Black Mountain homeless shelter to remain closed this winter
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry shifts resources to help area residents stay warm
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 14, 2020
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry Executive Director Cheryl Wilson organizes a care package that the Black Mountain-based nonprofit organization is handing out to homeless residents this winter. Photo by Fred McCormick
Each winter since 2009, the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry has raised a purple flag outside of the First Baptist Church of Black Mountain when temperatures are expected to drop below 38 degrees. The symbol serves as an announcement to area residents without homes that the shelter is open.
This year, however, with winter rapidly approaching and the COVID-19 pandemic posing an increased risk to congregate settings, the facility’s doors will remain closed for the season.
From Nov. 1, 2019 through Feb. 29, 2020, the shelter was open for 81 nights and served 70 individual guests with the help of more than 500 volunteers who served hot meals and assisted clients with laundry services. Four of the people who utilized the facility last winter found permanent housing with the help of SVCM Homeless Outreach Coordinator Sonny Moore, who oversees the operation of the shelter.
“Fortunately, thanks to the work of Sonny and many of our community partners, we’re not working with as many homeless residents as we have in recent years,” said the nonprofit organization’s executive director Cheryl Wilson. “We were able to secure permanent housing for some of our local residents, including one in the new East Haven apartments. To help with those who are currently without stable housing, we received a $10,000 grant from the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund this year that has allowed us to secure a safe housing option on cold nights.”
The decision to not open the shelter this year was a difficult one for the ministry, but necessary for public safety as COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the state, according to Wilson.
“Normally we open the doors in the evening and allow people who don’t have anywhere warm to sleep to stay overnight,” she said. “However, we have no way of ensuring that everyone will always be able to follow COVID-19 safety regulations once they leave for the day, so we had no way of maintaining a safe environment in our shelter, as far as the virus is concerned. We considered every idea we could, but it was logistically impossible.”
The grant from the endowment fund, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, allowed SVCM to reorganize its resources and focus its efforts on local residents who do not have stable access to housing.
The purple flag that has flown outside of First Baptist Church of Black Mountain every winter since 2009 will not go up this year as the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry will not be able to open its homeless shelter, due to COVID-19. Photo by Fred McCormick
“In years past, a significant number of the people we have served in the shelter have been transient, coming either from the other side of Buncombe County or from adjacent counties, and would often just stay a night or two,” Wilson said. “This year, we are advising people who come in from surrounding areas that the shelter is not operating and handing out care packages. Unfortunately, there aren’t any emergency shelters operating on this side of the county.”
Care packages are given to anyone seeking shelter and the ministry is handing out cold-weather sleeping bags to anyone who will be potentially exposed to the outdoors.
“SunTrust Bank helped fund that with a grant, and that money also went toward gloves and coats,” Wilson added.
The ministry is continuing to provide hot meals every Tuesday and Thursday, and the outreach coordinator is delivering them instead of hosting dinner at the shelter.”
Moore, who remains in contact with homeless residents in the Valley throughout the year, will maintain frequent communication with clients throughout the winter.
SVCM was formed in 1975 when a group of area churches created the organization to help meet basic needs and provide emergency services for area residents in need. It currently hosts programs including a food pantry, heating assistance, a Hope for Tomorrow campus that provides housing for single homeless mothers and various other initiatives.
“We will try to deal with needs as they come up, and we’re fortunate that several of the people we work with have vehicles,” Wilson said. “But, it got down into the 20s early in November, and that is very cold. So, we don’t know what this winter will bring, but we know it won’t be easy, and we’ll be doing our best to help.”