CCM May 2024 Perspective Newsletter
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
PERSPECTIVE<br />
FROM THE FRONTLINES<br />
CELEBRATING OUR 42ND YEAR OF RESTORING HOPE<br />
A MOTHER'S HEART<br />
ED HOSACK<br />
CEO<br />
A mother cannot hear what you are saying over the sound of her child's stomach<br />
growling. Meeting people “where they are” recognizes both their physical location and<br />
an emotional spiritual condition.<br />
In Cabarrus County today, we have a growing number of families in crisis, families with<br />
children. In February, <strong>CCM</strong>’s food pantries served 44% more in need of food assistance<br />
than in February 2023. The increase of 44% more<br />
households represented 55% more people, meaning<br />
larger families. Requests for food assistance are<br />
typically an early indicator there is stress on the<br />
household to maintain other priorities.<br />
Food, financial and housing indicators are all displaying a growing need<br />
in our community, but we make a mistake if our focus on hunger is on<br />
the statistics (pounds of food or number of meals). Our understanding<br />
of hunger should come through the eyes of the mother. For too<br />
many mothers, the face of hunger in Cabarrus County is the face<br />
of her children.<br />
Our experience is 65% of those households are single moms. Whether<br />
in a third world culture, cities torn by violence, or the classrooms of<br />
CONTINUED PAGE 2 »<br />
IN THIS EDITION<br />
What's Cabarrus County's<br />
Point-In-Time Count?.......................3<br />
2025 New Horizon<br />
Strategic Plan Updates.................... 4<br />
Partner Spotlight...............................5<br />
Thank You...........................................5<br />
Upcoming Events.............................. 6
Cabarrus county, mothers feel the weight in the<br />
heart of a child who has experienced hunger. She<br />
worries for the mind of a child that wonders how<br />
or if the next meal will come. (That is not a burden<br />
intended for a child). She knows the fear that goes<br />
with food insecurity fuels emotions of doubt in<br />
the self-worth of a developing mind (and many<br />
other negative emotions). A mother understands<br />
the value of good nutrition during the birth-tofive<br />
years of cognitive development. She carries<br />
inside the burden as she imagines days of scarcity<br />
eroding decades of potential for her child.<br />
We as a community must recognize how quickly<br />
days become decades. Our six-year-olds will<br />
be driving in ten years, our third graders will be<br />
voting and our high schoolers will be parents -<br />
facing the same challenges. For the single mom,<br />
the days are long, but the years go fast.<br />
We have the ability to make a profound difference<br />
in the life of a child or the dignity of a senior trying<br />
desperately to stay in their home.<br />
Building a future for our children – and therefore<br />
our community, and caring for seniors living alone,<br />
starts with stabilizing our families and ensuring<br />
access to nutrition. No single organization can<br />
carry the burden of feeding families who are<br />
struggling, but we can come alongside them and<br />
supplement their efforts. You give a mom the<br />
basics with which to work and she will feed her<br />
children or grandchildren.<br />
We come to the place where we recognize that we<br />
can provide food and housing, but only God can<br />
calm and heal the fear rooted in crisis. Creating<br />
access and building trust opens a door for a<br />
relationship that can change the future.<br />
We had a great time with<br />
Ferguson Hayes Hawkins,<br />
PLLC on site at MAC to<br />
teach us about wills<br />
and allow our residents (not all who<br />
attended are pictured here) to fill<br />
out worksheets that will be used<br />
to create their legal documents.<br />
Attorney Gabrielle Parish (first from<br />
left) and legal assistant Natasha<br />
Smith (second from left) gave<br />
graciously of their time Tuesday<br />
evening as they joined us for dinner,<br />
shared a presentation, and patiently<br />
answered questions to ensure our residents understood their choices and options related to<br />
last wills and testaments. All residents of the <strong>CCM</strong> Housing program will have an opportunity to<br />
complete a worksheet and take advantage of this opportunity. This is such a needed service for<br />
single mothers, and we are beyond grateful for local professionals and businesses such as Ferguson<br />
Hayes Hawkins, PLLC who volunteer their time and use their gifts to serve our community.
