Back a couple of years ago when I challenged Richmond’s ten largest employers to create a $1.5 million to address unsanctioned homeless camps, Sims Metal was the only one to step up, providing the largest single donation to the Mayor’s Community Fund that is now the principal source of funding for the Joint Mayor’s Community Fund and Richmond Rotary Housing First Initiative.

Yesterday, Jill Rodby, West Region PR and Governmental Affairs Manager for Sims Metal, stepped up once again to issue a challenge to Council of Industries (COI) members to match up to $10,000 all donations received from COI members. Jill wrote:

Recently COI received a request to support The Mayor's Housing First Initiative, in partnership with the Richmond Rotary Club.  I am so impressed with this initiative. It is truly one of the few that seem to be really helping the homeless find support and housing.  According to the Mayor, they already housed approximately 10 percent of the people living in cars and RVs at the Richmond Parkway/North Castro Street RV Camp.  I’d like to offer a challenge to the COI businesses.  Sims Metal will match up to $10K in donations received from COI members.  I know we can do this - $20K will house one family for a year.  Let’s do it!

You don’t have to be a COI member to support this successful program. Just send a check to Mayor's Community Fund at Richmond Community Foundation and Mail to Tom Butt, Mayor, City of Richmond, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond CA.

This is a non-governmental effort with no administrative overhead. 100 percent of donations go directly towards housing of homeless individuals and families.

Pictured below is Corliss and her son, one of the families transitioned to housing by the Mayor’s Community Fund and Richmond Rotary Housing First Initiative (http://www.tombutt.com/forum/2022/22-2-23b.html) See http://www.tombutt.com/forum/2022/22-2-26.html for more).