Men's shelter raising money to move

Aug. 4—HENDERSON — After 15 years of serving some of Henderson's homeless population, the Men's Shelter at First Presbyterian Church, 222 Young Street, is hoping to move and expand.

The shelter is accessible from the back of the church, facing Church Street and does not have its own mailing address.

Community Partners of Hope, a local nonprofit that operates the shelter, wants to move into the recently vacated City Road United Methodist Church at 903 North Garnett Street.

"The old location is where we have functioned for 15 seasons, when we began a very small operation with volunteers," said Ron Cava, First Baptist Church Pastor and CPOH board member. "It provides sleeping space for 10 with a little bit of flexibility for a few more if we have severe weather conditions.

"The new space is going to double that capacity, with a lot more space for white flag conditions available to us."

Per the proposal for the project, and due to size limitations, as many as six men seeking shelter must be turned away on colder nights.

The new location, three times the size of the current location, would have space for 16 permanent bunks and eight overflow bunks. It also has a kitchen and more privacy, unlike the current location. The new space would also allow for future clinical, mentoring and consultation services as well as classwork and group interaction.

"We'll have room for the men to have some social space and some learning space," said Cava. "We will also have room for some counseling and maybe some medical attention, some private spaces for men to work with mentors. It's just generally a lot brighter and a lot more welcoming."

Finally, the new space is "fully [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessible," said Jane King, secretary to the CPOH board.

King noted that CPOH tried its best to make the current location, a basement accessible through an alleyway, homey. However, despite their efforts, it remains a bit "dreary," she described. The new location has more natural light and privacy, which is a big step towards making a more cheerful space. Planned fire walls and security systems would make the shelter safer as well.

"This new [place] will give everyone a little more self-esteem, to feel like they're in a place that is attractive and light, airy and comfortable," said King.

A plan for the future is to operate yearround out of the new location. Currently, the shelter opens on Oct. 1 and closes on March 31.

"Clearly, it can be cold in September, it can be cold in April," said Cava. "And these extreme hot days we have during the summer — people don't need to be exposed to the elements. More importantly, where do the men go April through September? What's a guy going to do? He has been in the shelter for three or four weeks, he's making some progress. Then we have to say to him, 'sorry, after tomorrow, we don't have anywhere for you to sleep.' "

Since the shelter opened a decade and a half ago, paid staff replaced volunteers. The COVID-19 pandemic rendered volunteer staff unfeasible, said Cava. In order to stay open 12 months out of the year, CPOH will need to double its payroll expenses. The fundraising campaign began some months ago but is now going into "high-gear." The goal is $350,000 in order to renovate the building.

"We have made a good dent in that," said Cava. If $300,000 is raised by the end of the year, one mystery donor may provide the remaining $50,000. They also hope to receive donations for the annual fund.

The money would go towards the following renovations:

— Upgrades to existing bathrooms to add two showers with ADA compliance for showers, toilets, and sinks

— On-demand gas water heater to handle volume of showers

— Addition of laundry room with two washer/dryer sets to be used for sheets and towels as well as for our guests to wash their own clothing

— Construction of fire walls around the laundry room and two sleeping areas (required for sprinkler systems). Two sleeping areas will each have four sets of bunk beds holding eight men each for a total of 16 guests. Overflow guests may sleep on cots with air mattresses in the rear gathering room

— Construction of a firewall between the fellowship hall and the older church parlor (closing off the existing doorway between those spaces — required for fire safety)

— Sprinkler system for laundry and sleeping areas (required)

— Addition of office space for consultation, staff use, or possible isolation in case of illness. This space may also be used as an exam room if we hold clinics in the building

— A new emergency exit door from smaller gathering space

— A security system including electronic locks, alarms on all doors and windows, security cameras and monitor, and additional outdoor lighting

— Additional plumbing, HVAC, and electrical upgrades as needed for partitioned space

The proposal also reads that CPOH hopes to receive as much as $750,000 over the next year in order to meet their goals of staying open yearround and providing more comprehensive services in the future.

"This is a project that everybody in the community ought to get behind," said Cava. "Our city leaders have been supporting this. We need more churches to get on board. But right now, we really need some people to make some major donations. We have some naming rights available for those who make very generous contributions."

To make a donation, paste or click on the online payment link: aplos.com/aws/give/CommunityPartnersofHope/CapitalFund

Checks should be made payable to CPOH Building Fund and sent to Community Partners of Hope, P.O Box 1791, Henderson, N.C., 27536.