2021/2022 Respite Center
What is the Carmichael Winter Respite Center?
From January 3rd – February 28th, we will provide 4 hours of respite 3 days per week, allowing guests to get out of the cold, use a restroom, eat a hot meal, rest, and receive the hospitality of volunteers and service providers. Additionally, our guests will be able to meet with the Homeless Outreach Navigator, receive care from nursing students from Chamberlain University College of Nursing, and have the chance to take free showers.
In order to serve those who may not be able to get to Winter Respite, we will conduct an outreach once per week, delivering meals, hygiene items, and survival gear to our homeless neighbors in Carmichael.
How do I Volunteer?
We are looking for individuals who have a compassionate heart for others and are willing to donate their time to help organize the respite center. We offer different duties and different amounts of involvement to meet the individual needs of our volunteers. Groups are preferred.
We are also looking for churches or similar facilities to donate space to house a week or longer of the shelter.
Contact us to find out more.
Spend the Day?
Carmichael HART Respite Center is a free program serving Carmichael’s homeless men and women.
Two years ago Carmichael HART operated a rotating winter sanctuary program. Unfortunately,due to COIVD-19, we are unable to accommodate overnight guests. In response, we are doing the best we can to provide services to our community’s homeless. The below numbers are stats from our first year of Winter Respite. We hope to grow our impact this year.
Days of Respite Provided
Average Guests Per Day
Different Volunteers
Total Number of Individuals Served
Hi Paul,
Did you get my email from a few days ago? I’ve added you to our email roster so you’ll get invitations to our general meetings, which are always held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6 pm. Also, please drop by any time at Winter Respite on Saturdays, from 8 am – 12 noon, at Carmichael Presbyterian Church, 5645 Marconi Ave. If you’d like to volunteer, contact Barbara Farley at 916-947-2827. Thank, Paul.
Thank you for your offer. Our winter respite ended on March 6. I would recommend donating to a local nonprofit thrift store. Both Deseret and St Vincent de Paul are organizations that support Carmichael HART.
Thank you for reaching out. Our Winter Respite Program is up and running, but I think you’re referring to our Winter Shelter that we haven’t operated for the last 2 years. I agree that an overnight shelter is more beneficial to the homeless community than a day respite center offering showers and a hot meal. Please understand that Carmichael HART is a 100% volunteer run, community-based nonprofit organization. We do all of our own fundraising and all of the programs we offer are possible because of the many dedicated volunteers that support us. Many if not most of these volunteers are elderly, and not available due to the risks of COVID. We transported our participants to the shelter in vans, so we would be unable to fill the van to capacity as in the past. Also, some of the churches we use have small areas for people to eat and sleep in, so it would be irresponsible for us to house up to 30 people, many unvaccinated, in crowded conditions. The shelters you mention in midtown and South Sac are paid for by the city and county of Sacramento and have paid staff. We are not making excuses, but doing the best we can as a dedicated group of volunteers in challenging times.
Kindest regards,
Scott Young