, that he’s had to enlist the aid of several organizers to manage the outpouring of volunteers. Millennials, the largest demographic since baby-boomers, are rallying behind Bernie, and are utilizing social media to spread awareness of his campaign. While still anyones race, Bernie Sanders has clearly established himself as a name not to be overlooked. For more on Bernie Sanders, click here.