Sacramento County Community Service & Support Digest

Capital Region organizations like Saint John’s Program for Real Change and My Sister’s House are lifelines for thousands of vulnerable women and their children, providing crisis counseling, housing, supportive services and hands-on employment training.

A newly expanded funeral center is being built in Citrus Heights. The 21,000-square-foot funeral center project broke ground in April last year, and will include administrative offices, a chapel, and a reception area for celebration of life events. An increase in deaths due to COVID-19 helped move along plans, as Calvary Funeral Center saw a 20% increase in demand.

Joyce Raley Teel, former majority owner of Raley’s and a Sacramento-area philanthropist, has died at 91. The only child of founder Thomas P. Raley, she used to work at the first store in Placerville.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian immigrants call California home, and many of them are still processing the shock they’ve felt at the Russian invasion into Ukraine. For those hoping to help, these groups are providing aid to affected Ukranians.

The Galt Youth Commission and Beautification Committee worked with community members to clean up litter along Carillion Boulevard, collecting more than 150 pounds of trash from the sidewalks, hedges and medians.

Community-based organizations can apply for the Sacramento Get Vaccinated campaign, which is aimed at ZIP codes with the lowest vaccination rates. Stipends between $2,500 and $5,000 will be awarded by the city of Sacramento.

As of June 2021, Sacramento County has 12 circulating newspapers, including dailies and weeklies. Only one paper is Black-owned and operated: the Sacramento Observer. “There was still a need for our stories to be told,” publisher Larry Lee says in a story by ABC10.

After two years of limitations due to the pandemic, the Effie Yeaw Bird and Breakfast event is back in its traditional format on March 19 and 27.

Change makers, up-and-coming leaders and high achievers with the potential to grow—here are 25 individuals in the Sacramento area who have transformed communities.

David Herburger—longtime president and CEO of the Elk Grove Citizen’s former parent company, Herburger Publications Inc.—was honored by the Elk Grove City Council during the Jan. 26 regular meeting.

The nonprofit group Rancho Cordova Arts raised $4,000 to buy art supplies for local teachers to help with the continuing decline of arts funding in schools.

Garbage warriors are at work in Carmichael. Working with the Sacramento Picks It Up! Facebook group, the volunteers set out weekly to clean public and business areas.

Women’s Empowerment recently received a $25,000 grant from Save Mart Companies C.A.R.E.S. Foundation to support the nonprofit’s programs that educate and empower women experiencing homelessness.

According to Executive Director Marie Jachino, Elk Grove Food Bank Services should be fully operational at its new, permanent facility in February. “It’s almost done,” she said. “We’ve had some delays, because of supply and demand.”

Michael Lagomarsino has volunteered at the Sacramento Aerospace Museum for years, and it has come with the added benefit of personal growth.

Sacramento resident Tommie R. Whitlow has passed away at age 77. She dedicated her life to empowering black children and their families.

The Kiwanis Club of Orangevale-Fair Oaks collected 550 pairs of pajamas to distribute to kids in need living in the region.

The Soroptimist Club of Lake Tahoe has made the decision to hold a Giving Tuesday fundraiser in lieu of a wine testing event. The event was virtual due to concern over COVID-19.

Wanda Clark has 30 days to save her Oak Park home. It is currently in receivership and the 71-year-old needs to pay off fees and violations in order to retain it.

Sacramento area senior Veronica Cofer is an enthusiastic volunteer, but struggles with a bit of a technology phobia.

Advocates are rallying behind Wanda Clark, 71, who is about to lose her three-bedroom house if she can’t come up with thousands of dollars she owes in fines and fees. At a press conference, they likened the city’s move to take her Oak Park home to elder abuse.

Caltrans recently announced a Clean California plan that offers volunteers up to $250 for taking the time to clean up litter on a section of highway.

The Substance Use Respite and Engagement center has helped more than 450 people in its first year, many of them homeless residents of Sacramento.

The Black Child Legacy Campaign brought attention to high death rates among Black children in Sacramento and worked to reduce the mortality rate. Chet P. Hewitt, CEO of Sierra Health Foundation, reflects upon its impact.

Even though it’s autumn, there’s never a bad time to do some spring cleaning. If you are looking to donate some items, there are many places in Sacramento that will take donations and turn them around for a good cause.

Rancho Cordova City Council has appointed new board members to the Community Enhancement Fund in order to provide better transparency as to where granted funds are used.

When the pandemic rent moratorium ended, the Sacramento Mediation Center saw its call volume dramatically increase, and it hasn’t stopped since. This organization is helping individuals who cannot pay their rent navigate their options.

With Sacramento’s Afghan refugee population growing, one local man has started to collect and refurbish baby strollers and other items to help war-torn families in their new home.

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen is making person-to-person contact with local business owners, encouraging them to apply for a city grant. The funds, generated by the American Rescue Plan Act, are disbursed by Elk Grove to its residents.

After years of dreaming and development, Mather Veterans Village is now open in Rancho Cordova. The facility will cater to the unique needs of homeless veterans.

Carmichael Park District staff, SMUD employees and members of the Kiwanis club came together to plant 12 new saplings around the Carmichael region.

The city of Citrus Heights is inviting everyone to attend a community garden day this Saturday. Volunteers will have the opportunity to plant flowers and engage in other tasks on the corner of Greenback Lane and Park Oaks Drive.