July 29, 2020 — Redwood Community Services has been operating an emergency homeless shelter in Ukiah for four winters now. August 6 is the one-year anniversary of Building Bridges, or B2, the day program where homeless people can do laundry, take a shower, use computers, and get help finding housing or counseling for substance abuse or behavioral issues.
The overnight shelter opened a few days early in the fall, when it was extra cold during the power shutoff. Now, in the midst of the pandemic, Redwood Community Services wants to keep it open. Some money is scheduled to come down from the federal government, but there’s a three month gap between now and when the money is expected to arrive. Last week, Building Bridges launched a fundraiser through gofundme, with a goal of raising $150,000 to keep the facility running for those three months. Sage Wolf, the program manager at B2, spoke about what that money is for, how many people use the shelter, and how the organization coped with a recent case of covid-19 in a staff member.