We never stop creating affordable housing options for folks in Chico.
Hello, to our wonderful supporters!
Happy holidays! I cannot believe we're nearly a third of the way through December. Wasn't it just Thanksgiving? In any case, the New Year will be here before we know it. We have several updates for you this week, including the reminder of all reminders about an event next Friday. Hint: We've been eagerly anticipating this moment for literally years! We also want to introduce a new staff member who, fairly regularly, will be sharing info about CHAT volunteer opportunities. We cannot stress enough just how integral volunteers are to CHAT's work. Did you know both our food distribution and furniture warehouse programs are operated by people who donate their time and energy to help us further our mission? We greatly appreciate those who give freely of themselves to help make the world a better place, including right here in our community. Read on to learn more!
-Nicole, CHAT executive director
See you there!
Join us! The day we've long dreamt of is here! Everhart Village is opening this month, and we're inviting the public to check it out during a Community Open House! Join representatives from CHAT and Butte County Behavioral Health (BCBH) on Friday, Dec. 15, from 2-4:30 p.m., to tour the facility (540 Cohasset Road) and learn more about this innovative collaboration between our organizations.
At capacity, Everhart Village will be home to 20 formerly homeless individuals living in their own cozy cabin. They will receive mental health treatment from BCBH, along with case management and other programs and support from CHAT.
We're so excited about this momentous occasion! Fact is, Everhart Village would not be a reality without support from the public—whether through donations that have funded infrastructure at the site or the many hours of volunteer labor that helped get the project over the finish line. Suffice to say, planning and constructing the village has been a massive undertaking.
To learn more about Everhart Village, click here. See you at the Open House!
Filling bellies
Let's get cooking: If you enjoy making food for people, please consider regularly sponsoring a meal for the residents of Everhart Village. CHAT is in urgent need of volunteers who can commit to providing and preparing one meal a month for the village's 20 residents for at least a year.
If you love being in the kitchen, this is the perfect volunteer opportunity! You'll get to share your passion for creating delicious food while nourishing bodies and nurturing hearts.
If you've ever had someone make a wholesome meal specially for you, you know how wonderful it feels to be cared for in this way. Your generosity will be much appreciated! Plus, showing compassion and love through food is immensely rewarding for the giver.
To learn more about becoming a meal provider, contact CHAT Assistant Director of Social Services Caitlyn Patterson at 530-715-7341 or caitlyn@chicohousingactionteam.net. Find our online sign-up form by clicking here.
The gift of giving back
Pleased to meet you: We are excited to introduce you to CHAT's new volunteer coordinator, Sammey Zangrilli! If Sammey looks (or her name sounds) familiar, there are numerous possibilities why:
A Chico State graduate with a degree in environmental politics, Sammey started the long-running Chico Bicycle Music Festival and went on to organize it for nine years. She and her husband, Cheetah, met while living at the GRUB cooperative, and for the past decade have been the proprietors of TurkeyTail Farm in Yankee Hill.
Sammey looks forward to hearing from potential volunteers, without whom CHAT would not be the organization it is today. Right now, in addition to the urgent need for meal providers for Everhart Village, CHAT is seeking folks willing to keep the village running smoothly by performing simple tasks such as raking leaves, planting landscaping, and power-washing buildings. Find the online sign-up form here.
In the weeks to come, Sammey will be checking in with additional volunteer opportunities and info. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to her at sammey@chicohousingactionteam.net or 530-399-3964. You can also get general information about volunteering, including how to sign up, by visiting our website.
Hot off the press
Read all about it: CHAT's quarterly Housing Action newsletter is now online (click here to check it out). Among the fall issue's stories is a great piece on CHAT's first decade of operation in Chico, beginning with its early days as an emergency cold-weather, low-barrier shelter.
That article was written by the indefatigable Nancy Park—a longtime volunteer and former board member—who launched the newsletter back in 2019 and has curated it ever since. She recently decided to step back from those duties, so we thought it was the perfect time to feature her in a profile. Much thanks to Nancy, whose many years of service to CHAT is impossible to capture in a few hundred words.
Important reminders:
Don't forget! Tomorrow (Saturday morning, Dec. 9) is the Chico Food Project's pickup day. That means it's time to put the blue bags filled with donated food on your porch for CFP's volunteer collection crew. Keep in mind that many CHAT residents are recipients of these generous donations.
According to the good folks at CFP, the demand at the Chico Community Food Locker is so high this year that each family has been limited to one pickup per month. As such, additional bags of donations are greatly appreciated. You don't have to worry about procuring additional blue bags; simply place items in standard grocery bags.
Another way to help CHAT residents, as well as local hunger-relief organizations: Through Dec. 25, you can participate in Safeway's Nourishing Neighbors Campaign. Look for the flyer at checkout stands and tell your friendly clerk that you'd like to donate $10 to the cause.
Winter warmth
Bundling up! This month, as the temps drop, please consider cleaning out your closets and donating cozy jackets and coats to local families in need. Through Dec. 29, Ace Hardware in Chico (231 W. East Ave) is taking in donations of gently used and new outerwear that will benefit CHAT residents. All sizes and styles are welcome!
Much thanks to our friends at Ace for helping Chicoans in need stay warm!
Upcoming events
• Get your tickets: True North Housing Alliance is holding its 2nd Annual Blues & Blues benefit concert on Sunday, Jan. 21, and tickets are on sale now. The concert will feature Big Mo & The Full Moon Band, The Rockhounds, The Stumpjumperz Band, and The Unknowns.
True North operates the Torres Community Shelter, Chico's longest-serving congregate shelter. Right now, the shelter is in the midst of a campaign to raise $100,000 by Jan. 1. Up until Dec. 31, matching funds of up to $50,000 are available, so now is a great time to donate to this integral local homeless services provider.
• Next Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 6:30-8 p.m., Stonewall Chico is holding its Holiday Edition Parents' Panel at the Trinity United Methodist Church Library, 285 E. 5th St.
This is a panel discussion for parents, families, and caregivers supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Discussion will include such topics as navigating schools and school functions, handling holidays with families, and supporting the mental health of youth during what is often a complicated and difficult time of year. Panelists include local therapists, doctors, experienced parents, and other advocates. For more info, go to www.stonewallchico.com.
As always, thank you for reading. Please consider forwarding this email to friends, colleagues, and family members who might be interested in furthering local affordable housing solutions or helping the other causes mentioned above, such as the Chico Food Project's blue bag program. Together, we can provide solutions to local homelessness and hunger.
