Category: News

The local project, “Hats for the Homeless” is a long-time partner of Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice and continues to be a bright light in the community. Led by Joshua’s House Board Member Angie Strawn, Hats for the Homeless was able to distribute 800 hats to homeless individuals last year, and they are on track to give away close to 1,000 hats this year!

Recently, Hats for the Homeless lost a beloved volunteer, Char, who knitted over 90 hats for homeless men and women. Char became involved with Hats for the Homeless after experiencing a family tragedy. She found peace and a sense of purpose when knitting hats for people in need. The healing Char felt when knitting is something all of us at Joshua’s House can relate to. During her celebration of life, Char’s family chose Joshua’s House as a recipient for memorial donations. We couldn’t be more honored to be recognized by the family and are deeply grateful for their kindness.

In memory of their devoted volunteer Char, Hats for the Homeless continues to knit hats for those in need and are excited to reach 1,000 hats this year. If you are a knitter and would like to volunteer your time to help them reach their goal, you can email Angie at amstrawn@comcast.net.

Click here to learn more about Hats for the Homeless and their partnership with Joshua’s House and other community leaders.

Folsom Quilt and Fiber guild was established in 1985 and has grown since.  Many original members remain active. We host a quilt show each spring and have numerous community pursuits.  Our members (about 200 this year) make between 200-300 quilts annually.  This year our Cuddle Quilts will comfort children at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, provide warmth to victims of domestic violence at Thrive and be carried by Folsom Fire to cuddle children involved in emergencies. 

As a retired Registered Nurse, each of these groups is important to me.  When I presented information to the Guild about Joshua’s House and the mission to provide hospice care to the homeless community, our group was immediately and deeply responsive.  We are committed to providing quilts to Joshua’s House in the hope that some small comfort will be derived at the end of a life that has most likely lacked comfort and respect.

We welcome new members regardless of skill levels.  More information about Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild can be found at folsomquilt.org

About Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice

• Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice (JHVH) will provide comfort care to up to 15 terminally ill homeless people from the Sacramento area. It will be the first hospice for terminally ill homeless people in California on the West Coast and one of only a few in the country.

• JHVH will remain a referral hospice facility only, never wavering from providing comfort care to terminally ill homeless men and women during its 50-year lease of the property.

• JHVH will be on a secured property with landscape screening, fencing and security staff to ensure the privacy of both patients and local residents. The opening driveway and sidewalk access to JHVH will be on Larchwood Drive.

• Between 20% and 25% of homeless people die from terminal illnesses such as COPD, cancer, and heart disease. After diagnosis, they typically only live for a few months. Most homeless people are disconnected from families and do not have family members who can help care for them. In 2021, more than 190 homeless individuals died on Sacramento’s streets and along our rivers.

• Patients will be referred to JHVH through local health systems when they are deemed eligible for end-of-life care. The facility will only accept referrals from these systems and is not a walk-in service. It will not provide other services for the greater homeless community.

• Staff and volunteers at JHVH will include certified end-of-life doulas, hospice workers provided through the referring health systems, and vetted volunteers who will provide peace and comfort, meals, and music, art and writing therapy. 

• JHVH will be the first such facility to offer educational opportunities for medical and nursing students through on-site course work study and internships.

• JHVH is named in honor of the grandson of its founder who tragically died alone on the streets. No one should have to pass from this life without comfort, care and support.

For more information, please contact Marlene M. von Friederichs-Fitzwater, MA, Ph.D., MPH, Founder and CEO, at mfitzwater@thehcri.org

Cutting-edge program takes a new approach to compassionate end-of-life care for one of society’s most vulnerable populations

SACRAMENTO –  Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice (Joshua’s House), the first program on the West Coast to create a hospice center for terminally ill homeless people, broke ground in Natomas today. Joshua’s House will help end Sacramento’s tragic history of terminally ill homeless people dying on our streets by providing no-cost supportive care and restoring the dignity of terminally ill homeless people in our community.

“When talking to homeless people, their number one fear is almost always dying alone on the street. No one should have to meet that fate,” said Marlene von Friederichs-Fitzwater PhD MPH, who founded Joshua’s House in memory of her grandson who was homeless and died on the streets at the age of 34. “Joshua’s House will allow terminally ill homeless people in our area to spend their final days in comfort and safety, with the dignity we all deserve.”

Between 20% and 25% of homeless people die from terminal illnesses such as COPD, cancer, and heart disease. After diagnosis, they typically only live for a few months. Most homeless people are disconnected from families and do not have family members who can help care for them. In 2021, more than 190 homeless individuals died on Sacramento’s streets and along our rivers.

Joshua’s House’s property will include ADA-compliant manufactured homes to house 15 residents, with room to add more homes in the future. Joshua’s House is partnering with HomeAid Sacramento, an arm of the North State Building Industry Association, on the construction of the facility.

“Improving the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness is a core mission of HomeAid Sacramento,” said Amber Celmer, HomeAid executive director. “Building together as a community is how we bring meaningful change to Sacramento. We are proud to partner with Joshua’s House because terminally ill homeless people deserve somewhere to live out the end of their lives with dignity and respect.”

Eligible patients will be discharged to Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice from local health systems, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Home Health Care & Hospice Program, and Yolo Hospice. The referring health care systems will provide hospice care to Joshua’s House patients.

