Inside the RCS community Kitchen, you’ll find smiling faces and lots of well wishes. Volunteers and staff serving up warm meals with a heaping side dish of support.
Oh, it’s a great feeling and everybody here is just like family.
Volunteers like Wendell Blankett say their service comes from the heart, a labor of love to help those who are struggling.
It’s a lot of homeless here, which I didn’t think being a smaller community – where we came from in Maryland, you could actually see it all the time – but here you have to be in certain areas to see it – but it’s a big need.
The emergency shelter on the RCS campus is where up to 20 men and women live in a dorm-style setting. It includes an area for lounging, a kitchen where they can prepare their own meals.
This is our men’s dorm. Bunk beds and a bathroom. In the women’s dorm, you’ll find a similar setup. And usually, we’re at capacity. As you can see, most every bed is accounted for from last night.
Chief Communications Officer Ann Marie Devanney says guests stay here for up to 90 days. But every day, they have to leave the shelter at 7 in the morning – and can’t return until 3 in the afternoon.
We are just one piece of the puzzle, so the exit in the morning is whether it’s to access employment, employment resources, education the library.
There’s also a laundry room and on the other side of the door, space for longer stays.
So, we’re now entering our family wing, catering to all kinds of families. The average stay on this wing is six months, with residents enjoying some of the comforts of home.
"Every unit comes with bedding and beds for each family. We kind of think of it as an efficiency. Every family has their own bathroom, and so it’s their own quarters," Devanney says.
The sign on the wall says welcome, and that’s exactly how the staff at RCS wants families to feel. You’ll find everything from a tricycle to a rocking horse, things to draw and color and play with – even a chalk board for artwork, books to read – simply put – a place where a kid can feel like a kid in the children's playroom.
There’s also a separate veterans wing, with patriotic pictures lining the walls. On average, residents stay here for about six months.
Also on the RCS campus – a food pantry with meats, veggies and more. Plus, a boutique where those experiencing homelessness can get clothing vouchers, or buy a bag full of dignified clothing for only two dollars.
Devanney says they can’t do it without donations – the support of the faith community – and police – each providing a valuable piece of the puzzle, "It’s the community. We are largely supported financially by individuals and churches in the community. We don’t receive government funding for our sheltering services, so we have grants that we apply for."
Campus-wide, they house about 50 people per night. With the help of case managers, staff and volunteers – they connect the unhoused with counseling and other resources, something New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher says is key:
By the grace of God, that could be you and I out there.
Chief Gallagher says they don’t target anyone who appears to be homeless. Instead, he says the Department’s Homeless Outreach Committee is working to become a community caretaker, "So, when we have an opportunity to, to help somebody in need, we’re going to do that."
The last thing we want to do is put a person who needs other resources through the criminal justice system. Sometimes that ends up happening because other issues arise.
"We can not help everyone," Chief Gallagher says.
With that in mind, Devanney says RCS’s goal is to reach people – where they are.
We can make all of the resources available, but really at the end of the day it’s the individual being ready to accept those resources.
Sometimes it’s mental health, sometimes it’s addiction, sometimes it’s shame. Just give them time and patience and be with them on the journey.
RCS is open year-round. Meals at the community kitchen are available to anyone – and the community can also shop at the RCS Boutique. If you'd like to donate or volunteer you can find more information on their website: https://www.rcsnewbern.com/donate
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