In the 1980s a group of Woodland residents became concerned about Woodland’s homeless and hungry and began passing out peanut butter sandwiches and bananas in sack lunches. This initial effort grew to become a soup kitchen in partnership with local churches. A short time later, those volunteers could no longer just feed the hungry and homeless and send them back out to sleep in cardboard covers, baseball dugouts, parks, and alleyways; there was the realization of a greater need.
In 1985 the volunteers formally organized and created Yolo Wayfarer Center Christian Mission (now doing business as Fourth & Hope), a nonprofit organization. Over the past several decades, programs have been established to assure that every person has food to eat, a place to sleep, dignity, and hope. Our programs address physical and mental health, substance use, employment and income needs, and housing. We operate a 100-bed emergency shelter with a commercial kitchen for hot meals; permanent supportive housing programs, and Walter’s House, a 44-bed residential treatment program.