Operating in 1/3 of our space
Our space at the Depot is smaller, but the welcome is just as warm.
A month after severe storms closed the primary services building at our Day Services Center (DSC), we are offering nearly our full slate of services in approximately one-third of our usual square footage – and we’re doing so in a historic building. Our secondary building, the Depot, was originally built in 1858 as a passenger terminal for the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherfordton Railroad Company. Since then, it has been rebuilt after a fire in 1895, seen soldiers off to the Spanish-American War, and a century later, hosted our smaller-scale operations before the Hub was built nearly 20 years ago.
Upfits at the Depot create capacity to serve more neighbors
More than a century ago, this space sheltered guests as they waited for trains; for our first month after the storm, it sheltered our lunch line.
For all its charm, the Depot comes with challenges as it bears the load of our full DSC staff, volunteers, and the ~300 neighbors we serve each day. Since the storm, we have invested to expand the capacity of the HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as installing new Wi-Fi, since our old system was based in the Hub. Staff are sharing offices, and we are utilizing offsite storage space to free up an area for our kitchen team. That will in turn serve our ultimate goal: to increase the space available for our neighbors to get off their feet, out of extreme temperatures and connected to services.
Grateful for community support
We are grateful for the profound support of many community partners, donors and volunteers as we respond to these challenges in real time. We continue to serve as we also invest to improve our capacity to serve our neighbors over the next few months.
