Volunteers of America – in collaboration with PRIDE Industries, the Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency – provides homeless single adults and parents an opportunity to build new personal and professional lives at Mather Community Campus. Mather Community Campus is dedicated to providing the best possible services and a supportive environment to learn new skills and build a healthy lifestyle.

Housing
Residents, whom we refer to as "students," enjoy a safe and secure environment where staff members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Private air-conditioned apartments of varying sizes are available to meet the needs of individuals and families. Rooms are fully furnished, and include telephone connections.
 
Three meals a day are served in the relaxing community dining hall. Family units have kitchens for flexible independent meal preparation.

Services
A case manager and an employment services worker work in partnership with students to secure steady jobs, build a stable lifestyle and obtain permanent housing. Students' interests, abilities and career/life goals will be assessed. They learn job search skills, how to keep a job and given tools to advance their chosen career paths. Job-training opportunities are available on campus, as well as throughout the community. The Sacramento Works One-Stop Career Center is located on-campus. Students also attend a variety of daily group sessions focusing on substance-abuse recovery, parenting skills and budgeting.

For those preparing to move to permanent-housing situations, Mather Community Campus' housing specialist assists in locating a new home.

Recreation
A wide variety of recreation activities for students include sports, music, art, gardening and monthly theme events.

Community spirit
Mather Community Campus is dedicated to enriching the lives of its students. The Residents’ Council, Leadership Team and Community Advisory Committee ensure the quality of our services.

All members of our campus are involved in maintaining a clean and sober community. Activities that support students in recovery include alcohol and  drug education workshops, transportation to nearby 12-step groups, and clean and sober recreation activities. All residents are drug tested.

Transportation
To meet the transportation needs of our students, our campus van includes stops at Light Rail and selected job, recovery, childcare and shopping locations. Additionally, Regional Transit Route 75 provides regular bus service to the campus, including evenings and weekends.

Costs
Students pay affordable rent and program fees for their housing, utilities and numerous services. Students on the singles site also pay food fees.

'Good Day Sacramento' staged a unique Thanksgiving
feast at Mather Community Campus this year with the
generous support of nine area restaurants/caterers
and service organizations. To watch video clips, click here. To see additional photos, click here.

Buffalo meat loaf, fried rice, Portuguese beans, scalloped corn, barbecued ribs ... it wasn't your traditional Thanksgiving feast – it was better!

Nine Greater Sacramento-area restaurants/caterers and service organizations – all part of "Good Day Sacramento's" ongoing "Brown Bag" cooking competition – came together this Thanksgiving to host a one-of-a-kind meal for more than 100 students at Mather Community Campus.

Hosted by reporter Tina Macuha and producer Jason "Toots" Maloney, the event was showcased several times during the show's 7 to 10 a.m. holiday broadcast, and featured interviews with Volunteers of America Program Director Ellen O'Neil, as well as with diners and contributing chefs.

TLC Catering, Ludy's Main St. BBQ & Catering, Elkhorn Station, Vince's Ristorante, Crisp Catering, Market Club, Johnny Garlics and the Vizcaya Inn were the restaurants and catering companies that supplied the food and served the meals to an excited and appreciative group of singles and families at the transtional housing and job-training facility's dining room.

"I am amazed – this is a feast for the gods," said O'Neil. "It's great, we really appreciate it."

To watch video segments from the "Good Day Sacramento" Brown Bag Thanksgiving, click here.

To see additional photos, please click here.