OT: Ground breaking for 2 women’s services organizations

My wife and have supported the Charlotte Rescue Mission, which provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, for about 10 years financially as well I help with various technology questions and problems. We started that support as a result of an encounter I had one day on my morning routine of walking to get coffee. There was this guy that roamed the area that you knew was homeless and this one morning as I passed him he asked for money but I only brought my dollar for coffee so instead I poured him a half cup. He told me his story, I returned shortly thereafter with a blanket and Bible but I was hounded with a question of why can’t he get help. After investigating what the city offered in programs I realized for him he wasn’t ready to get help, in some strange way he liked the life he was living and not willing to abide other’s rules to get on track.

Last year I joined the Charlotte Rescue Mission board of directors and today had the opportunity to attend the ground breaking for 2 new facilities on the same 11 acre site. For Charlotte Rescue Mission, they are adding a new 90 bed facility for the women’s program they call Dove’s Nest (the men’s program is called Rebound) and the second organization that will be on this site is United Family Services which provides services for domestic violence. There is a strong relationship between domestic violence and substance abuse which means these new facilities together can have an impact stronger than what they each gain individually.

The most memorable part of the day was when a local radio personality shared her story of which she is now able to say she is a survivor and that just encourages you to keep doing what you do.

Tom