A great group of people who Genuinely care about helping…read morepeople in need. I highly recommend Them.

I have only donated here. Very easy to donate, staff seems kind but be mindful of what you coaster…read more I have donated things that in hindsight I don't think a homeless person would benefit from (decor) and they...took it? Wouldve been better to put on a buy nothing group (dont donate to goodwill. They throw most things away) I wish they had activities for the homeless. I have a homeless friend and he says they do t provide things for him to do so he just walks around all day. It's sad

The following is a brief summary of my experiences as a client of the Next Move Homeless Shelter…read morelocated in Mather, California.  Prior to becoming a client with Next Move, I had been sleeping behind a public library in the Sacramento area, so when an opportunity to finally get off of the street was presented to me, I eagerly took it.   During my first few months at the shelter I had limited contact with shelter staff , and when I asked how long I would be allowed to stay at the shelter, I was told not to worry about it, and to just follow the rules and I would be fine.  I was told this multiple times by different staff members on several different occasions.   Also, I'm a senior citizen who does not drive due to vision impairment, and thus it is not easy for me to navigate from place-to-place in search of a permanent place to live, and I really had no one to help me look for housing.  This situation left me feeling very uneasy, as I was very frightened of ending up on the street again, at my age.  So, in order to make myself more useful around the shelter, I began picking up trash, raking leaves, and pulling weeds in and around the shelter building where I was staying.  I also put a lot of effort into keeping my living space spotlessly clean, but in the end none of this ended up mattering to the staff at the shelter.  Additionally, I passed all of the substance abuse screening tests given to me, and I was never accused of breaking any of the shelter's rules.  But in the end, this meant less than nothing. After approximately five or six months, a member of the shelter staff was finally assigned to me as my case manager.  I was told that my case manager would be able to help me find affordable housing, and that my case manager would be able to advise me on how to address certain types of issues, which might block me from obtaining permanent housing, but in reality, almost nothing could be further from the truth. In time, one of my applications made it to the top of the waiting list at a low-income seniors apartment complex in downtown Sacramento.  My case manager informed me that my wife, who had since been staying with relatives in Southern California, could come to stay with me in the shelter, and that the two of us would then move directly into the low income seniors complex together.  Additionally, my case manager also informed me that Next Move would be able to help me with both my first month's rent and my deposit.   However, less than a week later, my case manager suddenly and inexplicably reversed course on our agreed to plan, and not only could my wife no longer come to live with me at the shelter, but Next Move would now no longer be able to help me with my rent and deposit.  Also, because I could no longer bring my wife to the Sacramento area, the seniors apartment complex which I was supposed to move into withdrew their offer for me to rent from them.   It was at this point that my case manager informed me that she had found me a room-and-board type living arraignment in another part of town, and that all I had to do was get into her car with her, and that she would drop me off at a house I had never been to before, where I could pay $800.00 a month to share a bedroom with stranger.  I declined the room-and-board, due to safety concerns, and informed my case manager that I would remain in the shelter as long as the law allowed me to legally do so.   A few days later I informed my case manager that I had found a housing opportunity in another part of the country, but I lacked the funds to travel there on my own.  My case manager informed me that she was working on a plan to have Next Move buy me a plane ticket, but no ticket ever materialized, and no explanations were ever given.  Finally, my last legally allowable day in the shelter arrived, and on that day I simply walked away without talking to any staff as I left.   Due to the incompetence and dishonesty of the staff at Next Move, I was forced to once again sleep out in the street for approximately a month before I was finally able to raise enough money to leave the area.  Anyone who relies upon the unskilled and unprofessional advice of Next Move staff is likely to find themselves out in the streets again, and this example is exactly why the homeless problem is only getting worse, and it is not getting any better.

