Plumas Crisis Intervention and Resource Center, celebrating 41 years of service to residents of Plumas County, announces the reopening of the Portola Family Resource Center.
After getting feedback from the community of eastern Plumas and the City of Portola, PCIRC’s board of directors decided that the Portola site was needed to serve eastern Plumas County and the surrounding community.
After infrastructure issues were addressed, and with the addition of a quick refresher and new paint, the Portola center doors reopened Tuesday, Jan. 2. Over 75 community members were served in the first two weeks with everything from home energy assistance applications to hot showers.
PFRC is offering all the services available at PCIRC’s Quincy location. The Portola center also serves as a homeless day shelter, with laundry and shower facilities. Available resources include a community technology center, alcohol/drug counseling, licensed marriage and family therapy, peer and grief counseling, self-help with California legal forms, and advocacy for a range of services such as homeless prevention and resources for survivors of violence.
In addition, PFRC supports the onsite Pantry Project and is a partner with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, giving eastern Plumas residents another resource to keep families fed. Anyone experiencing food insecurity can come by and receive food items based on their family size. Among the foods are fresh fruits, vegetables and meats.
In 2023, PCIRC hired and trained six new employees in anticipation of the Portola reopening. Every employee has completed a rigorous 68-hour crisis training course and maintains continuing education as well, which means that resource center staff are ready to assist with the needs of individuals and families in eastern Plumas County.
“While we cannot always meet all the needs, we always have something for everyone,” said Executive Director Kate Rahmeyer. “As a Portola resident, I am honored and excited to be able to serve the population here. We are also looking forward to partnering with other community programs and resources to fulfill as many of the gaps in services for eastern Plumas as possible.”
The Portola Family Resource Center is located at 165 Ridge St. in Portola and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It closes from noon to 12:30 p.m. for lunch. All in need are welcome to stop by and visit with staff, who will assess how the center can be of assistance. PFRC is currently accepting donations of gently used winter coats and boots to give to those in need in the community.
New locations to open in Quincy
PCIRC continues to grow and is anticipating the opening of two new locations in 2024. Directly adjacent to the PCIRC office on Main Street in Quincy, staff have been busy developing the NorthStar Navigation Center, a full-service emergency homeless shelter model for homeless individuals and families in need of assistance. This site will feature a 21-bed congregate shelter, laundry and shower facilities, and an expansive training center for program participants to engage in educational and wellness activities. Among them are alcohol and drug counseling, mental health services, peer and grief counseling, life skills, parenting education, and workforce development.
The back of the property will be known as Ohana Village and will support 26 tiny homes as transitional housing units while residents work through services and prepare for independence. “These programs will work congruently with our new DragonFly Café featuring a culinary training program and demonstration kitchen and restaurant. DragonFly Café will be available for private parties as an event center for wedding celebrations, birthdays, baby showers and other events,” said Cathy Rahmeyer, director of operations at PCIRC.
“The North Star Navigation Center and Ohana Village will serve as a system change in comprehensively serving individuals and families at a single site who are navigating homelessness and reduce the number of days without housing. These efforts will work to improve their journey to housing permanency,” Rahmeyer said.
PCIRC is planning a grand opening and fundraiser in May at DragonFly Café. More information about donating to PCIRC programs is available here.
For more information about Plumas Crisis Intervention and Resource Center in Quincy or the Portola Family Resource Center, visit www.pcirc.com. PCIRC in Quincy is available by phone at 530-283-5515 and the Portola Family Resource Center can be reached at 530-240-0697.
Information submitted by Plumas Crisis Intervention and Resource Center