BY DEBBIE PAGE
Poverty profoundly affects local families. Fourteen percent of North Carolina residents live below the federal poverty line. Forty-one percent of students in Mooresville Graded School District qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 17.6 percent of youth in Iredell County are living in poverty.
The Christian Mission (TCM) works to break the cycle of poverty and help others achieve long-term self-sufficiency by providing programs such as crisis assistance, case management, educational programming, and community engagement.
Now in its 85th year, TCM unveiled its sparkling new 27,000-square-foot facility at 919 North Main Street in Mooresville during an open house on Tuesday prior to its opening to clients on Thursday.
Executive Director Amy LaCount was proud to show off the bright and welcoming facility, which is more than double the size of the nonprofit’s previous home.
The organization has a wraparound approach for its clients, providing everything from food, clothing, counseling, skills classes, rent assistance, substance use treatment and prevention, and other resources to empower individuals and families to build a brighter, more stable future.
This new building is not just walls but a place of hope and opportunity, said LaCount.
With expanded offices, welcoming event spaces, a vibrant community room, four modern classrooms, a fully equipped computer lab, an organized pantry, a spacious warehouse, and a free resource store, TCM can support more community members in more impactful ways than ever before.
The facility also now has space to house an NC Works Career Center, as well as an office for the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children. Having these organizations in house ensures case managers get their clients needed services quickly from providers just down the hall.
“We are so excited to be in the new facility,” said LaCount. “It’s going to allow us to serve even more individuals in a greater capacity as we move clients from crisis to stability.”
“We serve everyone from the homeless to those who are working but just cannot make ends meet. For our homeless clients, we resource them with food and clothing and more permanent shelter, working with Fifth Street Ministries and shelters around Charlotte. However, our goal is to prevent homelessness, so that they do not get in that situation, through our rent assistance program as well as pairing them with a life skills class.”
LaCount said TCM prevented 810 individuals from becoming homeless through its rental assistance program last year. The nonprofit also helped 820 families keep their electricity and heat going and distributed 140,000 pieces of clothing and household items.
Fifty-eight percent of TCM’s clients are female, with children comprising 32 percent and seniors 10 percent.
The organization serves southern Iredell, including Mooresville, Cleveland, Troutman, Mt. Mourne, and Mt. Ulla, but the Life Skills and substance abuse programs serve all Iredell County residents.
SERVICES
LaCount said none of TCM’s services would be possible without its enthusiastic Board of Directors, donors, staff members, community partners, and over 700 volunteers working together to serve more than 4,600 individuals each year.
Clients are first assigned a case manager to assess their situation and needs. Spanish interpreters are available as well.
“They dig a little bit deeper into what’s going on in their lives and help support them, set goals, and achieve those goals,” LaCount explained.
Life Skills
Many clients are referred for a 10-week life skills program to learn budgeting, credit repair, saving and investing, conflict resolution, mental health strategies, goal setting, and access to community resources.
“We have experts in the community who come in and teach those classes to help clients repair their self-esteem. Many times they come to us pretty broken, and The Christian Mission is walking alongside those individuals and building their confidence back up, teaching them that they do have value and assets to move forward to stability,” said LaCount.
TCM plans to greatly expand its life skills program, which is available to all Iredell residents, and have extended it to teens as well at the NF Woods alternative school program.
The organizations will also offer Bridges Out of Poverty training, designed to help attendees develop a deeper understanding of poverty and what it is like for those facing it. As attendees gain empathy and a better understanding of poverty challenges, they learn to build relationships with those living in poverty and create opportunities for their success.
LaCount hopes to develop a cadre of mentors to pair with Life Skills students as additional support through the Bridges training.
Teens can also come in after school to use the computer lab and have access to peer tutors from area high schools and teen organizations for help with homework in a safe environment.
Substance Use/Recovery
LaCount said the TCM substance use program is unique in this region.
“There’s nothing else like it. We have funding to help with everything from prevention and education to treatment scholarships and mental health services,” she said.
The organization’s substance use services helped 650 clients last year. This program is available to all Iredell County residents.
TCM works to dispel myths surrounding mental health and substance use disorders through community education and awareness programs surrounding substance use, stigma, and available resources.
A Certified Peer Support Specialist has lived experience of recovery from substance misuse and mental illness. Community members of any income level can schedule an appointment with the Peer Support Specialist. Appointments can be made off-site for anonymity.
Substance use services include peer support and distribution of alcohol/substance use resources to individuals and their loved ones struggling with substance use disorders, including treatment scholarships, and recovery support.
Recovery support groups will now be offered now that TCM has the meeting space available in classrooms and the community room.
“We want this building to be used by the community to offer these types of things as a central hub,” LaCount said.
Other substance use resources available include harm reduction resources, free Narcan for those at risk, Narcan training, 12-step support group referrals, and grief support as it relates to substance use.
To learn more, please contact Sandy Tabor-Gray at staborgray@thechristianmission.org.
Senior Services
Senior companion volunteers shop in the food pantry and deliver groceries to seniors several times a month. During deliveries, these volunteers develop relationships with the seniors, check in on their well-being, and provide information about services they may require.
LaCount said a recent visit revealed a senior living in a home with exposed electrical wires, so TCM partnered with Habitat for Humanity and a men’s group to get that corrected.
TCM also installs AC units in the hot months and provides space heaters in the cold months for seniors without those necessities. Wheelchair ramps, new toilets, and other needs have also been provided to senior clients by TCM and its partners.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Because the space is so much bigger, LaCount said TCM will need three times as many volunteers to help with expanded program offerings. Teens, retirees, business and church groups, and individuals are much needed to provide the assistance community members need.
For students trying to get volunteer hours in before the end of the school year, TCM is offering 1.5 hours for every one hour they volunteer now through June 30. Teens can bring in a few canned goods to receive this special offer.
Volunteer opportunities are open in the mission’s food pantry, food warehouse, and resource store and for grocery store pick ups, senior companions, donation drives, and special events. These opportunities are available to individuals, families, churches, civic organizations, and corporate groups.
Volunteers picking up food at designated grocery stores and delivering it to the Christian mission have varied days, times, and locations. This volunteer position requires a driver’s license, an SUV or van, punctuality, and a friendly disposition.
Grocery store pick ups are scheduled on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Shifts on Tuesdays begin at 10 a.m.
Volunteers can also help at the Giveback Boutique, TCM’s consignment store, which offers a variety of name brand clothing and jewelry. The store is located at 478-D Williamson Road (behind 15 to Fit Pilates) in Mooresville. The shop is volunteer driven, with proceeds supporting TCM.
Individuals and organizations can also host donation drives to help TCM feed hungry community members. The organization distributes $1.5 million worth of food each year to the community, and generous donations from food drives help make that possible.
Contact Volunteer Coordinator Valerie Murdock for more information on volunteering at volunteer@thechristianmission.org.
DONATIONS RESUMING
On May 1, TCM resumed collecting food, clothing, and household items. Donors should pull through to the back of the building and look for designated spaces marked with an orange donation drop-off sign.
Please stay in the car; a volunteer will soon arrive to collect donations. Please do not leave donations when TCM is closed as they may get ruined in the elements.
The Resource Store will not open until early June, but TCM needs volunteers to sort and stock donated goods on hand.
PARKING
TCM asks that the front parking lot be left open for the partner agencies, NC Works & Iredell County Partnership for Young Children. All TCM clients, volunteers, and food and household item donors can proceed to park in the back parking lot.
LEARN MORE
For more information, visit thechristianmission.org.
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