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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Roof Above and Atrium Health Begin a New Chaplaincy Training Partnership In October 2024, a dream came to life at Roof Above. The first cohort of Atrium Health Chaplaincy Interns began their rotation at Roof Above’s shelter and housing locations! Director of Education Joe Hamby says that he and CEO Liz Clasen Kelly had long asked themselves: “How could a …
From Room in the Inn to Housing Room in the Inn is an interfaith ministry that provides emergency winter shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Since 1996, Roof Above has invited faith groups, colleges and other organizations to participate in Room in the Inn as hosts. Innkeeper Cher Lindblom shares that “Room in the Inn is a vehicle that gives our …
Meet the Day Services Center Weekend Crew! Did you know that Roof Above’s Day Services Center (DSC) is open 365 days a year? That means on holidays and weekends, rain or shine, the DSC is open to serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness. This wouldn’t be possible without our incredible weekend staff. Basic Service Specialists ensure neighbors visiting the DSC can …
Homelessness Came as a Shock to the Silvas Mr. and Mrs. Silva had raised their children and become grandparents. He had a stable income as a drywall installer. Then one day his boss noticed that he was sweating profusely and asked if he was OK . . . and that is the last thing he remembers. He woke up seven …
Meet Cherokee Cherokee was one of the first tenants to move into Forest Point Place in the summer of 2023. When asked what it means to her to have the stability of her own home, she says, “I have something I can call mine. I have a key that I can turn myself. That means a lot.” A home is …
Witnessing Hope Written by Joe Hamby, Director of Community Education It was 2:30 on a Friday afternoon at Roof Above’s Day Services Center. I was tying up loose ends when my phone rang. It was one of our neighbors, twenty-seven-year-old LJ. “Joe, I have a job interview.” He’d been applying for jobs with no luck since he returned from prison …
Points of Light Meet Sara Varnado, one of Roof Above’s QT Street Outreach Team members. Sara says “It’s great to be able to hear people’s stories — to hear where they’re coming from, to hear about their lives.” Sara has been working on the seven-member QT Street Outreach Team for over a year. She has more than a decade of …
Meet Mr. Jones Mr. Jones came to Charlotte in 2016. His path to housing was difficult and winding, but throughout his many challenges, Roof Above was a steady presence. Today, he is housed at HillRock Estates, where he has been able to stabilize his health and build his community. Mr. Jones was born in 1972 and raised in Atlanta with …
Spotlight on Peer Support “This is where I start my work every day,” says Toni Love, Peer Support Specialist, as she settles herself at the check-in table at Lucille Giles Center, preparing for that night’s guests to enter at 4:30 p.m. “I can see everything from right here — how people are feeling, who might be worked up. I greet …