Maryhouse and Sister Nora's Place are tucked away in the top corner of Sacramento. On the Loaves and Fishes campus, they have created a community alongside the homeless, not on top of them. They provide a place of respite and friendship for people who that is not easy to find.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, around 151,000 people in California were homeless as of 2019. Those individuals represent 27 percent of the country’s total homeless population — but California’s state population is only about 12 percent of the country’s overall.

Moving In: Lana

Lana has been walking down North C Street almost every morning since 1996. She says she used to be a nurse, and when her health conditions worsened, she was let go from her job. Ever since then, Lana has been in and out of shelters. Most of time, however, her ‘home’ is a dim lit sidewalk under an awning on the corner of C Street.

At 4:00AM, Lana wakes up to the sound of the first light rail leaving the station and waits for sunrise. Then, she walks eight blocks from her spot to breakfast at Maryhouse. At the end of North C Street, a warm cup of coffee and a taco soup made from yesterday's leftovers is waiting for her.

After almost 25 years, Lana decided to move inside and become a resident of Sister Nora’s Place. The winter of 2020 hit Sacramento earlier and colder this year, and many people were worried about her safety. She has arthritis, a heart condition, and other health issues that make living on the streets risky for Lana, especially at her age.

In Transition: Donna

Sister Nora’s has 12 cubicle-like bedrooms with a twin bed, closest, and small set of drawers. Unlike other shelters in the area, Sister Nora’s does not limit how long their guests can stay. They can have as much time as they need, as long as they are consistently working on improving their situations.

Donna came to Sister Nora’s Place nine years ago. At the time, she was still known by the staff on campus as ‘Barefoot Donna.’ Donna lived down by the Sacramento river after getting out of jail. She says her ex-husband framed her for a crime she did not commit. After getting out of jail, she had a hard time landing back on her feet.

“It took me around, oh, 27 years to come back inside,” said Donna.

Over time, Donna was given more and more responsibilities around the campus. While walking around campus doing her gardening, the staff has treated Donna as one of their own. She has a staff badge, but refuses to carry a walkie talkie because she still is not comfortable with technology. This is one barrier that Donna still needs to surpass before she can live on her own.

Moving On: Tamee

The staff at Loaves and Fishes explain that homeless people put their names on waitlists for housing and social workers all the time. However, due to the hardships like keeping a phone, even if they get to the top of the list, they might not be able to be reached. That person then gets pushed to the bottom of the list, and the cycle starts over again.

Luckily, with the support of Sister Nora’s Place behind her, Tamee was able to receive a social worker. Within one week of being paired with her social worker, Tamee got on permanent supportive housing to move out of the shelter into an apartment.

Her rent at the new apartment that her social workers found for her will be one third of her Social Security Income. “I couldn't have done it without the support of all the ladies,” Tamee said.

With her pillow in hand and a timid smile on her face, Tamee walked out the door of Sister Nora’s Place.

The work that these two shelters do is just a small part of what needs done to help those that society chooses to forget. Sister Nora’s Place and Maryhouse are unique shelters due to the emotional support and stability that they provide their guests. In this corner of Sacramento at Loaves and Fishes, one can experience a silver of hope.