BY DEBBIE PAGE

Iredell Homelessness Collaborative members have been working overtime to get bed space, resources, and supplies to the community’s growing homeless population during the recent extreme cold temperatures and frozen precipitation.

Foundation of Hope’s Karen Kidd and other collaborative members are working with county officials on an emergency shelter plan for periods of extreme cold or icy winter weather. Iredell County is one of the few counties without an overnight emergency shelter, noted Wendy Martin of Goodwill.

An area church has agreed to serve as the shelter if the county and area agencies can help with security, supplies and food, transportation, and other needs. Fifth Street can provide food and drinks for an emergency shelter, said David Nolen, shelter manager at Fifth Street Ministries.

Nolen also said that that St. Patrick’s Episcopal in Mooresville, as part of the Room in the Inn program out of Mecklenburg County, opens for evening shelter with community volunteers supervising the temporary shelter.

Since this blueprint solution exists, Nolen urged area agencies to implement a similar program in Statesville.

Kidd noted that some folks choose to stay in the cold because they are afraid to leave their belongings in the camps unattended while they seek warmth.

Fifth Street’s shelter currently has only a few beds available because of demand, but Nolen said staff are trying to move folks into other shelter program areas to open up a few more beds. Fifth Street also has winter supplies (coats, hats, gloves, blankets, socks, toiletries, etc.) available.

Fifth Street’s Path House is also open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. to offer showers, laundry services, food, clothing, and supplies to area unhoused people.

Kidd said Foundation of Hope has been busy getting propane, cold weather gear, and warm meals to the county’s homeless encampments.

The group has also been working to get those recently released from incarceration to friends and families so they do not join the area’s homeless population. One person was released the day before Christmas in 17 degree weather with nothing, so Foundation of Hope jumped in to assist.

Kidd said the Cove Church in Statesville is also offering a warming station and a food and clothing pantry, as well as hot meals every Tuesday night from 6 to 7 p.m. Kidd said they have been serving 150 plates at this weekly event.

TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER BARRIERS

♦ Steve Byrd has a bike ministry providing refurbished bikes to area homeless or low income people. Transportation needs are huge barriers to people struggling to turn their lives around and need to get to work and to medical, services, or counseling appointments.

Contact Byrd at sbyrd517@gmail.com if you have a bike to donate.

♦ Rob Harris of Restoration Road Ministry brought attention to the need for single moms to get their children to daycare or appointments. He said a few meetings on public transportation had occurred with the city, but then the issue went quiet. He urged the collaborative partners to push for solutions to this urgent need.

♦ Another issue is the need for help to complete assistance requests. The Department of Social Services can offer assistance in completing food stamp and Medicaid applications.

One problem unhoused folks face is that when they get stable, they sometimes make too much money to continue Medicaid and then lose access to their medical care and medications. Harris noted that after a person earns $23,000, most lose benefits, but his organization is having some success finding bridge programs to help clients remain stable.

Contact Harris at contact@rrminc.org for assistance.

FIFTH STREET NEEDS

With the extra community folks coming in for warmth, Nolen said the shelter is in need of towels, which can be dropped off at Fifth Street Ministries (1421 Fifth Street in Statesville) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or shipped via Amazon or other online source to that address.

SERVICES FOR THOSE IN NEED

♦ Fifth Street also offers food box delivery every two weeks to 50 shut-ins within a 10-mile radius through Door Dash on Wednesdays and Fridays. The boxes include frozen meat, fresh produce and bread, and pantry staples. Contact the shelter at 704-872-4505 for more information.

♦ Yokefellow offers a helping station food and clothing pantry and warming station at 1380 Shelton Avenue, Statesville. Pantry hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday 2:30 to 4 p.m., and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Donations to the Yokefellow Thrift Store are accepted Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Funds raised in the thrift store fund the helping center, which provides assistance with food, pharmacy, rent, utilities, clothing, household items, and diapers and wipes. Emergency assistance is always available.

The organization’s mobile food pantry goes twice a month at Scotts Creek United Methodist and Cool Springs United Methodist for rural areas in need.

Call Yokefellow (704) 872-7677 to donate to helping center efforts or for more information or help.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

♦ Foundation of Hope, along with G4G, is organizing a lunch and event for Brookwood Inn residents on January 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Resource and helping agencies are invited to share their services with attendees.

Contact FOH at hope@fohminc.org for more information.

♦ Statesville Housing Authority Senior Programming Coordinator Tommacena Douglas announced the February Love Your Resident promotion for seniors citizens in SHA residences. Those who wish to donate to the gift bags can contact her at tdouglas@sha-online.org.

Douglas also announced the Fresh Start Resource Fair will be held on April 10 at the Statesville Citizens Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

♦ Fifth Street Ministries is offering a new book club to raise awareness of the homelessness crisis. The book “When We Walk By” takes a look at homelessness in America, showing society members lose—in themselves and as a society—when they choose to walk past and ignore neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets.

The book shows what society stands to gain when it embrace everyone’s humanity and moves toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions. The book also offers social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people.

The book club will meet on Thursdays at noon from January 16 to March 6 at the First Presbyterian Church in Statesville’s Fourth Creek Meeting Room (downstairs). Participants should bring lunch to eat during the discussion.

To register for Book Club go to https://bit.ly/FSMwalkby. To purchase the book, go to https://amzn.to/3NY0JA6.

♦ Faith@Fifth is a brand new group beginning January 23 for pastors, lay leaders, mission leaders, and volunteer coordinators of local faith communities. Meetings will be held quarterly with a devotion, coffee and pastries.

There will be updates on Fifth Street, discussion of upcoming volunteer opportunities, and answers to any questions. Some months Fifth Street staff may speak on certain areas of operations. Other months there will be guest speakers from the police department, the City of Statesville, former guests, or the executive director.

For questions about these programs, contact Amy at Fifth Street at afreeze@fifthstretministries.com or call at 704- 872- 4505, Ext. 206.