A Swift Community Response When severe thunderstorms collapsed the roof of our primary unsheltered services building, the Hub, some services were available within hours. But the shower and laundry facilities built into the Hub were harder to replace. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness count on our Day Services Center (DSC) to offer showers and laundry as a source of hygiene and …
When severe thunderstorms overnight on July 7 damaged and closed the Hub building at our Day Services Center, we were determined to continue providing essential services to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Our team swiftly began relocating staff and services to the Depot Building, also at 945 N. College Street. The Hub was constructed to be our primary services building, including …
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 7, 2026 Severe Storm Damage Roof Above’s Day Services Center, located at 945 N. College Street, remains open for services despite major storm damage overnight on July 7th, 2026 that damaged our primary services building. That building, known as “the Hub”, will be closed until further notice. Staff are working quickly to migrate services to the adjacent …
Kay Ethridge is a powerhouse of compassion. An accomplished artist, mother, and philanthropist, Kay began volunteering at Roof Above in 2002, with her two kids and a kiln in tow. Evidence of Kay’s impact is sprinkled throughout Roof Above campuses, through ceramics dotting our walls and brightening our days. Her work started with a grant from her church, Myers Park …
“As of today, I’m no longer homeless.” Scott moved into Kings on Lamar, Roof Above’s transitional housing site for working men and veterans, on March 31. Scott lost his housing in the fall of 2025; he had put all of his focus into recovering from substance use, and in the process, he lost his business and his house. He had been …
“Being involved, caring about the community, is imbedded within me. Volunteering while I was at the shelter gave me the incentive to keep improving my life.” – Harrison started his journey back to housing as a guest at Roof Above’s North Tryon shelter, where he is now a regular volunteer. Harrison was an ordained minister when his mother became …
Rainbow Express Ministries is a day program for young adults with disabilities, and their CEO Lori Little says “The time we have we have together, we like to spend building meaningful, impactful lives.” The group devotes every Wednesday to community service. One way they do that is by making 400 sandwiches a month for Roof Above’s Operation Sandwich program. One …
Quietly, for years now, Sara Friedman and Carol Morgan, two women dedicated to volunteering, from two different faith traditions, work together to fill a big need at Roof Above. For many folks at Temple Beth El, their daily mitzvah, or good deed, starts with a pill bottle. As one temple member shared, “I’m always fishing them out of the trash.” …
Irving Bienstock, in blessed memory, lived with a deep understanding of the moral imperative. He fled the Nazis, alone, at age twelve. He was uprooted first from his childhood home in Dortmund Germany, where he would never return, then from Amsterdam, the city he found solace in, which would soon fall to the Third Reich. He came to America, and …
Five years ago, one community came together for a common cause: Operation Sandwich. And it could’ve ended there. Five years is a long time to do anything. Children age, news breaks, families move. Our world now is unrecognizable to our world five years ago. Masks are no longer status quo, social distance markers on restaurant floors sit faded. But over …
Mr. Mood calls his last name, “a calling,” as when stepping inside his barbershop, “Mood’s Mobile Grooming,” a gold tiled, impeccably decorated van, it is impossible to be in a bad mood. Every other Wednesday, Mr. Mood drives his van to the Howard Levine Shelter, razor and good vibes in tow. When describing his van, Mr. Mood says, “It’s my …
I moved to Charlotte from Davidson to help end homelessness, which is fundamentally done by increasing affordable housing stock. In doing so, I moved into one of the rare affordable housing units in this city. Before I moved in, I sometimes imagined who would live in my apartment if it wasn’t me. They were in dire need, sometimes chronically …
Lamell Anderson retired from UPS two and a half years ago. He had worked at UPS for twenty-one years, and after, he’d earned time to rest. The first six months, he would get up every morning, read a devotional, and exercise. Then, one morning, his devotionals asked him: “Are you volunteering to help anyone else, or are you just concentrating …
A Stepping Stone & A Place to Call Home Mr. Wilkes is serious, persistent, and driven. He was looking for a fresh start after an important relationship ended. He utilized the Lucille Giles Center emergency shelter, and worked with Danielle, a housing navigator at the Day Services Center. Together, Mr. Wilkes and Danielle obtained all the documents he needed for …
Meet Carter When you enter any of Roof Above’s permanent supportive housing campuses, you’ll be greeted by one of our Tenant Support Specialists (TSS). TSS team members support the daily management of our housing programs and help coordinate care for tenants. Keep reading to meet Carter, one of our awesome Tenant Support Specialists based at SECU The Rise on Clanton …
Sarah Jane’s Story Sarah Jane was a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home. When she lost her job, she struggled to maintain her housing and her mental health, and eventually, she was evicted. Sarah Jane started out in a shelter, but her mental health challenges made it hard to live in a group setting. For two years, she slept …
Meet Mercedes Mercedes Ogilvie is Roof Above’s Volunteer Engagement Specialist at the Day Services Center (DSC). She describes her work as “Creating an environment for volunteers where they feel comfortable serving our neighbors.” Volunteers at the DSC help provide critical basic services at the front desk, mail room, and stations for showers, laundry, and phones. Mercedes joined the Roof Above …
Meet Forest Point Place Tenants! “When individuals experiencing homelessness are welcomed back into the community, they regain a sense of belonging . . . Community reintegration benefits everyone. It creates safer, more connected neighborhoods, reduces the strain on emergency services, and supports economic growth by helping individuals regain employment and stability. Here at Forest Point Place, the community is at …
Meet Staff at Forest Point Place! At Forest Point Place, Roof Above’s newest Permanent Supportive Housing location, our wonderful team plays a critical role in fostering a community of belonging. Shawnte Harvey, Forest Point Place Program Manager, says “Here at Forest Point Place, the community is at the heart of everything we do.” Keep reading to meet some of our …
Welcome to Forest Point Place! “It is Roof Above’s profound privilege to serve as the operator of this vision for Mecklenburg County, this vision to reimagine existing hotels into supportive housing to serve our vulnerable older adults experiencing homelessness in this community. Forest Point Place is a symbol of new life. For our tenants, it’s a door. It’s a key. …
Meet Jim Jim Dobbins first learned about Roof Above in 2021 through volunteering with Room in the Inn at his church, Covenant Presbyterian. When Jim’s pastor told him about Roof Above’s Housing and Employment Resource Centers (HERCs), she said volunteering there would be right up his alley. “To say she was right would be an understatement,” Jim says. “This is …