10323 CCM September Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2022
PERSPECTIVE
FROM THE FRONTLINES
CELEBRATING OUR 41ST YEAR OF RESTORING HOPE
From Our Chief Executive Officer, Ed Hosack
OUR BOLD NEW INITIATIVE
• Cabarrus County recorded
81 evictions in the first
quarter and 278 in the
second quarter. More than
tripling from an average
of 27 per month to 93 per
month and closer to the
ten year average of 100 per
month.
• The Opportunity House
has seen a 24% increase in the second quarter,
registering 195 new clients through June for street
outreach services.
• The number of children in Foster Care has increased
by 13.6% from quarter to quarter. From 154 children
to 175 with two aging out during the second quarter.
• Our school systems initially reported 614 children
identified as homeless last school year. That number
is being adjusted down to around 500 students as
some initially reported were preschool-age siblings.
• CCM's Food Program implemented the Smart Choice
Software System at the Crisis Center Food Pantry
in July. During that time they also experienced the
highest one day level of service in our history. The
end of extended government benefits this fall will
continue to escalate the need.
• Applications for CCM’s Financial Assistance have
increased from an average of 92 per month in the
first quarter to 154 per month in the second quarter.
An increase of 67%.
• Applications for CCM's Housing Program have
increased from 38 per month in the first quarter
to 65 per month in the second quarter. A 71%
increase in families seeking housing. The number of
unsheltered homeless is estimated to have increased
by 80% since the fall of 2020.
continued >>

OUR BOLD NEW INITIATIVE cont.
Facing Homelessness..................................................... 3
Trauma caused by household instability and other
2025 New Horizon Strategic Plan Updates...........4
factors, over the past 30 months, has demonstrated
adverse effects on child and student behavior in
Lifeline Charlotte Fall Festival..................................... 5
both daycare centers and classrooms across our
New Faces of Homelessness....................................... 5
community. Consequently, as the first week of
school ended in August, our local school systems
2022 Nonprofit Workshop............................................ 6
still posted over 120 open teacher and assistant
Celebrate Hope 2022..................................................... 6
positions. Childcare workers and classroom teachers
Crop Hunger Walk........................................................... 6
are experiencing a lack of capacity to address the
psychological needs of the children.
Mobile Food Pantry......................................................... 7
Thank You!.......................................................................... 7
Without stable housing a family cannot:
• safely store and prepare food
• maintain adequate sleep or proper hygiene
• maintain the routines that support academic achievement or success in the workplace
• follow proper medication or rehabilitation regimens
• establish services such as banking, transportation, credit repair
• or conduct an effective job search
Without stable housing there is no recovery, no rehabilitation and no
restoration.
THERE MUST BE A SENSE OF URGENCY!
The situation demands leadership and action NOW.
The impact of our response will take years to manifest in the lives of families.
IN THIS EDITION...
Trauma caused by
household instability
It must become OUR bold new initiative.
Restorative transitional housing is the foundation of any rehabilitation and recovery from
homelessness or housing crisis. CCM’s Homeless to Housing (H2H) project (which will serve
individuals and families with children) and the Huddle Housing (HH) project (serving extremely
low income seniors, disabled adults and veterans) cannot be accomplished by CCM alone. It must
become OUR bold new initiative!
The growth in housing crisis that leads to family instability and adverse childhood experiences
(ACE’s) is not steady and linear, it is exponential. The numbers of homeless in families we are
experiencing today are a fraction of where these numbers will be in two years and before these
two new programs are operational and delivering positive outcomes. The reality is, this new
transitional housing capacity may only serve the growth between now and then. That is why each
of these programs are designed for future growth.
Cooperative Christian Ministry (CCM) has more than tripled its impact in our community over the
last twenty years, but this initiative will be the largest endeavor in our history. God has given us
a model for housing recovery that works. CCM has developed business plans that include many
partners. With the help of our community, CCM is capable and ready to deliver on this promise.

From Our Chief Relationship Officer, Jeremy Burleson
FACING HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness is not only one of the most critical issues facing our country today;
it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Too often, we have a notion that most
homeless individuals are suffering from mental illness or even facing substance
abuse issues. While there are certainly those in the homeless population that fit that
description, the reality may look quite different.
In the society in which we live today (post-pandemic), more than half of the
homeless people in our communities are in crisis due to situational issues, meaning
they’ve been faced with a life-altering event such as job loss, medical or health
emergency, divorce, domestic abuse or the loss of a primary income earner. More
often than not, these folks are able-bodied and just simply need to feel God’s
presence through a defined return to stability. That’s where CCM steps in to help
them walk that pathway. Here are a couple of the ‘situations’ that our CCM residents have experienced
before, during and after their time in the housing program:
A single female came into our program hopeless,
guarded, and confused. She had done everything
right and unfortunately, challenge after challenge
came her way. She arrived in our program with a
degree in data analysis. Although it took her some
time to get accepted into a job within her career, she
did everything she could to embrace the program
and accepted other jobs. Now she has successfully
transferred to Virginia where she accepted a
position within her field starting at thirty-two dollars
an hour. She truly has experienced the touch of
God and has left our housing program a completely
different person.
A single mom who is strong, kind, humble, and
resilient. When she first arrived at our program, she
did not have custody of her four children, did not
have transportation, and was working part-time. She
has worked hard and has been consistent since day
one. She is now working full time, purchased an SUV,
and has full custody of her four kids living in one of
our teaching houses.
Friends, the harsh reality remains that while CCM, in
collaboration with other like-minded organizations
throughout Cabarrus County, is utilizing all current
resources to combat homelessness, the need
continues to grow.
To reiterate what Ed included earlier in the
newsletter, CCM’s housing program experienced an
average of 38 applications per month during the
first quarter… and an astounding 65 applications
per month during the second quarter, representing
a 71% increase. Our agency partners who serve
similar populations throughout Cabarrus County
also experienced comparable increases in the need
for housing assistance. While that need continues
on a steady incline, the evermore-pressing need for
capacity to house these individuals and families just
simply is not keeping pace.
God is absolutely providing an avenue for our
Ministry to continue in pursuit to express His Love
through the development of our Homeless to
Housing (H2H) and Huddle Housing projects here in
the county. The prayer and discernment are being
rewarded by God’s provision!
We invite you to PRAY alongside us, and ENGAGE with CCM at
CooperativeMinistry.com!
Blessings!

