Next Move: Family Homeless Shelter Reopens After Major Renovation

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The campus for Next Moves Family Shelter will now be able to help even more homeless families get back on their feet after major renovation.

Families like Susan Hernandez'.

"When we first moved out here to California, we ended up on hard times," said Hernandez said.

It was a tough transition from the Pacific Northwest for Susan Hernandez and her family, who came to help her ailing mother.

"There's nobody out here to help her. So, we came out here and she ended up losing her place. So we ended up with nowhere to go," Hernandez said.

But after a lot of research and some waiting, she says the folks at Next Moves Family Shelter welcomed her, her husband and two children with open arms and a helping hand.

"There's that moment. There's that time for a moment of relaxation, that lasts about one day. Day two, is okay, kids need to be in school," said Bill Knowlton, Deputy Director for Next Move Sacramento.

Staff say those two points, housing and employment, are key to planning a family's next move on their journey to self-sufficiency. The extra seven-thousand square feet helps increase nightly capacity from 55 to 85 people.

"What that means to families who are experiencing homelessness in Sacramento is that last year we served over 204 families. This coming year, we expect to serve well over 300 families," said Carolyn Brodt, President and CEO of Next Move Sacramento.

Something those they help greatly appreciate.

"I love them and that I'm grateful for them and I'm so happy they got this. They deserve everything they can get," Hernandez said.