Charlotte Region's Growth Strains Homeless Service Providers

From the Charlotte Observer:

Since 2000 an average of 39,000 people a year have moved into Mecklenburg County from out of state; 20,000 from another N.C. county; and 6,400 from overseas, the American Community Survey reports.In 10 years, the county's population will jump to 1.3 million from roughly 900,000, the Charlotte Chamber estimates.

No one knows exactly how many newcomers are poor or jobless, but a UNC Charlotte analysis of government statistics suggests "a lot of newcomers are poor, come here seeking opportunities and don't find them," said Jeff Michael, director the university's Urban Institute, which compiled the report.

The study found the percentage of people living in poverty in Mecklenburg County rose to about 11.3 percent in 2005 compared with 9.2 percent in 2000.

...

At the Salvation Army homeless shelter for women near uptown, officials tracked how many people sought shelter who had been in Mecklenburg less than one year. They found more than 1 in 4 clients were newcomers from July 2006 through June 2007.

Last week, 205 women and their children slept at the 200-bed facility. Some 50 other clients spent the night at a local church.

To ease crowding, administrators recently decided they will not admit anyone who is not a resident of Mecklenburg or neighboring counties, except in cases of domestic violence.

"We get dozens of calls each day asking if we have space," said Deronda Metz, director of social services for the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. "If the call is from a noncounty resident, we say no."

The number of homeless children attending Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools jumped to more than 2,200 in 2007 from roughly 1,900 a year earlier, said Peter Safir, director of the Homeless Services Network, a coalition of local social outreach agencies.

Not Enough Beds for Charlotte's Homeless

The Observer recently ran this article on the emergency bed shortage in Charlotte:

The temperature dropped as the sun sank Sunday, and dozens of men hunched in the cold outside Charlotte's Emergency Winter Shelter, waiting for the door to open at 6 p.m.

Winter is the bleakest season for Charlotte's homeless people. The cold may have caught up with one man earlier Sunday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers found the body in a drugstore parking lot off Freedom Drive a little after 7, just before the morning cold dipped to its low of 24 degrees. Officers were familiar with the man, who they said was possibly homeless. A medical examiner, who could not be reached Sunday, will determine the cause of death.

Charlotte's low Sunday night was expected to plunge to 13 degrees. That would make it the coldest night so far this winter.

The deaths by exposure of three homeless men in 1981 prompted Charlotte to open the emergency shelter, which now operates in a former warehouse on Statesville Avenue.

But while social workers estimate that 5,000 to 8,000 people are homeless in Mecklenburg County on any given night, fewer than 2,000 shelter beds exist.

The men waiting outside Sunday told stories of lost jobs, old injuries, dead wives and burned apartments. Most didn't want to be quoted by their full names.

Surviving the streets in winter, they said, is a matter of constant motion to stay warm, seeking warm niches where they can and trying not to arouse attention.

"We go down to the transit (center) or walk up and down" the streets, said a 42-year-old chef named Craig. "Because they don't want us here before 4 p.m."

Craig wore a toboggan under a sweatshirt hood. His body bulged under two jackets and a heavy wool shirt.

Four p.m. is when the shelter opens its gates, allowing men to line up outside the building. They complain that they were forced to stand in rain and snow Saturday. They point out the suitcases, duffel bags and garbage bags, stuffed with belongings, that they keep stashed behind a storage bin.

"That's all we have in our life," said Bobby B, 49 and an Army vet, angrily poking a frozen pair of jeans with the metal cane he carries for a leg injury.

Director John White says staffing dictates when the doors must open and close -- the shelter is authorized to house 200 men a night, and often overflows to a nearby church. On Saturday night, in the snow, the door opened about 5:45 p.m., he said. Men are sometimes allowed to stay past the 6 a.m. closing if snow and ice are on the ground, he said.

The Salvation Army's shelter for women and children housed 205 people Saturday night, including 60 families, but allows them to stay during the day. An overflow shelter held another 50.

