Homelessness

With committed, loving volunteers and financial donations, Providence UMC supports the homeless in Mecklenburg County.  You can make a difference!  Our homeless ministries are open to any member or guest who would like to volunteer.  We welcome mission partnerships with businesses, too.   

Charlotte Family Housing

Charlotte Family Housing works to end homelessness among families by providing opportunities through housing, support services, advocacy and collaboration.  Our church has supported Charlotte Family Housing with a number of Hope teams; these teams offer love and friendship in a relational ministry to families in transition from homelessness to financial independence.   

Charlotte Rescue Mission

Charlotte Rescue Mission ministers to individuals caught in cycles of poverty, hopelessness, and chemical addition by meeting their spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and vocational needs.  This is the only free Christian addiction recovery center in Charlotte.  In 2012 Providence UMC donated two beds for Dove's Nest, the women's recovery center.

Clyde and Ethyl Dickson Domestic Violence Shelter

SafeAlliance LogoCharlotte has a new 80-bed shelter for victims of domestic violence.  Here's why you should pay attention:  One of every four women will be a victim of domestic violence. In North Carolina, nearly every week, a woman is murdered by a man with whom she has a relationship. Charlotte Mecklenburg Police responded to 36,000 domestic violence calls in 2012.

Providence UMC provides hope to these women and children.  Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, Providence UMC has furnished a spacious two-room bedroom suite, a community area restroom, a family restroom, and the health clinic reception area in the new 40,000 square foot shelter.  For over a decade, we have also sent Baskets for Beginnings to women starting new lives and have provided hot meals at the old Shelter for Battered Women.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Men's Shelter of Charlotte

The Men's Shelter of Charlotte prevents homeless men from dying of exposure to the cold, meets the basic needs of clothing, food, and shelter, and refers men to support agencies specializing in detox, mental health, recovery, and social services.  Every month for thirteen years, Providence UMC has prepared a hot meal and served it to an average of 225 homeless neighbors.  Every winter, our Providence Youth provide sweatshirts and fellowship to the guests at Men's Shelter.  We support the shelter by cleaning mattresses and bed frames, organizing a clothing closet, and donating toiletries, men's shoes, and socks.

Room in the Inn

Orchestrated through Urban Ministry Center and started by Jeremiah Group, this program keeps homeless people from freezing on cold winter nights.  Providence UMC invites 14 of our homeless neighbors into our church home two nights a week during the winter months.  During this time we prepare meals for them, offer our support, and provide a warm place to sleep.  Providence provides comfort, meals, and shelter for approximately 500 people per season through the Room in the Inn program.

Salvation Army Center of Hope

The Center of Hope is an emergency homeless shelter and transitional housing program for women and children.  Women and children represent 1/3 of the county's homeless, and is the fastest growing demographic of homeless.  As needed, Providence UMC will open our church home to these women for additional shelter. For several years in a row, we have donated 3,000+ diapers for the young children in the shelter, who average 150-175 per night.  Our youth also have donated sweatshirts and hosted activities for the women and children at this shelter.

Supportive Housing Communities

Supportive Housing Communities, formerly McCreesh Place, is Charlotte's first Single Room Occupancy facility for homeless men who are physically, developmentally, or mentally disabled.

Urban Ministry Center

The Charlotte Urban Ministry Center is an interfaith organization dedicated to serving our homeless neighbors and helping end homelessness.  They do this by mobilizing our community, building relationships, and providing compassionate, empowering ministries.  Our United Methodist Women and Serendipity Sunday School class routinely make sandwiches each year for the soup kitchen.  See Room in the Inn above for more good news about our involvement with Urban Ministry Center.  In 2012, Providence UMC supported Artworks 945 and in 2013 we hosted an art show by our talented neighbors to help give them voice in our community.