About Home & Heart
History
Home & Heart began in early 2018 as an internship project of two Masters of Social Work students, aided by professor Sue Steiner, from California State University, Chico. At the time, the City of Chico had less than a 2% vacancy rate, and older adults were especially vulnerable to the lack of affordable housing options. Many were already facing homelessness or barriers to aging in place, including inflated costs of living, lack of affordable caregiving options, and limited fixed incomes. To address these issues, Home & Heart was designed as an intergenerational shared housing program that matched older adults who had an extra bedroom and needed help aging in place with mature college students seeking affordable housing. Then, in November 2018, the Camp Fire tore through Butte County, destroying most of Paradise and large portions of the surrounding communities as well. Roughly 50,000 people were displaced in a matter of hours, and our community did not have the housing resources to meet the needs. Older adults were disproportionately affected by this loss. While we still believe in an intergenerational model of home sharing, the home-seeking population with the greatest need has been older adults, many of whom are Camp Fire survivors. Flexing to the needs of the community, Home & Heart is open to all adult home seekers and providers throughout Butte County.
Mission
Our mission is to expand affordable housing options, assist older adults to age safely in place, and decrease social isolation in Butte County by facilitating relationships through home sharing.
Vision
Our vision is a world in which every heart has a place to call home.
Meet The Team
 Tasha Forks Home sharing Program Coordinator (530) 591-3742 tasha@buttecountyhomeshare.com Tasha (she/her) is pursuing her MSW and has worked in various local non-profits. Her 10 years of case management experience spans working with youth, adults, and their families around substance use, disasters, veterans, housing, and crisis. She enjoys 90’s TV reruns, traveling, and being a foodie. |  Cathryn Carkhuff Executive Director (530) 487-5977 cathryn@buttecountyhomeshare.com Cathryn (she/her) has a BSW and an M.A.Ed. She has over 15 years of experience working with youth and adults in community-based organizations doing social services, art and education in Philly, the Bay Area and now Chico. She enjoys hikes in pretty places with her family, friends and her dogs. |
Board of Directors
 Sue Steiner, Ph.D., MSW Board Chair Board Member since 2019 Sue has more than 30 years of community social work experience, including a focus on housing. She has taught community organizing, social welfare policy, program development, and program evaluation at Arizona State University and California State University, Chico, for almost 30 years. Sue co-founded Home & Heart with MSW students in her classes and has served as the Board Chair since then. |  Molly Calhoun, Ph.D., MSW Board Secretary Board Member since 2023 Molly is currently an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at Chico State focusing on the impacts of race, power, and privilege on housing issues, and how neoliberalism impacts social work practice. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she spent over 15 years in community-based practice in both San Francisco, CA and Denver, CO. She loves the innovative model of home sharing and the people. |  Cindi Robinson, MSW, LCSW Board Treasurer Board Member since 2024 Cindi has more than 15 years of experience in social services in Butte County ranging from homelessness, group homes, behavioral health, and County jail. She enjoys being an advocate for individuals, families, and systems in our community. Cindi finds the mission of Home & Heart to support people who are aging to stay connected, reduce isolation, and increase access to housing and supportive services for everyone close to her heart. |
 Shannon Simmons, MSW, LCSW Board Member since 2021 Shannon is a mental health therapist who has provided individual therapy support to adults in Butte County and beyond for over 10 years. She has specialized training and background in working with older adults, and prior to that, supporting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. She is passionate about creative solutions addressing homelessness and insecure housing. In her spare time, Shannon enjoys spending time with family, her pets, and participating in the sport of roller derby. |  Toni Russo Board Member since 2024 Board Member Toni joined the board in January of 2024 after being a Home Seeker in our program. Home & Heart worked with her to find her perfect living space and she later joined the board to pay it forward. She brings decades of experience working in publicity, public relations, and education. She is excited to use her great writing, speaking, and advocacy skills to help Home & Heart and the communities we work with. |  Jamie Murphy Board Member since 2024 Jaime is a long-time Chico resident who cares deeply about this community and enjoys thinking about innovative ways to help solve problems. She is passionate about housing and maintaining the dignity of aging adults. She has worked at Chico State for over a decade and is an academic advisor and retention specialist – a job that puts her in contact with creative and interesting people every day. In her free time, Jaime loves to read, go on hikes in Upper Park with her husband and dog, and listen to music that annoys her children. |
 Natasha Marx (she/her) Board Member since 2024 Natasha is currently an MSW student at Chico State. She has experience working with older adults and helping the community through case management in Sacramento. She is passionate about making housing more affordable and accessible for all and helps Home & Heart with intakes, case management, and outreach. |
