Photo credit: John Foster

GRASS VALLEY, CA May 25, 2018 – In an effort to provide a cleaner Grass Valley, guests of Hospitality House are spending the morning picking up trash on Thursday, May 31, 2018. Hospitality House staff and volunteers will also join in to clean up Brunswick Basin, the Plaza Drive area and areas across Highway 49. Meet at 9 a.m. at Utah’s Place, 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley. The cleanup event will end at 1 p.m. after lunch, provided to all participants by the Hospitality House culinary students.

The County of Nevada is providing a dumpster, cleanup supplies and volunteers. “Coordinating outreach between county services, Hospitality House and law enforcement is part of the overall homeless plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors,” explains Brendan Phillips, Nevada County’s Housing Resource Manager. “Outreach and engagement with campers, businesses and property owners will help to address concerns. This cleanup activity, led by Hospitality House, is a first step.”

More volunteers are needed to help remove trash from a larger area. Bring gloves and trash bags. Pickup trucks are also needed to help move full trash bags. Contact sue@hhshelter.org to sign up.

Hospitality House does not distribute tents or sleeping bags and the Hospitality House Outreach Case Manager regularly disposes of trash on rural properties while encouraging people living in the rough to be fire-safe and remove debris. Community members can support the shelter work during the month of May, when all donations will be matched by a local benefactor.

The cost to shelter, feed and care for one person at the shelter is $48 each night. Since individuals in the community fund 70% of the needs at the shelter, this matching grant is critical to provide services. Donations can be made by mail or in person to Hospitality House, 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945 or at hhshelter.org.

About Hospitality House: Founded in 2005, Hospitality House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community shelter for the homeless in Nevada County. The year-round shelter is a safe haven, offering three meals per day. In 2017, Hospitality House sheltered 361 individual men, women, and children, provided a total of 38,325 meals, and helped 78 people into homes of their own. hhshelter.org.