JEREMY BURLESON<br />
CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER<br />
WHAT IS CABARRUS COUNTY'S<br />
POINT-IN-TIME COUNT?<br />
The Cabarrus County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is<br />
conducted annually as part of a nationwide count<br />
of homeless individuals. The PIT count informs the<br />
Department of Housing and Urban Development<br />
(HUD) of trends in homelessness across the<br />
country. The North Carolina event is managed by<br />
the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness<br />
(NCCEH) according to the rules and definitions<br />
established by HUD.<br />
The annual count, conducted on the last<br />
Wednesday of January, undertakes to report<br />
a census of all persons residing in emergency<br />
shelter and transitional housing environments on<br />
that night and to capture a snapshot of persons<br />
who are unsheltered within a community on that<br />
same night. While it is unreasonable to assume a<br />
community will identify and visit every unsheltered<br />
individual on a given night, the presumption is that<br />
replicating a consistent approach or strategy<br />
year after year, will produce a “point in time”<br />
comparison and yield a representation of the<br />
state of homelessness in a community. While<br />
not a perfect model, consistency of methods<br />
and conditions has yielded a reasonable<br />
representation in many communities.<br />
On January 31, <strong>2024</strong>, twelve (12) local<br />
agencies participated to report the number<br />
of sheltered individuals in their programs.<br />
An additional cohort of dedicated people<br />
endeavored to make contact, interview, and<br />
record information on those who were sleeping<br />
in tents, cars, buildings, or other places not<br />
intended for human habitation. Additionally,<br />
our school systems shared valuable information<br />
regarding families with children, who are living<br />
in hotels.<br />
Records of homeless students in our school<br />
systems are considered locally as the<br />
strongest indicator of what is happening in<br />
the community. These numbers are often not<br />
included in the PIT count due to the narrow<br />
definitions and guidelines for inclusion. After<br />
excluding the significant numbers represented by<br />
students and their families, we compare the count<br />
of homeless individuals from year to year. These<br />
measures are not an indication of the magnitude<br />
of homelessness in the community, rather they<br />
are an indication of trends among the homeless<br />
populations.<br />
When comparing the number of sheltered<br />
individuals from 2023 and <strong>2024</strong> without including<br />
the numbers reported by the school systems, the<br />
totals are 141 in 2023 vs. 144 in <strong>2024</strong>. Our shelter<br />
and housing facilities for the homeless remain at<br />
high capacity as our homeless population TREND<br />
reflects a slight increase and a significant increase<br />
in the percentage of children.<br />
After all <strong>2024</strong> PIT count data was<br />
collected, here are FOUR KEY<br />
OBSERVATIONS.<br />
The year-over-year comparison of homeless<br />
individuals decreased slightly from the number<br />
of homeless individuals in 2023. The change<br />
in the number of households from 2023 to<br />
<strong>2024</strong> is primarily reflected in the decrease of<br />
unsheltered individuals.<br />
The <strong>2024</strong> Count identified 80 unsheltered<br />
individuals, but was only able to report 50<br />
individuals due to reporting parameters.<br />
Our local shelter and housing capacity has been<br />
in transition as The Salvation Army’s Emergency<br />
Night Shelter and <strong>CCM</strong>’s transitional housing<br />
program are in the process of developing and<br />
opening new facilities.<br />
The ratio of persons per household increased<br />
from 1.38 to 1.53 persons per household.
CLICK TO VIEW<br />
the full Strategic Plan<br />
Seven years ago I had a meeting with Ed Hosack that forever changed the trajectory of Elder Orphan<br />
Care (EOC), and perhaps that of <strong>CCM</strong> in some way.<br />
EOC had been serving alongside pastors in Romania who care for people who are old and alone, but<br />
we felt compelled by the Lord to begin considering the needs of older adults in Cabarrus and Rowan<br />
counties. I met with Ed to ask for wisdom in beginning to serve those locally who are aging alone. Ed<br />
listened, gave insight, and most importantly, he prayed.<br />
Over the years since that meeting and Ed's powerful prayer, <strong>CCM</strong> has been generous, encouraging and<br />
creative in helping our mission move forward. The most recent invitation to go deeper in our already<br />
strong partnership came after <strong>CCM</strong>'s purchase of Caremoor Retirement Community.<br />
In April our EOC office moved to Caremoor, such a blessing! But far better than that, one of our clients<br />
moved to Caremoor! For years this older friend had been living in substandard conditions and for a<br />
variety of reasons should not have been living alone. Despite our best efforts, we could find no option for<br />
