First Annual First Step Communities -River District Health Fair

On Saturday, September 30th, First Step Communities and The River District PBID joined together to address the pressing issue of homelessness in the River District. This event brought together 21 community organizations, and we extend our gratitude to Kaiser Permanente for sponsoring this initiative.

The participating organizations included: Sacramento County Substance Use Prevention & Treatment Services, WEAVE, Elica CAN Team, Community HealthWorks (previously known as Sacramento Covered), Hope Cooperative, LGBT Center, Community Against Sexual Harm (C.A.S.H.), Sacramento County Mental Health Access Team, Women’s Empowerment, Life Practice Counseling Group, The Willow Clinic, Department of Community Response (DCR), One Community Health, Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, Turning Point, El Hogar, Loaves & Fishes, Assistance League of Sacramento, Elica Mobile Clinic, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and Showers by Touchstone.

First Step Communities is committed to bringing shelter and healthcare closer together because we believe that access to essential medical services is a fundamental step in ending homelessness. During the health fair, The Willow Clinic provided medical services, including an OB/GYN clinic. We've forged a partnership with The Willow Clinic to offer medical services every Saturday at our North A Street Campus site, located at 1400 North A Street. Additionally, the Elica Mobile Clinic also joined the health fair, providing services every Wednesday at North A Street.

Other services at the health fair included:

STI/HIV testing with One Community Health

Mental health assessments with Sacramento County Mental Health Access Team

Narcan distribution with Sacramento County Substance Use Prevention & Treatment Services

Shelter navigation with Department of Community Response (DCR) and the Elica CAN Team

Domestic Violence and trafficking support with WEAVE and Community Against Sexual Harm (C.A.S.H.)

Showers with Showers by Touchstone

Nutrition support with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

Medi-Cal and CalFresh information with Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance

Mental health resources with Life Practice Counseling Group, Turning Point, El Hogar and Hope Cooperative

LGBT resources with LGBT Center

Backpacks with hygiene products donated by the Danna Foundation

In addition, Saint John's Lutheran Church served a remarkable 200 cooked meals, and we extend our sincere appreciation for their incredible support.

We also wanted to highlight Life Practice Counseling Group. We are collaborating to bring therapy onsite to our shelters, striving toward eliminating barriers to mental health support.

This event reinforced the importance of community-driven initiatives in the River District. It was heartening to witness the connections forged among our community partners, emphasizing the strength we derive from unity. At First Step Communities, we are enthusiastic about exploring innovative ways to assist our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

We invite you to view more photos from the event below: