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 …
“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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Season of Hope Invitation Will you join us for a Season of Hope? Between now and the end of the year, we will be sharing weekly content that explores the many facets of hope. This isn’t meant to be prescriptive. There are multiple entry points into this invitation: Moments of inspiration and response on social media. Minutes or more, with …
Season of Hope Invitation Will you join us for a Season of Hope? Between now and the end of the year, we will be sharing weekly content that explores the many facets of hope. This isn’t meant to be prescriptive. There are multiple entry points into this invitation: Moments of inspiration and response on social media. Minutes or more, with …
Season of Hope Invitation Will you join us for a Season of Hope? Between now and the end of the year, we will be sharing weekly content that explores the many facets of hope. This isn’t meant to be prescriptive. There are multiple entry points into this invitation: Moments of inspiration and response on social media. Minutes or more, with …
Season of Hope Invitation Will you join us for a Season of Hope? Between now and the end of the year, we will be sharing weekly content that explores the many facets of hope. This isn’t meant to be prescriptive. There are multiple entry points into this invitation: Moments of inspiration and response on social media. Minutes or more, with …
The first thing you notice about Henry is his smile. The second is his fashion sense. He’s always dressed to impress. He’s also intelligent, creative, and hardworking. Henry is a veteran who served in the Army for three years. He received culinary training after completing basic training, and he spent most of his military career cooking for a general. He …
Joann Markley has been ending homelessness, one life at a time, since the mid-90s. With compassion and care, she has impacted thousands of people, first in her role as a hands-on case manager and later as she led teams of case managers, all serving people moving from homelessness to housing. Joann began as a case manager with a one-year contract …
Post-Covid, our staff report a significant increase in the number of shelter guests who are medically fragile. To address these growing needs, we continue to strengthen our in-house healthcare services. Thanks to the generous support of a local family foundation, we have introduced key healthcare roles within our shelters, including a healthcare navigator and a part-time nurse. They work diligently …
On most Tuesday mornings, you can expect to meet volunteers Brenda and Gary at Roof Above’s Resource Center, located on the Day Services Center campus. On any given day, more than 35 people may sign up at the Resource Center to receive assistance with obtaining identification documents, prescriptions, or food vouchers. Brenda has been managing the front desk for seven …
Mr. Faulkner treasures a drawing his son made years ago. In the drawing, Mr. Faulkner is wearing a cape because he was his son’s hero. His son still has the picture. When a girlfriend asked him about it, he said, “My dad never gives up.” Mr. Faulkner experienced homelessness for more than twenty years. Substance use and mental health issues …
Connection is important to Yvonne. She makes soup for neighbors and watches their pets, and she’s a regular in her community’s walking group. She loves to sit on her porch. When Yvonne was in high school, she experienced the onset of schizoaffective disorder, but she didn’t know what her symptoms meant. As her illness progressed, she moved to 11 cities …
Meet Vonda Simmons. She serves as a case manager at Roof Above. In the MeckHOME program, Vonda plays a pivotal role in implementing the shared-housing model, where individuals live with roommates in a structured program aimed at achieving stability and independence. Through case management and partnerships with organizations like Furnish For Good and healthcare providers, Vonda encourages her clients to …
Miranda Lackey’s varied experience makes her an ideal fit for her role as third-shift supervisor at Roof Above’s North Tryon Men’s Shelter. Miranda worked in manufacturing for almost 20 years, where she enjoyed job stability and great benefits. But she wasn’t fulfilled. Miranda made the life-changing decision to resign. She says, “My whole goal was, before I got any older, …
Since SECU The Rise on Clanton opened its doors in July of 2022, Roof Above has served nearly 100 people, with a 91% housing retention rate. Many who have moved have transitioned to other supportive housing programs. Khris was the first tenant to move into The Rise. At the end of November, after a year of stable housing, he spends …