San Rafael Event Aims To Put Homelessness To Rest

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A San Rafael nonprofit that works year-round to put homelessness to rest is asking residents to give up the comforts of their own beds for one night to help it meet that goal.
Ritter Center will hold a sleepout to end homelessness later this month.

The group is asking residents to sleep on a floor in their home, decks or porches or camping out in their backyards for just one night.

"Under the Stars: A Sleepout to End Homelessness in Marin," will be held May 21.

Ritter Center hopes to meet its $175,000 fundraising goal by asking residents to donate to their own "sleepout."

“Choosing to sleep in an area other than your bed for one night will not remotely recreate what it is like to sleep on the streets," Ritter Center Executive DirectorMark Shotwell said in a statement.

"But it can allow for greater reflection on how and why people become homeless and the struggles they face every day and help connect the community to resolve homelessness with humanity. Who of us would want to be seen at our worst moment and have our potential defined by it?”

All of the funds raised through this initiative will support the Ritter Center's housing, food pantry, and healthcare services.

Local companies are also using the Sleepout for employee community engagement.

Ultragenyx, a Novato-based biopharmaceutical company that develops novel therapies for serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, is organizing a corporate team Sleepout for its employees and their families.

“Ritter Center’s mission to ensure everyone has access to the health care and services they need connects with our organization’s values,” Ultragenyx Executive Vice President Ernie Meyer said in a statement.

“Our employees are some of the most engaged, community-minded people I’ve ever worked with, and we’re proud to support the Sleepout to help Ritter Center prevent and resolve homelessness for local families."

On the night of the Sleepout, guests will attend Ritter Center’s virtual program to hear Sandi, a Ritter Center client who lived on the streets for years, and now cooks every week from her kitchen to deliver food to those who are unhoused.

Other guests will include Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly; Marin County Supervisor Katie Rice; City of San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin; City of San Rafael Councilmember Eli Hill; Director of Marin County Health and Human Services Benita McLarin; Summer Cassel, District Representative for Senator Mike McGuire; and featured guest, Sam Tsemberis, PhD, who founded Pathways to Housing and developed the Housing First program.

The event will also feature a fundraising awards ceremony, meditative sound bath yoga, and a children’s book reading.

The community is invited to sign up online to be a part of the Sleepout. Paid participants get a free 2022 Under the Stars T-shirt. All participants and donors will receive a virtual goody bag with discounts and treats from local businesses. A silent auction will open a week before the event and close at midnight during the Sleepout.

“Housing is a human right," Shotwell said. "Homelessness is solvable. Everybody deserves a place to call home.”

There is a $25 fee for participants ages 6 and older. Children 5 and under are free.

Major sponsors for this event include: Marin Homeless Aid, Mechanics Bank, Heritage Bank of Commerce, Bank of Marin, Nugget Markets, Marin Living Magazine, Wipfli, Cavallo Point, First Federal Savings and Loan, Marin Sanitary Service, Pasha Group, Jessica Hansen Consulting, San Francisco Chronicle and SF Gate, Good Earth Natural Foods, Montecito Plaza, MCC Building Maintenance, Unicorn Group, Marin Association of REALTORS®, Spirit Airlines, and many others.

To learn more about this event visit here.