New Community Assist Center strengthens outreach, follow-up care and coordinated services for individuals facing housing instability
Local nonprofit Jake’s Journey Home reached a major milestone Thursday afternoon as community leaders, volunteers and supporters gathered for the official ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new Community Assist Center, a permanent hub designed to expand and strengthen services for individuals facing housing instability and complex life challenges across the region.
The new center, located at 5936 Main Ave. in Orangevale, marks a significant step forward for the grassroots organization, which has spent years providing outreach through its Mobile Outreach Unit throughout Folsom, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights and surrounding Sacramento County communities. While that mobile outreach will continue, the addition of a fixed location allows the organization to offer more consistent, in-depth and coordinated support.
“For years, our Mobile Outreach Unit has traveled throughout the community meeting people where they are. That will never change,” said founder Jeanne Shuman. “Now, with the addition of our Community Assist Center, we can offer both mobile and on-site support, making it easier for individuals to access ongoing services, guidance, and resources.”
The Community Assist Center enables case workers to spend extended time with individuals navigating layered challenges, including housing instability, legal barriers and mental health needs. Organizers say the facility offers a calm and supportive environment where clients can work through long-term planning, meet follow-up appointments and stay connected to services that are often difficult to access or manage independently.
Staff at the center will assist with tasks such as record expungement, court requirements and coordination with legal systems, helping individuals take critical steps toward stability and self-sufficiency. Access to practical resources, including computers for job applications or court preparation and other essential amenities, is also part of the center’s approach to holistic support.
Jake’s Journey Home has become what organizers describe as a missing link in the system, connecting with people who may not otherwise seek help or who struggle to navigate complex public and social service systems. By filling gaps where traditional services fall short, the organization aims to ensure that individuals are not overlooked or left behind.
Founded on the principles of connection, respect and assistance, Jake’s Journey Home works with unhoused veterans and community members through wraparound services that include mental health support, medical assistance, job training, vocational skills, higher education opportunities and help meeting basic needs such as food access, DMV services and social security support. Peer support is also a key element of the organization’s model, helping individuals work toward lasting life changes.
The opening of the Community Assist Center comes during a period of growing recognition for the nonprofit. Jake’s Journey Home was named 2025 Non-Profit of the Year by the Folsom Chamber of Commerce at the Choose Folsom Community Awards. The organization was also recently voted Best Local Non-Profit Organization in the 2025 Best of Times Awards by readers of FolsomTimes.com.
The mission and growth of Jake’s Journey Home are rooted in a deeply personal story. Founded by Jeanne Shuman, the nonprofit is named in honor of her son, Jake Shuman, a U.S. Navy Seabee veteran and small business owner who died unexpectedly on Sept. 1, 2019. Shuman has said her son left behind not only loving family and friends, but also a legacy defined by empathy, generosity and humility.
Those close to Jake described him as having a larger-than-life personality, an entrepreneurial drive and a strong work ethic, paired with an ability to make people feel seen and valued. That spirit became the foundation of Jake’s Journey Home, whose guiding mission—Connect. Respect. Assist.—reflects the values Jake lived by and the approach the organization brings to every individual it serves.
Jeanne Shuman is joined in that work by her daughter Nicole, Jake’s fraternal twin, who is also active in the organization and carries forward the same service-driven and compassionate outlook. Together, they continue to honor Jake’s memory by building pathways to stability and hope for others, ensuring his legacy lives on through tangible change in the community.
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