a safe and affordable place for her to call home. We are so grateful to now be able to visit this friend as<br />
we walk the halls of Caremoor!<br />
Because our three-person staff has a variety of skills that can benefit Grace Place at Caremoor, we will<br />
also be on site several hours each week to assist their staff and encourage the residents.<br />
We praise God for this opportunity to be a part of a pioneering work that I believe will continue to grow<br />
and develop in amazing ways for the glory of God and the good of those he loves!<br />
Kim Jackson<br />
Elder Orphan Care Executive Director
P ARTNER SPOTLIGHT & THANK YOU<br />
Congratulations to our Partners at Share the<br />
Harvest Community Farm for having their<br />
“GREATEST year YET!”<br />
In 2023, they donated their highest single<br />
year total ever, with 19,216.6 lbs of fresh<br />
produce donated!<br />
Check out what they did in 2023!<br />
APRIL FOOD DRIVES<br />
(200+ lbs.)<br />
Mary Frances Wall Center - 1,175 lbs.<br />
Grifols Plasma Center - 573 lbs.<br />
Atrium Health Hospice - 455 lbs.<br />
We also are thankful to students at<br />
Hickory Grove Christian School, who<br />
made and donated 140 lbs. of peanut<br />
butter sandwiches for our clients!<br />
<strong>CCM</strong> would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for<br />
the opportunity to participate in the recent Hispanic<br />
Resource Nights hosted by Cabarrus County and<br />
Kannapolis City Schools, as well as the Student & Family<br />
Mental Wellness Forum organized by Cabarrus County<br />
Schools. These events served as invaluable platforms<br />
for us to share information about <strong>CCM</strong>'s programs and<br />
initiatives.<br />
Your partnership and collaboration are instrumental in our<br />
shared mission to empower individuals and families within<br />
our community. Together, we can continue to foster an<br />
environment of support, understanding, and growth for all.<br />
Low-income pregnant women are at heightened risk for malnutrition and adverse<br />
birth outcomes. American Heart Association & <strong>CCM</strong> are teaming up to provide<br />
prenatal boxes filled with curated food items and supportive resources to pregnant<br />
women throughout Cabarrus County. Through their generous funding powered by<br />
Novant Health, we will distribute boxes to 300+ women, promoting healthy birth<br />
outcomes for mothers and infants. Thank you, American Heart Association!
UPCOMING EVENTS<br />
R3 CAREER & EDUCATION<br />
SPECIALIST FEATURED<br />
CAREER SERVICES<br />
Update your existing career skills, learn<br />
about continuing education, or find the<br />
right career opportunity!<br />
• Basic and Advanced Computer Skills<br />
• Resume and Cover Letter<br />
• Job Search Assistance<br />
• Mock Interviews<br />
• Career Readiness Certification<br />
• Workplace Soft Skills Workshops<br />
• Continuing Education Scholarship Assistance<br />
• Basic Budgeting Review<br />
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
Stormie Starks 704-216-3473<br />
stormie.starks@rccc.edu<br />
Mon & Wed.: 8:30-3:30<br />
Location: North Carolina<br />
Research Center<br />
Thurs: 9:00-1:00<br />
Location: <strong>CCM</strong> Dream Center<br />
Kim Pace 704-216-3653<br />
kimberly.pace@rccc.edu<br />
Tues. & Thurs.: 9:00-2:00<br />
Location: North Carolina<br />
Research Center<br />
SAVE THE DATE<br />
Attention all Nonprofit<br />
Leaders, Staff, and<br />
Volunteers!<br />
CABARRUS COUNTY<br />
NONPROFIT WORKSHOP<br />
AUGUST 22, <strong>2024</strong><br />
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM<br />
CROSSROADS CHURCH<br />
220 GEORGE W. LILES PARKWAY<br />
CONCORD, NC 28027<br />
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY DATES<br />
<strong>May</strong> 16 (Thursday) – 10:00-12:00<br />
Elevation Church Concord<br />
545 Concord Pkwy N, Concord<br />
Co-Sponsored by Connect Christian Church and<br />
Calvary Lutheran Church<br />
June 13 (Thursday) – 10:00-12:00<br />
Bethel Church of Midland<br />
12700 Idlebrook Dr., Midland<br />
Sponsored by Bethel Church of Midland<br />
July 30 (Tuesday) – 10:00-12:00<br />
Elevation Church Concord<br />
545 Concord Pkwy N, Concord<br />
Sponsored by Elevation Church Concord
EXPERTS IN FAMILY<br />
FINANCIAL RELIEF<br />
HELP with<br />
HOUSING<br />
HelpWithHousing.net<br />
SENIOR RESOURCE GUIDE<br />
FOOD<br />
RESOURCES<br />
The ‘Cabarrus County Food<br />
Resource Map’, which was<br />
recently created by the<br />
Hunger Task Force, is available<br />
on our website. Please share<br />
this valuable resource with the<br />
community.<br />
Sign up to round up your monthly City of Concord Utility bill to the nearest dollar<br />
and help keep the air, heat, and lights on for hundreds of families in need.<br />
Visit: https://concordnc.gov/Departments/Customer-Care/<br />
Neighbor-Helping-Neighbor<br />
NEW! <strong>CCM</strong> Career Opportunities<br />
246 Country Club Drive NE, PO Box 1717<br />
Concord, NC 28026 TEL: 704-786-4709<br />
GIVE ONLINE: www.CooperativeMinistry.com or TEXT: ccmhelps to 44321