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Brunswick County Homeless Coalition 2024 End-of-year Report Released

February 4, 2025 joe Leave a comment articles, stats

BCHC has released its 2024 End-of-year Report. It may be viewed or downloaded below in PDF format:

BCHC 2024 Annual Report

BCHC Year 2024 Statistics

February 4, 2025 joe Leave a comment articles, stats

In 2024, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition helped a total of 1504 clients through our 1-888-519-5362 information and assistance line. We helped 204 clients with utility assistance, 308 clients with rent, 215 clients with emergency shelter, 25 clients with other direct aid, 224 clients with food boxes, and 1041 clients with referrals to other agencies or resources. Our total output on these efforts was about $60,000. For more information, visit our website at http://brunswickhomeless.com/.

2024 Comes to a Close

December 14, 2024 joe Leave a comment articles

Welcome to Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.

Since 2011, we’ve been serving Brunswick County, North Carolina by helping individuals and families and connecting them with food, housing, and utility bill assistance. As a 501(c)(3), your support makes our mission possible.

So far in 2024, we have had the privilege of helping over 1400 people in our community. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue expanding our efforts.

Would you consider making an end-of-year, tax-deductible donation to help us continue bringing hope to those in need? Every gift helps us make a difference in someone’s life.

Click here to donate: http://brunswickhomeless.com/donate/

Thank you.

Homeless Coalition to Sponsor Soup-to-Go Event, November 2, 2024

October 16, 2024 joe Leave a comment articles, press

News from the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition

For immediate release

October 16, 2024

Ocean Isle Beach, NC – In recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (November 17-23, 2024), the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC) will sponsor a “Soup-to-Go” event on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the Beach Assembly of God, 20 Bliss Rd., NW, Ocean Isle Beach from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a free drive-through, outdoor event and will be held rain or shine. In addition to home-made soup, bread and cookies will be provided. Donations welcome.

BCHC is an all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in 2011. Its mission is to serve as an advocate and provide education on issues in Brunswick County and to provide resources for people who are homeless or in need.

The BCHC help-line is: 888-519-5362. Website: www.BrunswickHomeless.com — More details on the Event calendar: Event calendar — Facebook Event page: Facebook Event 2024 Soup to Go

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2024 Soup-to-go flyer

How Many People are Experiencing Homelessness in Brunswick County?

May 8, 2024 joe Leave a comment articles, press

BRUNSWICK COUNTY,NC A frequent question–perhaps the most frequent question–we get when we are out in the community is, how many people are experiencing homelessness here in Brunswick County?

The correct and accurate answer is that we don’t know, because we can’t count everyone, just the people we come into contact with. But this answer lacks something in its satisfaction value, so this article sets out to address some results based on just that–the people we come into contact with.

And come into contact with them we do. Our primary method of interacting with clients at Brunswick County Homeless Coalition is via our toll-free 888-519-5362 information and assistance line. Clients call us and explain their situations, and our volunteers work to find (and, hopefully, fund) a solution that helps them stay in, or move towards, safe, stable, permanent housing.

Because of this, we have records of how many clients literally had no place to sleep at night, and required emergency shelter, which can yield an average number over time (a number that seems to be trending upwards). Keep in mind that this figure doesn’t capture the actual number of people experiencing homelessness–it misses those that we were unable to find a placement for, those who were helped by other agencies (such as Brunswick Partnership for Housing, Brunswick Family Assistance Agency, Brunswick County Streetreach, and others), and, of course, it misses those who had nowhere to stay but did not get in contact with us.

The numbers are as follows: In 2022, of the 885 clients we helped, 110 were placed into emergency shelter directly by BCHC. In 2023, of the 1044 clients we helped, 98 were placed into emergency shelter. So far in 2024 (through the end of April), we’ve placed 78 clients into emergency shelter.

That is, during 2022 and 2023, an average of 8-9 clients per month–and this year, 19 clients per month–experiencing literal homelessness here in Brunswick County. Those are our numbers.

Frequently–especially close to and during tourist season–we (and the other organizations helping with emergency shelter) are paying rack rates at motels, with no special price break. This gets expensive quickly, limiting our ability to help. You can help out by donating to Brunswick County Homeless Coalition–or indeed to any of the many organizations here in Brunswick County who are helping to provide emergency shelter to those who need it most.

