Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019 | Page 53

water says. There’s nothing like Joshua’s House on the
West Coast, but other cities with similar facilities are Salt
Lake City and Washington, D.C.
Helping improve the quality of life for those who are
less fortunate is what gets von Friederichs-Fitzwater out
of bed in the morning. And it keeps her busy. She leads
the Joshua’s House board of directors meetings, a group
of 20 or so volunteer members and finds time to chat with
everyone and connect. These days, her biggest fear is not
being able to work.
“Before I thought about Joshua’s House, I thought about
retiring at some point,” she says. “And it terrified me, it ab-
solutely terrified me. I cannot imagine not having a reason
to get up in the morning and a purpose and something I
care passionately about.” n
Early on while doing her research on how to get such a
project off the ground, von Friederichs-Fitzwater learned
by contacting similar facilities across the country what to
do and what not to do, thus avoiding major hiccups such as
not having the proper people and organizations on board.
“Everyone was drawn to say, ‘Yes, we want to support
you,’ and how many people can do that?” says Sister Libby
Fernandez, founder of Mercy Pedalers and former exec-
utive director of Sacramento Loaves & Fishes. Fernandez
has spent the past 40 years in the Sacramento community,
25-plus of which were working directly with men, women
and families who have experienced homelessness.
Von Friederichs-Fitzwater says she personally donated
$200,000 to Joshua’s House. “We raised the first $1.5 mil-
lion through grants, donations and fundraising events,”
she says. Joshua’s House received approval for a condition-
al use permit over the summer and purchased its building
for around $930,000 in June 2018.
The facility will have up to 20 beds and feature private
rooms, and include an indoor garden, skylights, a library,
chapel and kitchen. “The patients will be referred through
the Sac area’s four major hospitals,” von Friederichs-Fitz-
Karen Wilkinson is a journalist, writer, communications
consultant and yoga teacher. She gained newspaper experi-
ence along California’s North Coast.
“
I could not have fought my cancer
alone. I am thankful for the Me-One
Foundation for our Camp Wieser
experience.
— Melissa L.
Camp Wieser Participant
”
Through generous donors, the
Me-One Foundation funds a
cost-free retreat weekend for
adult cancer patients and their
loved ones to Camp Wieser.
Learn more at me-onefoundation.org

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