I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

In this NewsPod I speak with Trent Simmons, Chief Program Officer of Sacramento Steps Forward to unpack the latest Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and what the data actually tells us about homelessness in Sacramento.

The PIT Count is more than a snapshot—it’s a federally required tool that shapes funding decisions, policy direction, and how resources are deployed across our region. In this conversation, we talk about what has changed since the last count, where progress is being made, and where challenges persist.

We also explore why the numbers matter beyond headlines—how they reflect real people, real systems, and the long-term work required to move individuals from crisis to stability. This NewsPod is about context, clarity, and accountability—understanding not just what the data says, but why it matters.

If you care about housing stability, public investment, or the effectiveness of our local response to homelessness, this is an essential listen. It's also a call to action to volunteer for the count. The goal is 1000 volunteers to get the most accurate count possible as numbers matter. The details on registration are below.

What You’ll Hear in This NewsPod

• What the PIT Count measures—and what it doesn’t
• Key takeaways from Sacramento’s latest data
• How PIT Count results influence funding and strategy
• Why year-to-year comparisons require nuance
• The importance of viewing data through a human lens

2026 Point in Time Count

When:

January 26 & 27, 2026. 5:00–11:00 p.m.

Volunteers are highly encouraged to participate in both nights of the count if possible.

Where: Volunteers will meet at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center (6151 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95819) before going out to pre-determined routes across the County.

How: Volunteers are required to register by January 16, 2026.

https://www.sacramentostepsforward.org/data-and-analytics/2026-sacramento-point-in-time-count/

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and this conversation lands right where awareness must lead: action, support, and long-term pathways to stability.

In this episode, I speak with Emily Sanders, founder of Connect2Change—and a survivor herself—whose work is redefining what happens after someone escapes exploitation. Emily’s organization began with crisis support, but it has evolved into something rare and powerful: an empowerment-through-entrepreneurship model designed to help survivor-leaders build sustainable independence.

Emily recently won Sacramento Venture Philanthropy’s Fast Pitch 2025—a major community vote of confidence in a young organization with an innovative approach. We talk about what that moment meant, why mentorship and ecosystem partnerships matter, and how entrepreneurship can interrupt cycles of dependency by rebuilding confidence, capability, and financial stability—one micro-enterprise at a time.

This is a conversation about courage, reinvention, and what it really takes to build “what comes next.”

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Human Trafficking Awareness Month must include survivor-led solutions
• How Connect2Change evolved from crisis intervention to entrepreneurship
• The difference between “services” and sustainable empowerment
• Why strengths-based coaching and mindset work are central—not optional
• The 5-week cohort structure (AI training, assessments, business basics, money, ecosystem tours)
• The role of mentorship and community partnerships in long-term success
• What Emily would build if funding weren’t a limitation—and what she needs most right now

Learn more / Get involved

• Connect2Change: https://www.connect2change.org/
• Contact Emily: emily@connect2change.org

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

00:00 – Human Trafficking Awareness Month & Why “After” Matters
Why awareness must extend beyond rescue—and why long-term pathways to independence matter for survivors.

04:30 – Fast Pitch Victory & Community Validation
Emily reflects on winning SVP Fast Pitch, what it meant for a young organization, and how belief from others fuels momentum.

11:45 – From Survivor to Founder
Emily shares her personal story of survival and the moment she realized her own journey could become a roadmap for others.

17:30 – Rethinking Support: From Crisis Care to Empowerment
How Connect2Change evolved from emergency services into an entrepreneurship-based empowerment model.

26:00 – Inside the Program: Building Confidence, Skills, and Stability
A practical look at the cohort structure—mindset work, strengths assessments, financial healing, business basics, mentorship, and ecosystem connection.

41:30 – What Comes Next: Funding, Partnerships, and the Call to Action
Emily outlines what the org

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

In this episode, I welcome back an organization that continues to shape the way our children—and our communities—understand disability, respect, and inclusion. A Touch of Understanding (ATOU) is celebrating 30 years of hands-on empathy-building, reaching more than 157,000 students across 10 counties with wheelchairs, white canes, prosthetics, lived experience, and powerful conversations that students remember for life.

I sit down with Executive Director Meghan Adamski and longtime volunteer and speaker Karen Parsegian, whose personal journey and unforgettable humor bring the mission of ATOU to life. Together, we explore:

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• The origin story — how a five-year-old’s moment of clarity became a decades-long movement for understanding and respect.
• The speakers — volunteers with and without disabilities who help kids ask brave questions, break down assumptions, and discover what they have in common.
• The hands-on experience — wheelchairs, canes, prosthetic limbs, braille, learning-difference simulations, and the “dark meal” that helps students feel, not just hear, someone else’s experience.
• Impact across generations — students who experienced ATOU as children now bringing the program to their own classrooms.
• Community partnerships — from Boys Team Charity and National Charity League to speakers referred through Society for the Blind and Progressive Employment Concepts.
• What it takes to grow the movement — and how ATOU is preparing for the next 30 years of expansion both locally and nationwide.

Karen’s stories alone remind you why this organization works: joyful curiosity, unexpected connection, and the brave honesty only children can deliver. And Meghan shares the vision of an ever-expanding “family” where people with disabilities are not just welcome—they are wanted as teachers, leaders, and role models.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like when understanding becomes action, this conversation paints the picture.

Learn More

➡️ A Touch of Understanding: https://touchofunderstanding.org
➡️ Volunteer opportunities, virtual programs, and their upcoming 30th Anniversary “Evening of Insight” celebration.

CHAPTER SUMMARY:

(00:00) '30 Years of Nonprofit Service
(11:00) Engaging Educational Program for Students
(21:22) Impact of Touch of Understanding Program
(27:46) Community Engagement and Funding Strategies
(32:24) Impactful Program Enhancing Empathy and Inclusion
(46:53) Building Strong ATOU Family Bonds

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.