Elevation Volunteers Spread LOVE!

Hundreds of volunteers transformed the atmosphere at Men’s Shelter of Charlotte during Elevation Church’s annual LOVE Week, July 26 – August 3.

The 9-day event is focused on serving local nonprofits and engaging the community in volunteerism.

“My perspective was challenged as I served, and stereotypes where eradicated,” said Nikki Ellis, who served as a volunteer liaison for Elevation Church. “I was able to see men experiencing homelessness still have the perseverance to go to work at 5 a.m. or work selflessly to give back to the agency that either once supported or currently provides them with assistance.”

Ellis helped organize about two dozen events at the Tryon Street campus and provided contagious enthusiasm and encouragement to the men. Ellis said, “Words cannot express how rewarding this opportunity has been to serve such deserving men but also the ability to serve alongside such phenomenal individuals who display a shared enthusiasm for God.” (more…)

All In

Written by Carson Dean, Executive Director

Earlier this week I was driving through the parking lot at our Tryon Street shelter campus about 7am when I noticed one of our 3rd shift staff heading towards his car.  He was just getting off work, so I pulled over to chat with him for a minute.  I asked how the night had gone and he responded that it had been quiet and pleasant.  Assuming I knew his next response, I then said “I bet you’re headed home to get some sleep.”  To my surprise, he told me he’d sleep later but, instead, was on his way over to a neighborhood church outreach center to help serve breakfast to folks in that community who are experiencing homelessness.  I told him I thought that was great and he said he just wanted to do things that were positive and helped others.  We continued to chat for a moment and then I pulled up to the building and he got into his car and left.  Since then, our very brief conversation has stuck with me.  I don’t know exactly how to express what I’m feeling other than I know that Anthony is all in.  More of us need to be all in.  How about you?

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Father’s Day Wallet Drive

This Father’s Day – celebrate a father, donate a wallet!

Men’s Shelter of Charlotte remembers while its clients are experiencing homelessness – it is not an identity. The men are fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, friends and play many roles in our community.

To honor those roles and remember our common humanity, gently used and new wallets will be collected for clients of Men’s Shelter of Charlotte. To support programming for men experiencing homelessness and who are ready to transform their lives by enrolling in our programs, $20 or more inserted into the wallet is suggested.

When to donate your wallet-

Friday, June 13 – Monday, June 16, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily

Where to donate wallets -

Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, 1210 North Tryon Street, side entrance

Questions – 

(704) 334.3187 x103 or jennifer.coates@mensshelterofcharlotte.org

Make a tribute gift (click here) and we will post your tribute!

Carson Dean, Riley’s Dad & Men’s Shelter of Charlotte Executive Director

Father’s Day for me is a reminder of how special a gift my son is to me.  Being a father is a joy and a tremendous responsibility.  Having my son look up to me and love me unconditionally has humbled me in so many ways.  My son’s need for guidance, accountability, and someone to act goofy with has taught me so much about being a father.  I only hope I’m half as good as a dad that I know my son will one day be for his kids.  This Father’s Day I’m making a gift to Men’s Shelter of Charlotte in Riley’s name because he understands there are so many fathers in the shelter who want nothing more than to be dad to their own children.

Amy Tribble, Director of Development, daughter of Paul Shafer (1913-1992)  

Though my father has been deceased for nearly 22 years, I still miss him terribly and frequently long for his guidance.  The heartfelt letters of encouragement and support he wrote to me my Freshman year in college are filled with insights I still hang on to.  How lucky I was to be loved and supported so unconditionally.  My father was a role model who made a habit of practicing random acts of kindness long before the phrase was coined.  He was one of the most thoughtful, generous people I have ever known.  This Father’s Day I will make a contribution to Men’s Shelter of Charlotte in his memory and in the spirit of giving the same type of unconditional support that was given to me to men who are experiencing homelessness.

 

 

Medical Respite

This week I’d like to share a bit about one of the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte’s most impactful, yet least known, service.  In 2009 we launched our Medical Respite component, based on a model developed in Boston that I had also worked with in Raleigh.  You see, when a person experiencing homelessness is in a medical hospital and it’s time to be discharged, the hospital is not responsible for finding them a place to go.  So, if a person came in off the streets they are most likely discharged to the streets.  This is not a criticism of our hospitals, it’s just reality. Men’s Shelter of Charlotte’s Medical Respite component [one of our 5 core components: Income/Housing/Supports/Severe Weather/ & Medical Respite] is designed to help hospitals with discharge planning so men experiencing homelessness will have a place to go immediately after leaving the hospital for further recovery.  Men’s Shelter of Charlotte has 10 beds dedicated to Medical Respite and we remain more than 90% full at all times. Here’s how it works.  When any of our local medical hospitals is ready to discharge a man experiencing homelessness who also needs some additional recuperation assistance, the hospital completes a referral to Men’s Shelter of Charlotte.  We work with the hospital to ensure that Men’s Shelter of Charlotte can meet his needs and we coordinate, before he is discharged, follow up appointments, medications, wound care, etc.  We even schedule with the hospitals to bring home health care assistance into the shelter to assist as needed.  Medical Respite lasts for less than 14 days, during which time our staff works with the person to determine their income path and housing plan.  Its fairly common for us to have a man housed by the time his Medical Respite stay at the shelter is complete. At Men’s Shelter of Charlotte we focus attention on each man based on our equation:  Income + Housing + Support = An End to Homelessness.  Medical Respite is a key component that keeps a man experiencing homelessness on the path towards housing while dealing with a critical medical event.  Men’s Shelter of Charlotte is thankful for our incredible partnerships with Carolinas Healthcare System and Novant Health.  Our hospital partners not only want to provide medical care for men experiencing homelessness, they also want to see them end their homeless experience – together that’s just what we’re doing.

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Homelessness Ends Under Our Roof

 Thank you for investing in the end to homelessness at the Annual Under Our Roof Breakfast and Fundraiser on April 10.

At the event, Executive Director Carson Dean reported that this month, April 2014, 400 men will have ended their experience with homelessness- since July 2013! How did they accomplish it? By applying the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte equation: Income + Housing + Support ends Homelessness. 

Now Meet Eddie Washington, who is no longer experiencing homelessness.

Another inspiring example is J.R., who rediscovered his purpose when he enrolled in our programs. After several years of homelessness-spending nights in a hotel or sleeping

in a friend’s garage- he was unable to get back on his feet.  “I never in my life thought I would be in a place like that,” J.R. shares. After entering the shelter and working a plan to obtain housing and income that he developed with case management, he started saving money and learning how to better manage his finances. He took weekly GED classes and woke up at 4:00 a.m nearly every morning to cook breakfast at the shelter.”

What happens to J.R.? Read more here 

 

Thank you to our Under Our Roof Sponsors