BY DEBBIE PAGE
debbiepage.iredellfreenews@gmail.com

Iredell Homeless Coalition members have several upcoming events and collection drives to assist those who are homeless or housing insecure or in need as winter and the holidays approach.

♦ The 2022 Warm Heart Fest will offer a warm meal, fellowship, and winter clothing to attendees at the Bentley Center on Friday, October 21, from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Coalition Generating Mental Health Awareness in Black and Brown Communities and being organized by Kel Freeman.

The group is collecting clean, gently used or new coats in all sizes (children through adult), which can be dropped off at the Statesville Police Department lobby (330 Tradd Street), from October 12-20 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Any remaining coats after the event will be donated to local agencies serving the homeless and transitional residents.

Any community member in need and Fifth Street Ministry residents are invited to attend.

♦ The Cove Church in Statesville still has free dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. They also have a food pantry and clothes closet for those in need of food or warm clothing.

♦ The Mooresville area Emergency Housing Collaborative will meet on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 a.m. at Williamson Chapel Church (575 Brawley School Road). Colder temperatures are creating a need for an emergency shelter plan in the Mooresville area. The November meeting will be the third Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the new Mooresville Police Department at (750 W. Iredell Avenue). For more information on the effort, contact Lori Carlson at lcarlson@mooresvillenc.gov.

HOLIDAY TOYS

♦ The Statesville Police Department (SPD) is beginning its “Fill the Trailer” toy drive at the Pumpkin Fest in downtown Statesville on November 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The drive serves children in need from ages 0-17 from referrals from the Iredell-Statesville Schools system, I-Care/Headstart, and charter and private schools.

In addition to Pumpkin Fest, the SPD will also be collecting new, unwrapped toys at the Statesville Walmart on November 12 and 19 and December 3 and 10. Toys can also be dropped off at the SPD.

Donors can also send toys to the SPD through Amazon or other online stores. No money, gift cards, stuffed animals, or clothing (except new coats and warm winter wear) are accepted.

For more information, contact Crime Prevention Officer Chan Austin at 704-878-3406.

♦ Statesville Housing Authority also does a toy drive for its residents in partnership with several area churches.

♦ Wendy Martin of Goodwill said two groups will help collect toys for children of incarcerated parents through its Angel Tree program. Goodwill collects referrals, completes paper work, and obtains wish lists for children for the program. Westminister Church of God then collects the toys and other needs for 35 children, and Foundation of Hope Ministry fulfills another 50 children’s Christmas wishes for the incarcerated parent. The goal is to keep a connection between the incarcerated person and the children so the children do not feel forgotten by the absent parent. Foundation of Hope also stays in contact with the families throughout the year, inviting them to events and offering support.

The gifts are distributed at a holiday party, with grocery gift cards also presented to the families to help with holiday meals.

♦ The Salvation Army Angel Tree toy drive will create a merry holiday season for nearly 1,000 Iredell County children this year. The project helps families who have a referral from the Department of Social Services or the child’s school counselor. Parents or guardians can request a referral from the counselor or DSS caseworker if not contacted.

Once parents have the referral, they will given an appointment (week of October 17-20) during which representatives take down clothing sizes and toy preferences for each child, which are then are printed onto the angel tree tags distributed in the community. Families are given a date to return for distribution at the time of sign-ups.

♦ The Salvation Army also needs businesses and organizations to sign up as an Angel Tree location, as individuals to act bell ringers, or as a sponsor of an online red kettle for clients, families, and friends. Volunteers to do warehouse sorting and prepping of gifts and to help with several gift distribution sessions are also needed. For more information, call the local Salvation Army at 704-872- 5623 or go to Facebook at www.facebook.com/SAIredell or visit www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/iredell/home for more information.

♦ The Mooresville Police Department is having its “Heroes and Helpers” Christmas event in collaboration with Target and Salvation Army this year. They are accepting referrals for children from 5 to 8 years old in the Mooresville area. Children will be paired with an officer to shop for clothes and toys, and families will also given grocery gift cards for food. Contact MPD Community Resource Coordinator Lori Carson at lcarlson@mooresvillenc.gov for more information.

♦ The Fraternal Order of Police is also having a “Shop with Cop” this year to provide clothing to children referred by school guidance counselors. Parents interested in the program can contact their guidance counselors.

DOOR DASH

Sara Helmick, United Way’s director of community investment, urged coalition partners to use its free Ride United program, which will Door Dash deliver just about anything a nonprofit has (that fits in the back of a Prius) to its agency clients in need within 10 miles (excluding prescriptions).

Those agencies and organizations interested in using the program can email her (shelmick@uwiredell.org) to sign up and receive a brief training on how to best use the program for that particular group.

Fifth Street Ministries is using Ride United to deliver food to those in need on Wednesdays and Fridays. The program is of no cost to agencies or clients, and no tipping is required to drivers.

COALITION PARTNER NEEDS

♦ Fifth Street Ministries is in dire need of consistent volunteers on Saturday to pick up and deliver food. Contact Fifth Street Ministries at 704-872-4045.

♦ Statesville Housing Authority is in need of furniture donations. Contact (704) 761-4500 if you have furniture items to donate.

♦ Foundation of Hope Ministry is in need of nonperishable and pop top canned foods, warm blankets, tarps, sleeping bags, tents, coats, gloves, knit hats, socks, propane bottles for those in the homeless camps. Contact

♦ Fifth Street Ministries (964 Cochran Street) is collecting coats, gloves, knit caps, blankets, hard warmers, tents, sleeping bags, and other items for those living in homeless camps or for residents of the shelter. Contact Rob Harris at (614) 307-6584 to arrange donation.

♦ Partners Community Outreach program can donate wish list items to organizations or agencies to be distributed to those in need in the community, including items such as thermal blankets, sleeping bags, and winter clothing. Requests can be sent to Jerry Campbell to JCampbellII@partnersbhm.org or KPerkins@partnersbhm.org.