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CCM January 2023 Perspective Newsletter

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JANUARY <strong>2023</strong><br />

PERSPECTIVE<br />

FROM THE FRONTLINES<br />

CELEBRATING OUR 41ST YEAR OF RESTORING HOPE<br />

From Our Chief Executive Officer, Ed Hosack<br />

WHY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING?<br />

Because without stable housing there is no rehabilitation, no restoration and no recovery.<br />

A national housing crisis is disrupting economies in every region. The magnitude<br />

and severity of this crisis reflect mostly on the stage it is in. The timing and nature<br />

of response are the primary determinants of the impact on a community. Our<br />

nation's large cities demonstrate for us the outcome of failing to address the<br />

problem as it develops. A cycle that at one time would be solved with a focused<br />

approach on infrastructure and training, becomes a mental health crisis that<br />

consumes the resources of an economy. Solving mental health issues without<br />

stable housing is not likely to be achieved. Failing to make progress on housing<br />

solutions while a mental health crisis drains the life out of an economy is an<br />

unfortunate reality in many cities.<br />

While affordability is a national crisis<br />

and Cabarrus County’s housing market faces the dual drivers<br />

of economic development and population growth, affordability<br />

is not the only barrier to stable housing. Our Cabarrus County<br />

history lends to the specific need for Transitional Housing<br />

capacity. An understanding of our local experience and the<br />

transformative purpose of transitional housing reveals its value<br />

and application in Concord and Kannapolis.<br />

Solving mental health issues<br />

without stable housing is not<br />

likely to be achieved.<br />

continued >>


WHY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING cont.<br />

What makes Cabarrus County Unique?<br />

After our major employer closed in 2003 and<br />

Cabarrus County experienced the largest mass layoff<br />

in the history of North Carolina, market studies of<br />

our communities revealed an inadequate supply of<br />

multi-family housing to satisfy the demand. The<br />

reason, in part, is due to our textile heritage and “mill<br />

village” housing infrastructure. Many local landlords<br />

shouldered the burden of tenants caught in the<br />

economic disaster.<br />

Successful local<br />

A grandmother in our<br />

investors became<br />

community, whose rent had property owners of<br />

increased from $900 to multiple properties<br />

$1,100 per month, received in a short period<br />

notice that it would increase<br />

of time. As market<br />

again to more than $1,800<br />

prices escalated,<br />

per month. She needs a<br />

the initial investors<br />

place to live right now.<br />

benefited from<br />

outside interests<br />

willing to pay market prices for large portfolios<br />

of houses. Gentrification found its way into our<br />

communities.<br />

While much of the adversity our community is<br />

facing has a national footprint, there are factors that<br />

impacted our community twenty years ago. Those<br />

factors have weakened the foundation of our local<br />

economy, our workforce, and left many households<br />

facing financial and social/emotional challenges<br />

they cannot overcome without some assistance or<br />

training.<br />

The average age of the laid-off worker in 2003<br />

was forty-six years old. The younger of that group<br />

had children whose opportunities may have been<br />

negatively impacted. The seniors of that group are<br />

sixty-five and older today. During the five years<br />

following<br />

this<br />

economic<br />

disaster,<br />

many<br />

cashed<br />

out equity<br />

in their<br />

homes or<br />

retirement<br />

accounts to<br />

survive the<br />

Our local school systems identify<br />

over 500 children who are homeless<br />

in our community each year.<br />

The Rebuilders Campus will create<br />

housing and access to resources<br />

for parents and children, providing<br />

stability vital to education and<br />

employment.<br />

period that led directly into the Great Recession.<br />

With the loss of manufacturing wages and the<br />

transition to an economy based upon tourism, the<br />

retail and hospitality sectors generated wages<br />

unable to keep pace with the rising housing market<br />

of the next ten years.<br />

John and Mary Roberts' mobile home was no longer safe for either of them. A low-fixed<br />

income, their ages and her condition had proven to be obstacles to finding an alternate<br />

housing solution. During their working years, they found employment and stability in the<br />

textile mill where they developed many friendships along the way. Today they are very much<br />

alone.<br />

Local Services introduced the Roberts to <strong>CCM</strong>'s housing program where they could be<br />

safe, manage their finances and maintain medical appointments. Unfortunately, Mary's<br />

health required that she be placed in assisted living. John was able to handle the routines<br />

of independent living and financial planning but soon compromised in the areas of<br />

nutrition, exercise, attention to medications and appointments. As a result of isolation,<br />

