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St. Vincent�s Residence provides
45 rooms at affordable weekly rates for low-income individuals and families. The Residence is located near Washoe Medical Center at 395 Gould Street in Reno. Tenants have a private bedroom and share a kitchen, bathrooms, and living rooms. An experienced Manager provides supervision at each site. For more information, please contact Residence Manager Tom Smith at 775-322-2143.
Spotlight on St. Vincent's Residents
Richard and Barbara had no place to go a year ago when a Reno Jewish temple helped to place them in a small unit at St. Vincent’s Residence. What a change from the life they had lived before, owning a legal attorney service for 21 years, taking vacations and helping out their kids when they needed it. But when they decided to move to Laughlin, Nevada, Richard began to gamble. He says now that they should have moved to Oregon, where gambling wasn’t legal at the time, but hindsight is always 20/20. After 11 years in Laughlin, Richard and Barbara ended up with nothing, and with a Social Security check just a few hundred dollars too many to qualify for low-income housing, there were few choices left. Fortunately, St. Vincent's Residence offered safe, affordable housing, as well as access to other St. Vincent's Programs such as Emergency Assistance and St. Vincent's Food Pantry. The couple has been at St. Vincent’s for a year now, and since Barbara is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Richard doesn’t want to uproot her just yet. But he hopes that some day, they’ll be able to find a more permanent place that they can afford.
Martin moved to Reno five years ago from Truckee for a rehabilitation program. When his daughter graduated from high school and moved out a year ago, he came to live at St. Vincent’s Residence, taking one of the apartments looking out over the front yard. There he found a comfortable environment where he could regroup and gain stability. Last winter, Richard turned his energy to transforming the dirt lot into a garden, planting lawn, flowers and roses, and painting the fences and planters to spiff the place up. Martin jokes that he put down one six-pack just to pick up another, giving up the alcohol that brought him to Reno and trading it for freshly-potted pony packs of flowers. He says that when he comes outside and starts to dig, he gets lost in the hours and before he knows it, he’s working in the dark, trying to finish the project before morning and work return. The garden not only is a project to work on, but helps Martin, along with the other residents, feel good about where they live and a sense of belonging. Next spring, Martin hopes to replant a neighbor’s vegetable garden and will take a certification test for electricians, helping him get on his feet with a better job.
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