CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - This year’s intense weather resulting from unprecedented “atmospheric rivers” which produced high winds and flooding, has created a particular hardship for the homeless and otherwise unhoused population in our area.

This makes the 2023 Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) Winter Sanctuary a blessing for participating guests.

Winter Sanctuary is a free nightly program at local host churches offering overnight shelter for 20-25 homeless guests in Citrus Heights, ages 18 and older. For eight weeks, or 56 nights, seven churches in three cities are coming together on a rotating schedule to provide services.

Winter Sanctuary hosted 77 guests last year during its nine weeks. According to statistics from HART, more than 800 volunteers served over 1,000 hot meals and 972 to-go lunches.

Six weeks remain in the program which began Sunday, January 1, and ends Sunday, February, Feb 26. Host churches provide a warm dinner, a safe dry place to sleep, breakfast, and peace – a true sanctuary!

Guests arrive at the intake church, Messiah Lutheran at 5:00 p.m. to be screened and to register for the evening. Their belongings are safely stored for them on site.

HART volunteers interview and register new intakes while ongoing guests sign in and move on for refreshments and some trivia questions which can often lead to interesting debates. Fun prizes are given out to those who answer correctly first.

Resources and services are available on different nights including mobile showers, bus passes, help with job searches, housing, some medical checks and more. Homeless Navigator Gabby Yost helps guests navigate life on the street and guides those who are ready to get off the street onto a path towards housing and employment. For those who wish to reconnect with family back home, arrangements can be made to return to their families.

At 6 p.m. transportation is provided to the host church where guests enjoy a warm meal. They are provided with a sleeping bag and cot, clean clothes and other personal items as needed. Men and women are housed separately. At 6:00 a.m. guests are awakened and given a bag breakfast with a simple meal and a fan favorite: socks!   At 7 a.m. they are returned to Messiah to retrieve their stored belongings and be on their way until 5:00 that night when they may return again.

For the first week this year, Fair Oaks Church, formerly Fair Oaks Presbyterian, provided meals and shelter for up to 21 guests from Sunday to Saturday. As a result of the wet weather attendance almost doubled by the second night compared to 2022.

The Sunrise Christian Food Ministry provides food for the meals when needed. On Friday, January 6, guests and volunteers enjoyed soft tacos with all the fixings which meant even those with few or no teeth could have a healthy meal of meat, protein and a starch. The homemade brownies for dessert were a hit.

Lauri Balbi has been Missions Director at Fair Oaks since Winter Sanctuary began in 2017. She explained why, over their seven days, up to 150 dedicated volunteers arrived each night to serve their guests. Their motto is, “We are for our community because God is for us.” She added, “We are blessed to be a blessing to be able to serve people.”

If you can help with any resources, please contact Citrus Heights HART through our Citrus Heights HART web site at http://www.citrusheightshart.org/

Citrus Height HART is asking anyone who can to volunteer with the overnight program to contact www.citrusheightshart.org. Individuals can also help by purchasing supplies and equipment for the organization through an Amazon wish list, with items including socks, hand warmers, beanies, toiletries, and other items.