John experienced numerous health setbacks, transport services, emergency rooms and<br />

hospitalizations. His mobility suffered, greatly reducing his ability to manage daily life.<br />

After two years, many health setbacks and cost burdens to the community, John was able to<br />

move to the assisted living environment where he will be able to enjoy time with his wife of<br />

more than fifty years.<br />

Grace Place is designed to serve members of our community like these who helped to create<br />

the foundations we build upon.<br />

continued >>


WHY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING cont.<br />

The cycle of loss that leads to the housing crisis is<br />

a long road that precedes homelessness. It leaves<br />

many damaging consequences along the way. These<br />

losses become barriers to recovery and prevent a<br />

return to stability for vulnerable households. Debt<br />

and credit issues, loss of equity and loss of savings,<br />

interruption of employment and education, unhealthy<br />

habits, unstable family dynamics, and loss of key<br />

relationships are all consequences of the cycle of loss<br />

that leads to a housing crisis. The ability to qualify for<br />

financing, establish a lease or utility credit has made<br />

affordable housing beyond reach for many working<br />

adults, fixed-income seniors and families with children.<br />

Why Invest Now?<br />

In 2020, the<br />

economic shutdown<br />

related to the<br />

pandemic directly<br />

impacted the most<br />

marginal workers in<br />

our community as<br />

those very industries<br />

were idled. The<br />

far less localized<br />

The Cycle of Loss:<br />

Debt & credit issues<br />

Loss of equity<br />

Loss of savings<br />

Employment interruption<br />

Break in education<br />

Unhealthy habits<br />

Stress on families<br />

Loss of key relationships<br />

housing property management structure placed many<br />

more households in jeopardy and began a cycle of<br />

loss for thousands of low-income seniors and families<br />

with children. The loss of employment supports like<br />

child care and stable housing has made a return to the<br />

workplace difficult for many. High inflation has added<br />

to the burden of virtually all household-related costs.<br />

There are many households in crisis in our community<br />

who possess the desire and the work ethic to<br />

overcome the barriers facing them. The transitional<br />

housing programs of Cooperative Christian<br />

Ministry (<strong>CCM</strong>) provide opportunity, training, and<br />

encouragement to those households who are willing<br />

to persevere.<br />

Every major institution in Cabarrus County has<br />

identified housing as one of, if not the most<br />

important, challenge facing our community today.<br />

Whether stated<br />

Whether stated as homelessness, as homelessness,<br />

housing crisis, or a lack of<br />

a housing<br />

affordable housing, there is crisis, or a lack<br />

consensus; we have a problem. of affordable<br />

housing, there<br />

is consensus; we have a problem. A coalition of local<br />

nonprofits are working together to create solutions,<br />

but we need a sense of urgency to prevail at every<br />

level.<br />

In Cabarrus County, our economic development and<br />

population growth prevail upon us to become what<br />

we do not want and cannot afford to be - unless we<br />

respond now. Concord and Kannapolis are at an<br />

inflection point in growth where we must address<br />

the issue of the housing crisis, while the benefits of<br />

growth are helping to provide the resources - or we<br />

will miss the window of opportunity.<br />

How Can YOU Help <strong>CCM</strong>?<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> has served our Cabarrus community through<br />

every economic disaster for the past forty-two years.<br />

We have addressed housing crises from emergency<br />

shelters to transitional housing and homeownership.<br />

We are uniquely positioned and experienced to<br />

engage our<br />

communities<br />

in a significant<br />

response to the<br />

imminent crisis.<br />

We must also<br />

begin to educate<br />

our neighbors<br />

to welcome<br />

innovative<br />

IN THIS EDITION...<br />

From Our Chief Relationship Officer........................4<br />

2025 New Horizon Strategic Plan Updates........... 5<br />

Church Partners Spotlights.......................................... 6<br />

Thank You!.......................................................................... 7<br />

UPCOMING EVENTS....................................................... 8<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> is uniquely positioned<br />

and experienced to engage our<br />

communities in a significant<br />

response to the imminent crisis.<br />

Our history demonstrates the<br />

ability to sustain those programs<br />

for generations to come.<br />

housing solutions that will preserve the value of<br />

our community and protect the investments of our<br />

business and social districts.<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> is asking every member of our community to<br />

follow the leadership of our County Commissioners<br />

by taking immediate action to support <strong>CCM</strong>'s Bold<br />

New Initiative; Grace Place in Kannapolis and The<br />

Rebuilders Campus in Concord.<br />

<strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong> can be the moment when the people of<br />

Cabarrus County, North Carolina lay a new foundation<br />

for housing stability in our community.<br />

Please pray and find a way<br />

to get involved.


