Want to help? Meet the volunteer corps that’s caring for Sacramento’s homeless

On May 16 at 6:16 p.m., Crystal Sanchez sent an online message to nearly 400 Sacramentans: A woman who had fled a domestic violence situation was sleeping outdoors and needed a tent, blanket and food.

“She has been out there since last night and nearly froze to death,” Sanchez wrote. “I need all hands on deck on this.”

In less than two hours, the group had paid for a hotel room for the woman, and arranged a ride there.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck last spring, a small army of volunteers in a group called Sacramento Solidarity of Unhoused People (Sac SOUP) have been dispatching to encampments across the area to provide food, water, supplies and medical care to the homeless.

Zoe Kipping had donated occasionally to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and made bag lunches for the homeless at Christmas. She always wanted to do more, but there was always something else going on, she said. Then the pandemic hit.

“It took away all the other distractions that were stopping me, and I think many others, from finding the time,” Kipping, 32, said. “There’s no brunch, there’s no live theater, there’s no getting together for happy hour.”

In March 2020, Kipping, Sanchez and Caity Maple started raising money for hand washing stations for the homeless to prevent the spread of the virus. They realized many of the people who were serving the homeless were retired seniors who were now staying home because they were at risk for contracting the virus. The trio formed Sac SOUP to fill the gap, bringing together existing religious and nonprofit groups as well as recruiting new volunteers.

When Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, sparking a racial reckoning in Sacramento and across the country, even more people joined the group, Sanchez said. Francisco Kuhl was among them.

“After being active with a lot of the (police brutality) protests, that was kind of the awakening for me, I guess, to just stop waiting,” Kuhl, 29, said. “This is literally just a bunch of people who, like me, just wanted to do something.”

Homelessness impacts the Black community at a disproportionate rate. The number of Black homeless people who died in 2019 made up 28% of the total deaths that year. Only 13% of the county’s population is Black.

Homeless volunteer group grows

When a severe storm hit in January, city and county leaders opted not to open emergency warming shelters. That caused even more people to volunteer, Kuhl said.

For others, the catalyst was watching what appeared to be an increase in the homeless population during the pandemic. Amy Bollinger watched a camp along Stockton Boulevard near her house grow. She decided to go out once to feed the men and women there once a week on her one day off from working as a nurse.

“I saw the growing number of people out in the camps and just wanted to show up for my neighbors in a different way,” Bollinger said.

Some, like Bollinger, go to the camps near their homes to deliver food and supplies. Others cook the food and leave it on their porch. Some write letters to the City Council and Board of Supervisors. Medical students provide care.

Like many in the group, Robyn Davis started serving the homeless during the pandemic, in January.

“The more people I talk to, the more humble I become, the more dedicated I became,” Davis said. “Once you start, it’s definitely hard to stop.”

The group communicates on Slack, an online messaging service. The group’s members have recently sent messages about water bottles on sale, a man with a bad rash on his arms who needed medical care, a pregnant woman sleeping in her car who needed a motel, and a transgender woman on the streets who needed clothing.

“I can put one question out there and 400 people see it as opposed to making 400 different calls,” said Charles Ware, a longtime homeless advocate who leads the Oak Park Homeless Project. “If I say I need tents and sleeping bags, somebody is probably going to respond that day, if not tomorrow.”

Not all 400 members are active, but Ware’s requests are always fulfilled, he said.

‘A blessing’

Jessica Clinkenbeard pulled her gray Chrysler Voyager van up to a homeless encampment on Wednesday morning.

She popped the trunk of the van, which had two car seats in the backseat. Plastic bins were filled with brown paper bags — care packages she and her two children had made. Men and women lined up immediately and started filling their arms with water bottles, hand sanitizer, bug spray, sunscreen, batteries, wipes, fruit and popcorn.

“I take all these people that come out as a blessing from God,” said Patricia Houlden, 43, who lives in the camp. “Without them, I may not make it.”

Victoria Williams agreed. “These are my guardian angels that show up,” Williams, 51, said, her arms full of water and snacks, already starting to sweat from the heat, even though it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet.

Like many of the Sac SOUP members, Clinkenbeard started serving the homeless during the coronavirus, in November. She enjoys being connected to like-minded Sacramentans through the group.

“When you’re on Nextdoor or Facebook, you see so many neighbors complaining about the homeless,” Clinkenbeard, 41, said. “It’s really nice to be on a site dedicated to ameliorating this crisis.”

The group plans to stay active and keep growing after the coronavirus pandemic passes, for as long as there is a need.

“The goal is just to stay around,” said Maple, who is running for City Council. “But the ultimate goal is not to have to exist.”