“Housing is the answer but not the end of the work.” ~Amy Warner “Nurse Amy” is part of our Roof Above team specializing in the Scattered Site model of permanent supportive housing (PSH) where formerly homeless individuals live in existing apartments in the Charlotte community. Supportive services for these tenants include case management, obtaining benefits, and help with medical needs. …
When Room In The Inn (RITI) was abruptly suspended in March due to COVID-19, hundreds of people who depended on the program were suddenly unsheltered. A triage plan was enacted to help them determine quick alternatives. Rick Spreitzer volunteered to help counsel individuals and help them “get linked to the next best thing: Do you have a family member or …
When former Charlotte Observer editor and former Urban Ministry Center Board Chair Jennie Buckner first moved to Charlotte in 1968, she made what would seem like an odd choice in today’s world: She rented a room at the Y. For years, YMCAs and YWCAs provided housing solutions for a wide variety of people facing an immediate need. They joined with SROs …
We heard lots of stories about Dale Mullennix before he worked his last day on Friday, May 17. And although Dale is a man of awards and great accomplishments, most recently receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award from the State of North Carolina, what we heard most often last week was the advice he had given many …
We are committed to housing Charlotte’s most vulnerable population, those experiencing chronic homelessness—those who are most likely to die on the streets. We meet hundreds of people at our College Street campus each day, and our Neighbor Services team works to connect people with the basic services, referrals, and housing assistance they need. But, there are many who never walk …
The Street Outreach Team and volunteers hit the streets of Uptown once a month starting at 9:00 PM to get a pulse on how many people are sleeping in Uptown, and who they are. It’s a chance to talk to people before they’re asleep, but after they’ve settled in for the night. While the neighbors are always surprised to see …
Imagine seeing your own artwork framed up on Tryon Street for all to see! ArtWorks 945 artist Kevin had just that pleasure recently when the McColl Center for Art + Innovation included a print of his painting on their signs. Kevin created the piece with McColl Center artist-in-residence, Marion Wilson. She talks about the collaboration in the McColl Center blog, …
Last August, Prince sat down in my office, defeated and worn-out. After a few moments of silence, he looked up quietly and said, “Miss Heather, what do I have to do to get an apartment of my own?” Prince had been homeless for more than three years, and, like many of our neighbors, lives on a fixed income. With 2 …
Think back to your freshman year of college. You met many new faces and your life suddenly opened up to dozens of activities and services. Maybe you didn’t know your way around campus or what was required of you to succeed. In comes your trusty Resident Assistant! RAs were the ones to help smooth over this transition, by helping new …
I saw him sitting on the stairs of the Epicenter, uncontrollably shaking and holding a cup out for money. I had never seen him before. As my Point in Time count team approached, he barely glanced up. “Good morning, my name is Allison and I work for Urban Ministry Center’s outreach team. We’re out checking on people who may have …
As a social worker and a musician, HousingFest blends my passions perfectly. I’m excited to share our plans for this year’s event. What’s HousingFest? HousingFest is a music festival dedicated to ending homelessness in Charlotte. It’s guided by two simple principles: 1) Housing is a basic human right and 2) music has the power to unite people to end homelessness. …
Last month, our community completed the annual Point in Time Count Survey. Over 150 volunteers spread out across the community to conduct a survey with people who spent the night outside. Tricia Sistrunk was one of those volunteers. This was her second year volunteering. She also serves as a regular volunteer with the outreach team. On the morning of the survey, I …
If you want to know what community looks like, you only had to stop by Chick-Fil-A at Davis Lake on October 10. There were dozens of families gathered to enjoy a vanilla iced coffee and to remember the life and death of a shared friend: Al Gorman. Al lived homeless in the Huntersville community for seven years. Tucked away a …
Urban Ministry Center is leading an effort to end chronic homelessness in Charlotte. Hear from the UMC staff and community making it happen, and witness the successes of the housing first strategy. This video was originally shared at the True Blessings Luncheon held November 17, 2015.
On a humid day in July, six Cadettes from Girl Scout Troop 1513 braved the heat and walked over two miles around Charlotte in the character of Kimberly, a homeless runaway, and Angela, a homeless mother. They were doing Walk in My Shoes, Urban Ministry Center’s educational program that helps participants understand the day to day life of someone who …
Last month (January 29-31), the Urban Ministry Center had the privilege of helping lead our community’s largest effort to identify chronically homeless and unsheltered individuals. With the help of more than 250 volunteers assigned to 29 teams spread throughout the county, we combined the annual “Point in Time,” during which our community literally counts the number of people sleeping outside, …
32,128. That is the number I want you to have in mind when you go to the polls on November 4th and have a chance to vote “Yes” for Charlotte’s Affordable Housing Bond. 32,128 – that is the number of households that signed up over just five days for a chance to be put on the Charlotte Housing Authority’s waitlist for …
Since 2010, Urban Ministry Center has taken one day a year to interview every person who comes on our main campus property seeking services to gain a better understanding of the characteristics and needs of our overall population. We call it our annual “Survey at the Gate,” though through the years we have progressed from completing paper surveys literally at …
A familiar voice rings out, “Don’t worry about a thing” – the Bob Marley melody carries from the soup kitchen dining room through the upstairs hallway – “Everything little thing is gonna be alright.” It means only one thing – Leon is here. For a decade, Leon would announce his presence (and intoxication) at Urban Ministry Center through singing – loud, …
Every Thursday afternoon, a group of people meets in the common room of Moore Place; they all have different stories and paths that brought them to the group but they all share the same passion to fight homelessness. These people form the advocacy group, Helping Homeless to Housing (HHH). HHH is a community meeting facilitated by volunteers Angie Forde and …