Winter "is terrible for women and children," said Deronda Metz, the Army's Charlotte director of social services. "They've been instructed not to turn anybody away."

The number of women in need continues to rise, regardless of the weather, she said.

Charlotte Rescue Mission operates the Emergency Winter Shelter and provides most of their food.

Need a Speaker for Your Group?

Rev. Tony Marciano, Executive Director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission is available to speak on a number of different topics for your Sunday school class or church group. No honorarium is accepted. This is our gift to the community.

To schedule him, contact Lyn B at 704 334 4635 ext. 213

I. Church, Sunday School, Christian Ed topics:

1. Keeping the Vision Alive for your life
2. Your Past does not have to define your future
3. Life’s challenges aren’t the end of the story
4. How to say “No” and still have friends
5. As different as we all are, we are still the same
6. What every man longs to hear from his father
7. Breaking Family Secrets
8. When the struggles of life make it hard to feel
9. A heartfelt response when someone forgives you
10. Why do you want to go back to Egypt?
11. When our heart feels as though is broken
12. Biblical look at Personality Temperaments

II. Men’s fellowship topics:

1. Biblical look at Personality Temperaments
2. Normal is just a setting on your dryer
3. What every man longs to hear from his father
4. Establishing independence from your family
5. Keeping God's Vision Alive for your life

40% Increase in the Emergency Winter Shelter Meals

As the Charlotte Rescue Mission serves the majority of the Emergency Winter Shelter meals they’re foreseeing increasing numbers rise even higher through April 30, 2008 when the Shelter closes its doors for the season.

Executive Director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission, Reverend Tony Marciano says,

“We get lots of cakes and pastries from our supportive community, but now we need the following in order to feed the rising numbers of homeless neighbors in our area. We need meat, chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables, grocery store gift cards and financial donations to maintain the feeding programs”.

When planning the budget for 2008 there was no idea meals would take on a 40% increase. The Charlotte Rescue Mission,(CRM) is committed to serving homeless men a hot meal at the Emergency Winter Shelter. Last year, in the Fall of 2006, 6,605 meals were prepared by Charlotte Rescue Mission and served at the Emergency Winter Shelter. Since the EWS opened on October 1st of 2007, the meals served through December 31st were 12,963.

“Just comparing November and December 2006 versus the same months in 2007 saw an increase of 2,602 meals” says Marciano.

Within a normal year the Charlotte Rescue Mission, (CRM) will serve their 200,000 meals. Some of those meals are served to hungry, homeless men at the Emergency Winter Shelter.

“The Rescue Mission needs the community to help with donations so CRM can keep up with the rising numbers of homeless in Charlotte" says Marciano. “The Mission will be as grateful as they have been since 1938.”

Have a Shredder to Donate?

Does your office have a shredder that you no longer need? Once upon a time, we were given a nice commercial grade shredder by a very generous donor.

That shredder has since seen its day and is in need of a replacement. We have a fairly high number of documents that need to be shredded regularly so a normal office shredder will not suffice.

If anyone happens to have a high volume shredder available, we would be greatly appreciative. Please contact Tim at 704-334-4635 x245.

CRM to be Featured at Charlotte's Healthy Living Fair

This year's Healthy Living Fair will be held on January 26 at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart. Admission is free to the public. Be sure to stop by and see Charlotte Rescue Mission's booth.

Joseph Beth Booksellers Book Fair

On Sunday January 27, Joseph Beth Booksellers at South Park Mall will host a book fair and 20% of the proceeds will go to Charlotte Rescue Mission. You can download your coupons here. Hope to see you there.

Crosspath: Boundaries

If you won't hear it in your car on WMIT or WHVN, join me on the web for my daily 5 minute talks called "CrossPath". This week's topic is "boundaries". Each day I discuss a different question:

What are boundaries?

Should I make other people’s problems my problem?

Did Bible Characters operate with boundaries?

What do you mean by Castles & hedges

Do the Panthers operate with boundaries?