CURRENTS

BRUNSWICK COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1 SUMMER 2012

BCHC ADVOCATES FOR THE HOMELESS

During November 2011, the first gathering of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC) took place at St. Brendan's Church, where monthly meetings of BCHC have continued to be held for the past seven months. During an evolutionary process the membership increased and the purpose of the coalition became clear. We need to educate ourselves and the community about the homeless and those in need living in Brunswick County. At present membership includes faithbased ministries, non-profit organizations, and concerned citizens. The Coalition is not affiliated with a single church; however, several faith-based ministries support and have active membership in BCHC. homelessness; and J. Martin Cooke, Brunswick County Commissioner, District 2. Our aim is not to duplicate resources but to collaborate and partner with existing resources to make a difference in providing services to the homeless and those in need.

BCHC members have participated in hands-on activities supporting Streetreach which organized a network of churches to provide night shelters for the homeless during the coldest months of the year. Members have also supported food pantries, provided meals, food and gas cards, and donated needed items such as clothing, hygiene products, bag lunches, and cots. BCHC members Over the past months participating in such mission and vision activities have found inner statements were developed peace and heartfelt and continue to guide compassion when helping BCHC's focus. A community the less fortunate. At forum held on May present we have a core 15, 2012, at St. group of 25 members who Brendan's Church are devoting their talents to Jim Fish listens as Steve Spain addresses the crowd. provided an serve as advocates, opportunity for BCHC increase awareness of and others present to learn current and needed more about the resources in Brunswick County and resources, and participate in events with faith-based engage in an energizing dialogue with the speakers ministries and the community to encourage working and those in attendance. Speakers included Steve together and making a difference in the lives of the Spain, Executive Director, Wilmington Interfaith less fortunate in Brunswick County. If you have a Hospitality Network; James Fish, Executive Director, passion to help others, BCHC welcomes you. Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc.; Dan Ferrell, ~Barbara Serafin Strategic Director 10 Year Plan to end chronic

Connecting People with Resources

One of the first steps BCHC took after its first meeting was to gather a list of resources available in Brunswick County. Several paper lists from various organizations and an electronic list already existed but there was duplication, and the lists had not been checked for accuracy in some time. Gene Kesler headed the project of merging and updating these lists into a master database; he was ably assisted by a group of volunteers who called to verify the phone numbers, contact people, etc. A survey was sent out to charitable and religious organizations as well. Merging all this information, he created a list of over 100 resources for the homeless in Brunswick County. When the names and numbers had been checked and double-checked, the information was shared with StreetReach to assist them in creating a street sheet for Brunswick County. The street sheets contain a list of resources available in the county ranging from who to call for veterans services to the hours for free clinics and food pantries. They are distributed to the homeless and neediest. The master database was also shared with North Carolina 211. This is a service provided through United Way. If one dials 211, an operator in Raleigh can connect the caller with services in any county in North Carolina. Before BCHC shared the master database with NC211, the information for services in Brunswick County was incomplete and not current. BCHC has an on-going commitment to update the database annually to keep the information as accurate as possible. ~Kitty Kesler

If youre interested in getting involved in helping the homeless and neediest in the county, there are many opportunities awaiting you. You can get more information in any one of the following ways:

Mission Statement BCHC's mission is to serve as an advocate for the homeless and those in need by increasing awareness and educating Brunswick County about these needs and by exploring, promoting, recruiting and facilitating resources to meet these needs.

Check out our website at

brunswickcountyhomelesscoali2on.webstarts. com
Visit our Facebook page--Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC)

Email us at BCHCRT@gmail.com Call Barabara Serafin at 910-575-6825

Check our website or Facebook page for the date of our next meeting. Come see whats happening in Brunswick County and where you might fit into the picture. All are welcome.
Donna Phelps chats with Coalition members before meeting.

Currents is a periodic publication of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition Editor: Kitty Kesler and Publisher: Susie Kubley