Joshua’s House will be the first in the nation to serve patients with End-of-Life Doulas trained and certified to provide compassionate end-of-life care. Joshua’s House will also provide patients with clothing, meals and creative therapies such as music, art, and writing. The program is operated by community volunteers and is funded through donations and grants.

“Sickness does not know or care if you are sheltered. Joshua’s House is a template for communities everywhere that will ensure a terminally ill unsheltered person’s final days are filled with compassion, acceptance, respect and love. I am proud to support the work of Joshua’s House in Sacramento,” Mayor Darrell Steinberg said.

Joshua’s House will also be the first facility in the country to offer educational opportunities and internships for nursing and medical school students – including students at the Chamberlin School of Nursing, the California State University School of Nursing, and the UC Davis School of Medicine.

Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice is slated to begin accepting patients in 2023.

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Angela “Angie” Strawn, EdD, MSN, RN, has a solid history in nursing higher education including roles as faculty, administrator, dean and campus president and is currently a consultant for schools developing nursing programs at the baccalaureate or higher level, specializing in curriculum, regulation and accreditation.

When asked why she joined the Board of Directors for Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice, she said, “I believe in the desperate need to help those who are dying on our streets from terminal illnesses and I think I have the knowledge and experience to assist.”

She added that she believes nurses today need to be educated in the needs of the community, to understand vulnerable populations and the social determinants of health.

“I understand how community organizations and services can partner with educational programs so both benefit – the student learns and the service gains,” she said. “In my role as the education coordinator, I hope to provide opportunities for students from many schools and programs to become sensitive to the needs of the dying.” 

Angie hopes that Joshua’s House demonstrates its value and mission in the first year. She said, “My goal is for Joshua’s House to be seen as home for the dying that brings compassion, dignity, and care to the terminally-ill who have no place else to go for such care.”

“As the education liaison for Joshua’s House, I want to reach out to schools and programs at all levels – high school through college – that want opportunities in community service,” she added. “The world can be changed through kindness!”  

Christine Brennan has been part of the Joshua’s House Board almost since the project started and has agreed to oversee the Spiritual Care component to ensure that all residents of Joshua’s House will have access to whatever level of spiritual care they seek.

Christine is a Sutter Health Technical Support Manager with 22 years of experience managing a staff of 21 to support data integration between Electronic Medical Record system and other ancillary systems. When asked why she is involved with Joshua’s House, she said, “I want to work alongside Marlene and support this great effort to establish an organization to house the homeless during the end of their lives.”

She also volunteers at Loaves and Fishes, is a hospice volunteer with the Sutter Care At Home and serves on the Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART), Winter Shelter for the Homeless (2022).

“My role has always been to support Marlene in whatever capacity she needs in order to fulfill her vision for Joshua’s House,” she added. “My compassion for the homeless and for hospice care, along with my strong faith is what I bring to this Board.”

Christine shared that she hopes Joshua’s House will be able to fill all their beds each day and provide excellent quality of care to their homeless guests. “My hope is to also see Joshua’s House expand on the West Coast,” she said.

Now that we are more than halfway through April, our push for a strong Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is fully underway! BDOG is an annual 24-hour, community-wide movement that unites the region’s nonprofit sector to help raise unrestricted funds for the organizations that strengthen the capital area.

Since 2013, the giving day has generated nearly $65 million for more than 700 local nonprofits! So, it is no surprise that BDOG is one of Joshua’s House Volunteer Hospice’s most important fundraising pushes of the year. This year, we set an ambitious goal of $50,000, and we need your help to reach it! Your donations go towards providing Sacramento’s terminally ill homeless people with the compassion and care we all deserve at the end of our lives.

The BDOG donation period starts April 21. Fortunately, donating your money is not the only way to help us achieve our BDOG goal. Simply interacting with and sharing our content goes a long way in our efforts too! Please consider visiting our social channels – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – and sharing our BDOG content. Here is a list of actions you can do to help us spread the word and reach our fundraising goals:

1. Retweet our BDOG Tweets
2. Share our BDOG Facebook posts
3. Sign up for and share our newsletter
4. Donate towards our fundraising goal between April 21and May 5

Give with a Golden 1 Credit Union debit or credit card to boost your impact. Golden 1 Credit Union is matching its members’ gifts!

Thank you very much for your continued support of Joshua’s House. Our mission of ensuring no one dies alone on the street is fueled by compassionate supporters like you.

Barbara Fitzwater was among the first group of people to become involved with Joshua’s House in 2017 after reading about it in a local newspaper. “I believed that my experience in volunteer program management and my compassion for those who are dying and homeless could be beneficial to the Board and to Joshua’s House,” she explained.

Barbara has over 40 years experience in volunteer program management and was the Area Director of Volunteer Services at Kaiser Permanente for 33 of those 40 years. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in psychology and sociology from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), a Master’s Degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco, a Certificate in Applied Gerontology from CSUS, and a Certificate in Graphic Design from the UC Davis Extension Program.

“Volunteers will be key service providers in Joshua’s House and a well-organized professional volunteer program will play a major role in Joshua’s House success,” she said. “We will need to all work together to develop a strong program to recruit, train and effectively manage the volunteers so that Joshua’s House will be a valuable community resource!”

Even though Barbara and Marlene, our founder/CEO, share the same last name, they are not directly related, but have enjoyed working together. “I feel blessed to be part of the Board,” she shared. “I know there is a lot of work to be done, but I’m up for the challenge!”