A woman whose been sober a long time I never imagined I'd be truly homeless@ 62... Asking for help…read more....not knowing where to begin when all other doors other than the Salvation Army were open I was placed with Lexxie love you guys .....here.... It's been a long journey i now have a spot that's safe,lovely and I can truly begin again...NEVER EVER give up on yourself .... And a SHOUT OUT to OUR mayor STEINBERG , Sister Libby for keeping the dream alive ..

Many of us look for how to help. Charles actually DOES the work. He started Oak Park Homeless…read moreProject, a 501c non profit and is providing clothes and bedding for Homeless people. He is DOING the WORK. He needs OUR support. THANK YOU CHARLES. https://www.instagram.com/oakpark_homeless_project

I actually lived at this shelter when it was Volunteers of America. I was able to get my life…read moretogether I.e. found employment and housing, it took some time (2 years). But, totally worth it! I met some friends that I still keep in touch with. The curfew was 10pm and we were fed breakfast, lunch and dinner. Trust me , it was way better than living in a tent.

They say that they get meals but they are always out of food for breakfast they never watch so they…read morerun out of dinner. And do not make sure everyone eats. They run out of towels for showers there are mice black widows and ants everywhere.

Staff here are pleasant and professional. The items for sale are always in GREAT USED CONDITION…read moreand I love shopping here! They offer a good discount to the over 55 crowd and first responders! That's very generous and it really helps me out quite a bit! This charity is a very worthy cause too! Very organized and clean store. Love it here!

My 6 children & I stayed here @ the Lodi house when I left my husband who was abusive. They never…read morejudged, but welcomed us in to their home as long as we needed. When we got back on our feet they help us get into my own place & allowed us to shop in their pantry garage for our necessities as long as needed!! Beautiful inside & out!! Great people

The largest regional food bank in Sacramento. This organization has been serving the community…read moresince 1976 and will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary: check out my photos for the QR code and anniversary details! I came here to volunteer, and to my surprise, there were even younger kids participating. I learned that the minimum volunteer age is 10 years old. Some students were volunteering for school service hours, while others came through different companies and organizations. We joined the second shift from 1pm-4pm. The session started shortly after 1pm with a briefing and task assignments from the group leader. All tasks were explained clearly. The leaders checked on us throughout the shift to make sure we were doing okay and to see if anyone had concerns. Halfway through the shift, we had a 15-minute break, and one of the leaders brought ice cream to celebrate a volunteer's birthday and shared it with everyone. I thought it was a meaningful way to celebrate a birthday while helping a good cause. We actually finished around 3:30pm, and our shift completed: - 5,451 lbs of food packed - 474 boxes prepared for the "No Student Goes Hungry" program supporting students from elementary school through college in Sacramento County. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating, and the facility was clean and organized. Restroom: clean, bright, and decent. If you are interested in volunteering, check out their website and register in advance.

Although not fun, there is one huge benefit to moving...being able to sort through a bunch of…read moremisplaced and forgotten stuff. Within all of this stuff, was a bunch of new and lightly used clothing. In the past I have donated clothing to my local Goodwill Express. However, I did some reflection and realized that all of the clothing that I donated was being sold for profit. Going forward, my intention was to donate to an organization that receives the donation(s) and distributes them to underprivileged individuals/families free of charge. Some research led me to the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Upon calling to verify their hours (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am-1pm and Wednesday, 4pm-7pm), I gathered all of the clothing and hit the road on a mission to make a difference. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a Sacramento Food Bank employee who eagerly began to load my clothing donations onto a cart. Since a lot of the clothing consisted of dress pants and dress slacks, he proceeded to inform me about a program called "Job Smart Clothing." Job Smart Clothing is a program within Sacramento Food Bank that provides career appropriate apparel for underprivileged individuals interviewing for employment or currently employed. How cool is that? I'm not a representative for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. However, I will say that they provide an awesome service to the community, and that a little donation goes a long way (individuals who benefit from their services often leave with 15-20 pieces of clothing per visit). Before you throw away that piece of clothing that you think is out of style or doesn't quite hug your curves the way that they used to, think about donating it to the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services!