KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Someone 2 Know: Wilderness Voices

"Those of you who'd rather be working full-time, please raise your hand." A dozen hands go up in the small group, which gathers every Wednesday at Fisherman's Park in Sparks. The woman running the meeting then asks, "You really do have drug or alcohol issues you want to deal with?" Again, more hands go up.

Those are the types of questions Sharon Skinkis-Stone poses to groups like this. She sets up chairs and meets with the homeless once a week. Particularly, she targets men and women who are dealing with addiction or mental health issues. Why? Well, she knows what it's like.

"I've been there done that." 

Sharon literally spent decades on the streets of Los Angeles, until she hit rock bottom and discovered recovery programs that helped her turn her life around.  "I've been sober now for 30 years. So, when I got clean and sober, after the first year of sobriety, I launched a program to get involved in other peoples' lives - to share what I found."

She calls her outreach program Wilderness Voices.  At her meetings, her goal is to determine how best to help each individual. As a friend, she makes suggestions about where to seek professional help. She says while there are plenty of accredited resources, when it comes to educating the homeless about them, there is a void - that she is attempting to fill.

"She has all the understandings; helps you think things through a little better," says David Smith, who has been homeless since 1999.

Sharon ends every meeting trying to inspire these guys to make a change.  With the little money she has, she also arms them with the tools they need to do it.  "Couple of razors, I have some razors," she calls out.  Plus, she gives away toothbrushes, lotion, wipes and the like.  She is always looking for donations, like sleeping bags, shoes and gift cards for the homeless to buy clothes and underwear. 

Bottom line, Sharon's goal is to be present for the men and women of the streets. As she knows, if you want to improve your life and end an addiction to drugs - you can't do it alone.  "They have a friend; someone they know loves them that will lead them through it."