I went here Thursday, May 23, 2019. I had seen them on a Pets of the Homeless referral flier, and I…read morehad never heard of them, so I thought I would check them out and see what they had to offer.
I met Dee Dee, who is the director of the two organizations, and receives no salary. She answered my numerous question and gave me a tour. She is a very motherly and pleasant person in her 60's or 70's who has been in Carson City since 1969 I think she said
This is actually two organizations under one roof and management: the Rural Center for Independent Living (RCIL), which used to be on Fairview Street, has independent branches all over the country; and the Do Drop In (a day center for homeless and low income people, who need a respite in the day time). What their office does is basically connect people with services, like finding vocational rehab if you are disabled and want to work, or helping homeless people fill out housing and energy assistance applications. They also have a small food, clothing, toiletry, and pet supply pantry; as well as some warm and ready-made food for people in need. You can go there during the day to rest up, watch TV, get coffee, use the restroom, or grab a bite to eat. They are open from 9 AM to 3 PM weekdays. Supposedly, according to their sign, they also go to the farmer's market in Carson City on Saturdays during the season.
This organization is also all volunteer. Dee Dee said they are not rich like other Carson City organizations such as FISH, the Ron Wood Family Resource Center, or the Salvation Army. She said other RCIL's get funding, but for some reason, she said they are considered the ugly step-child and get no money. And they get no Federal, state, or local funds either. That is why their offices are small and sort of run down, from my tour.
Dee Dee also said that not getting funding is also good in a way, as there is a lot less bureaucracy to deal with, and they can do things more quickly, their own way. To help with funds, they are having an Italian Feed fundraiser on Friday, May 31, 2019 from 5 PM to 8 PM at the Governor's Mansion at 606 Mountain Street in Carson City. They are having a dinner, entertainment, raffles, silent auction, and a wine bottle ring toss. Tickets are $20. You can get more info, reserve a seat, or volunteer/donate at 775-301-6929. Please see the Yelp event that I created: https://www.yelp.com/events/carson-city-italian-feed-fundraiser?utm_campaign=www_event_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct).
You can tell Dee Dee's passion. As I came in, she was on a phone call with a client, and spend at least the next 20 minutes with her while I waited. She told the client to call her back on her cell phone number, which she gave out, every two days until she found a solution. The client, a medical assistant, was looking for a job, health insurance, and anything else.
Some of the info she gave out of the phone or while talking to me was incorrect, such as there is a fine if you don't have health insurance in Nevada (in fact, the Federal government ended that after tax year 2018), or there is a long waiting list for housing at Foothill Gardens (a low-income HUD project-based voucher housing complex in Carson City). She was also unfamiliar with Spanish and did not know how to pronounce a client, named "Dulce"'s name. I told her it meant "sweet" in Spanish. My father had the same problem when he first moved to California in the 70's and called the place "Luh Joe-luh" instead of "La Jolla" [la hoya].
Dee Dee believes in housing first and scatter-site housing. She is also is angry rents have gone up so much recently in Carson City and wants to get the municipality to do something.
On the tour I saw a small day room with a TV and a homeless man sleeping on the couch. She showed me their small food pantry and toiletry pantry. She opened their refrigerator and freezer where I saw items like ready-made salads donated from Trader Joe's. She also has a crock pot so clients can always get a warm bite to eat. That days, there was potato soup. She made very little eye contact with me while giving me the tour, tending to things instead that she found.
There was a single bathroom next to the kitchen area, which was small.
The entry room where I waited was like a throwback from the 80's. I saw a huge boombox with two cassette decks.
I also saw old, worn-out, and mismatched furniture there, like the kind you would see at your grandparents' house in the 70's or 80's. I will be honest: I was almost scared to sit down there, for fear of bed bugs.
The front room/office was also super cluttered, with all kinds of file cabinets, garden hoses, Christmas lights, donated clothing, and everything else you can imagine packed in everywhere around the chairs and desk.
Regardless of the negatives above, this organization does good work on very little funds and is all volunteer. The people their are passionate about helping people. That is all that matters.