Thanks for your interest in this subject, one near and dear to our hearts. For more information, contact Brunswick County Homeless Coalition at 888-519-5362 or info@brunswickhomeless.com.

Lack of homeless shelters in Brunswick County leaves many struggling

January 20, 2024 joe Leave a comment articles, in the news

Lack of homeless shelters in Brunswick County leaves many struggling
By Ava Brendgord
Jan. 19, 2024

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Joe Staton moved to Brunswick County back in 2012. But, it was a long road to get here.

“I didn’t have any money; I didn’t have any resources.”

Staton was homeless, living in a shelter. Now, he’s on the opposite end of the spectrum, serving as president of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.

“At the time when I was homeless, I received a lot of help. So, I just feel grateful for receiving the help and I’m very glad to help pass it forward.”

In Brunswick County, homelessness hasn’t historically been an issue. But, as the population grows, so does the need for a brick-and-mortar shelter.

“It’s very frustrating to come in contact with clients who are in need of shelter and not have somewhere to put them.”
[…] “We’ve been making slow progress and by we I mean everybody in the community.”

Even with the coalition’s resources, he’s concerned it may not be enough to help those in need, but he’s staying optimistic.

“I am very hopeful that soon we’ll have a shelter.”

BCHC Year 2023 Statistics

January 15, 2024 joe Leave a comment articles, stats

In 2023, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition helped a total of 1044 clients through our 1-888-519-5362 information and assistance line. BCHC helped 130 clients with utility assistance, 185 clients with rent, 98 already-homeless clients with emergency shelter, 17 clients with other direct aid, and 747 clients with referrals to other agencies or resources. Our total output on these efforts was about $35,000. For more information, visit our website at http://brunswickhomeless.com/.

Brunswick Partnership for Housing opens new space for homeless families

August 1, 2023 joe Leave a comment articles

Brunswick Partnership for Housing opens new space for homeless families
By Reyna Crooms
Jul. 30, 2023

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – A new home just opened up in Brunswick County to help people who don’t have a roof over their head and a bed to sleep in each night.

“Homelessness is one of the leading causes of trauma for children. And when trauma hits children at young ages, neuro pathways actually rewire. And so children can’t learn or they develop adaptive mechanisms that aren’t necessarily healthy. So what we really wanted to do was bring those families into a safe environment where they really could just relax, let the chaos and the trauma settle, get back on their feet,” said Sally Learned, executive director of the Brunswick Partnership for Housing.

Helping children hits close to home for Learned. She says the Felton-Russell House is a transitional home for families who fell on hard times.
[…] The house has two, one bedroom and two bedroom units, along with one handicap unit. Each space comes fully stocked with food and other necessities to help support families.

The handicapped unit is made for homeless people just released from the hospital who need post care. People in the handicapped unit are able to stay for up to nine months while rebuilding their lives.
[…] “What we want to do is give folks hope, homelessness to hope that yes, they can get their feet back under them,” said Learned.

BCHC Year 2022 Statistics

April 7, 2023 joe Leave a comment articles, stats

In 2022, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition helped a total of 885 clients through our 1-888-519-5362 information and assistance line. BCHC helped 153 clients with utility assistance, 115 clients with rent, 110 literally homeless clients with emergency shelter, 33 clients with other direct aid, and 546 clients with referrals to other agencies or resources.

Soup to Go Event Announced for November 13, 2021

November 3, 2021 joe Leave a comment articles, press

News from the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition

For immediate release

Ocean Isle Beach, NC – In recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (November 13-21), the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC) will sponsor a no-contact “Soup-to-Go” event on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at the Seaside United Methodist Church parking lot from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. located at 1300 Seaside Road, NW, Sunset Beach. This is a drive-through, outdoor event and will be held rain or shine. In addition to home-made soup, bread and cookies will be provided.

BCHC also is celebrating its 10^th anniversary serving Brunswick County with homelessness and remediation services. The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners honored BCHC with a proclamation on November 1, 2021 and recognized National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in the County.

The BCHC help-line is: 888-519-5362. The BCHC website is: http://brunswickhomeless.com.

PDF Flyer: Soup-to-go 2021 Flyer