Arbor Acres residents have raised $132,000 to replace the outdated 28-year-old kitchen and dining rooms at The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope in Winston-Salem. A formal check presentation was held last month.
The Center of Hope is the only local homeless shelter that houses families without separating men, women and children. It prepares and serves more than 2,000 meals a week to residents and others in need in the community.
Residents at Arbor Acres have a long tradition of raising money to support local non-profits in need. Under the leadership of 2020 fundraising project co-chairs Camille Smith and Hamp Lefler, residents selected The Center of Hope from a list of 10 deserving local non-profits.
“The Center of Hope presented a compelling case for need and offered us an opportunity to make a tangible difference by giving back to our community,” said Smith.
In receiving the $132,000 check from Smith and Lefler, The Salvation Army’s Major Andrew Wiley expressed gratitude to the residents, stressing the pandemic has increased the number of families seeking support from Center of Hope.
“We are so very grateful for the generosity of residents and the hard work they put in to bring this much-needed project to a successful conclusion,” Wiley stated. “This is truly a dream come true for us and the families we serve, and it will change the life of the center for years to come.”
Renovation of the Center of Hope kitchen and dining rooms will begin in early 2021.
Currently, the Center can house up to 100 people who remain at the Center until the cause of their homelessness has been resolved, typically in around three months. Daily meals are provided, as well as clean beds, showers, and family and student study areas. Social workers, clergy, and counselors provide guidance, resource information, and support. In addition to housing families, the Center offers breakfast daily and dinner on Sundays for 50-75 homeless non-shelter individuals.
Originally published on The Chronicle