The integration of the ‘25 New Horizon Strategic Plan strategies
and objectives into CCM’s already existing programming has
further affirmed that God has provided clear and concise
direction that’s producing results! CCM’s Housing residents
continue to experience success in employment opportunities,
growth in personal finances, cognitive development in children
and so much more. This change in mindset for our resident has
produced:
• 93% of resident households have increased overall income
• 95% of resident households have decreased overall debt
CCM has created security
and freedom from anxiety
and fear. I'm learning to
manage money. Month by
month, each month becomes
a little less stressful.”
- CCM Housing Resident
• 93% of resident households establish and increase savings
accounts
• 100% of resident children improve school attendance
While we provide housing to combat the issue of homelessness, we are
doing so much more than just housing. We’re teaching and equipping
our residents to move beyond crisis and toward restoration!
CLICK TO VIEW
the full Strategic Plan
Without stable
housing there is
no relief,
no rehabilitation,
no recovery.
Over 500 students
each year are
identified as being
homeless by our
school systems.
You can help launch this
BOLD New Initiative.
INQUIRE NOW
Contact Jeremy Burleson
jburleson@cooperativeministry.com
In order to BEGIN
one journey you
must END the other.
"...most likely to
be 62 years old Or
have a disability."
-NLIHC
C.H.O.O.S.E. Cabarrus Fund – Cooperative Christian Ministry

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Hey friends...Lifeline Charlotte will be kicking
off fall with a Fall Festival on September 17th at
Gibson Mill.
We would like to invite you, your friends, family
and co-workers, churches, businesses, etc. to
participate. There are 3 time slots available as of
now 10:00 am / 12:00 pm / and 2:00 pm.
Our goal is: 20,000 meals to be used for local
ministry needs in our community (100 boxes).
Register at
www.ilovemycityproject.com
THE NEW FACES OF HOMELESSNESS
“I have peace here that I’ve
never experienced before.
I would tell others to just
simply trust God, and He
always has a solution for
us. Even if we think it’s the
end, its NEVER the end. It
may be the beginning of
something so much better!”
“Through God’s love, CCM
has created security and
freedom from anxiety and
fear. I’m learning to manage
money. Month by month,
each day becomes a little
less stressful!”
“When I first encountered
CCM, I had very little hope
for my future. Being in a
space of grace and nonjudgment
is something every
human needs, especially
when you are feeling despair
in your life and need help in
so many areas!”
“CCM is a place to be. It’s
a place to not worry. Even
if I did mess up, I could talk
to someone. I think that’s
really what brought me out
of the shame.”
“Now, when I pray, it’s
intentional. I’m not asking
God for anything besides
peace and joy.”
“I was just living, day by day.
I don’t think I had an end
goal. I don’t think I had a
dream. I had to find God!”

OUR 2022 NONPROFIT
WORKSHOP WAS A
GREAT SUCCESS!
We had over 100+ registered participants
with more than 50 different agencies
represented. We received some great
feedback:
“Extremely effective & impactful.”
“The tips I learned were invaluable.”
“Excellent speakers;
interesting, engaging,
relevant presentations.”
“Fantastic – Learned so much!”
“On a scale of 1 to 10, the speakers were a 15+.”
We would like to thank our host Crossraods Church
and our presenting sponsor F&M Bank.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WALK. GIVE. CHANGE THE WORLD.
Cabarrus County
CROP HUNGER WALK
OCTOBER 9, 2022
KANNAPOLIS, NORTH CAROLINA
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
MORE INFO TO FOLLOW
REGISTER HERE

Mobile
Food Pantry
Wednesday,
September 14th
10am - 12pm
Elevation Church (parking lot)
545 Concord Pkwy. N., Concord
“Thank you
to City of
Kannapolis
for granting
CCM $2,500
to provide
emergency
financial
assistance to
local families facing crisis. We
appreciate their commitment
to the safety and stability of
our community members.”
Thank you to the youth from
Crossroads Church. They did a
variety of projects around our Crisis
Center.
Thank
you to the
students from
Covenant
Classical
School for
packing beans & rice for our food pantry.
We are
thankful for
those that
volunteered
from
Charlotte
Motor
Speedway and their affiliates
on their “Serve Days”! The
team(s) not only spruced
up one of our CCM Teaching
homes with fresh paint &
shrubbery, but the opts team
also gave this home a brand
new asphalt driveway.
Sign up to round up your monthly City of Concord Utility bill to the nearest dollar
and help keep the air, heat, and lights on for hundreds of families in need.
Visit: https://concordnc.gov/Departments/Customer-Care/
Neighbor-Helping-Neighbor
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Concord, NC 28026 TEL: 704-786-4709
GIVE ONLINE: www.CooperativeMinistry.com or TEXT: ccmhelps to 44321