NOVEMBER 2020
Brunswick County Events
BRUNSWICK SENIOR BUZZ
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Eat Lunch for Brunswick County Homeless By Betsy Duarte Board Member, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition
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or the past eight years, the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC) has held a hunger and homeless soup luncheon during the National Hunger and Homeless Week. It’s a chance to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness in America and in Brunswick County. This year, the luncheon will be take-out. On Nov. 21, volunteers from BCHC and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Holden Beach will come together to offer “Soup-to-Go.” This curbside take-out features a homemade soup lunch with roll or bread and homemade cookies. It will be offered at the Brunswick Center at Supply parking lot from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants will fill out a form requesting the soup they want and their name. A volunteer takes the form while another volunteer brings out their bag lunch in exchange for a donation. BCHC is following all CDC guidelines: wearing masks, gloves, social distancing, sanitizing frequently used surfaces, and washing hands often and well.
Homelessness is One Event Away There’s a common misconception that people become homeless as a result of drug and alcohol abuse, making poor choices, and mismanaging money. While these factors can contribute to homelessness, none of them are solely responsible for it.
Many people are just one event away from a housing crisis. And these events may be beyond one’s control, such as natural disasters like hurricanes or floods, or discovering harmful mold. People might suffer an unexpected illness or injury, or they may help an ailing, elderly parent, and then wind up displaced after the loved one dies. Clark, a man in his mid-seventies, lived in the same apartment on the same street for 20 years. After a lengthy hospitalization for COPD, he found himself homeless. He didn’t meet the criteria for assisted living and he was out on the street. BCHC was able to put him up in a motel for a few days while he looked for something long-term.
2020 Has Increased Homelessness COVID-19 has dramatically changed housing reality. Rental housing is virtually non-existent right now in Brunswick County. Many full-time and part-time jobs have disappeared due to businesses closing or only being able to operate
at partial capacity. Many of them will close permanently during this time. “Homelessness rarely affects one person; It impacts the whole family.” says Rita Canfield, BCHC board member. “The coalition’s goal is to keep people in safe, stable, permanent housing where possible, or to help them find it if necessary,” Canfield says. A donation to BCHC may provide someone with a motel room for a night, pay a utility bill, or even fill up someone’s car with gas so they can get to a job or a job interview.
How to Help BCHC, a private nonprofit, and its staff of volunteers are contacted by families through calling 888-519-5362. You can help by buying a bowl of soup on Nov. 21. For more information, contact Betsy Duarte at (530) 908-0338 or Betsyduarte182@gmail.com, or John Callahan (703)927-5830 or jvc3@verizon.net.
