Karl Schmidt was saddened but not surprised when he heard about the horrific shooting in Sacramento on April 3.
"It was getting more violent in that area since the Arena went in," he said, shaking his head sadly. Nobody knows why."
And he could have easily been near there himself if not for a horrible injury that, amazingly, led to a beautiful new life. A life that would not have been possible without a unique Solano County program called Change and New Beginnings (formerly Community Action North Bay) (CANB) offers housing and other services to at-risk and in-crisis populations.
Karl, a mentally disabled veteran, lived on the streets in Sacramento, addicted to meth. Then, two years ago, an injury forced him into a Solano hospital for several months, and while there, he received life-changing anti-psychotic medication and drug addiction treatment. He was eventually qualified for housing with CANB.
As he looks around his clean, comfortable home in Fairfield, he says he is thankful for the help of CANB.
"Karl came to us after being almost completely forgotten by society and locked out of a way to get resources," explained Kari Rader, Executive Director of CANB. "We do what we do best: we helped him learn basic living skills, and we continually surround him with support with everything from doctor's appointments to social workers' visits. And Karl now works with us to provide basic help to our transient homeless population by offering food and other basic services. So he has come full circle."
For more information on how CANB helps those in need, contact: info@canbinc.com
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