In our Cabarrus County community today:<br />

From Our Chief Relationship Officer, Jeremy Burleson<br />

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY<br />

Without stable housing, a family cannot safely store and prepare food, they<br />

cannot establish adequate sleep or maintain proper hygiene. Without the stability<br />

of housing, it is nearly impossible to maintain the rigors of academics or the<br />

expectations of employment. Households cannot support the dynamics to nurture<br />

family life or participation in the community. Without stable housing, there is NO<br />

rehabilitation and NO recovery.<br />

HOUSING STABILITY was identified as one of the greatest UNMET needs<br />

One of the top-3 strategic planning focuses of our municipalities, our school systems, our public<br />

health authority and our hospital system is HOUSING STABILITY<br />

Cabarrus County & Kannapolis City Schools identify over 500 students being homeless at some point<br />

during a given school year (800 PEOPLE in more than 200 FAMILIES)<br />

Local law enforcement estimates over 360 individuals are sleeping in tents, vehicles or other public<br />

spaces in Concord & Kannapolis (an 80% INCREASE in the last 2 years)<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> received an average of 38 housing applications per month in Q1 2022, and 65 applications per<br />

month in the 2nd Quarter… a 71% INCREASE<br />

More than 1,800 HOUSEHOLDS in Cabarrus County exist on EXTREMELY-LOW-INCOME (ELI)<br />

An INCREASE of 350-500 TOTAL BEDS is needed to meet the CURRENT homelessness need in<br />

Cabarrus County (Source: a 5-Year Prospectus; Solving the Housing Crisis publication – 2019)<br />

THERE IS A SOLUTION! Cooperative Christian Ministry’s BOLD NEW INITIATIVE will create two new<br />

transitional housing campuses to provide a path to stability for individuals and families in a housing crisis!<br />

GRACE PLACE<br />

A SOLUTION for our lowest-income neighbors who are Seniors, our<br />

Disabled, and our Veteran’s or their Widows. Grace Place is designed<br />

to provide the basic needs of food, housing and community for the<br />

extremely low-income individuals in an environment that allows<br />

someone to establish stability and connect with vital resources while<br />

promoting personal responsibility and community engagement.<br />

THE REBUILDERS CAMPUS &<br />

BROWN MILL COMMONS<br />

The Rebuilders College is a partnership between our community and<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> to establish new transitional housing capacity that will help<br />

individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing crisis,<br />

nutritional support and access to resources.<br />

By creating this new, transitional housing capacity, <strong>CCM</strong> COMMITS to:<br />

• Provide safety, nutrition and access to health, academic, employment and spiritual support.<br />

• Incorporate education and training services into a structured transitional housing program<br />

• Overcome barriers preventing access to vital resources for household / financial sustainability<br />

• Operate within the principles and values of affirmation, accountability, personal responsibility and<br />

perseverance.<br />

If God stirs in your heart to be a part of this capital endeavor to provide housing solutions to our community, we<br />

invite you to PRAY alongside us, and ENGAGE with <strong>CCM</strong> throughout this campaign. CLICK HERE to learn more!


CLICK TO VIEW<br />

the full Strategic Plan<br />

<strong>CCM</strong>’s Housing Program is comprised of three progressive tiers. For more than ten years<br />

they have been referred to as My Father’s House, The Mothers & Children Home, and<br />

Teaching Housing. As our beginning phase, My Father’s House has been in the “triage”<br />

stage, combatting the factors that lead to the housing crisis. At this stage, children may<br />

experience their first safe, reliable bed to sleep in. Mothers may finally connect with<br />

appropriate childcare so that they can seek and secure employment. Spiritual healing<br />

can begin to take place as physical needs are met.<br />

With the recent loss of the facility that comprised My Father’s House, <strong>CCM</strong> lost<br />

28 beds which served 6-8 mothers and their children. In order to maintain the<br />

continuity of services and care management, all of the existing residents were<br />

relocated to the Mothers & Children Home (MaC) or Teaching Houses. The<br />

housing program is currently serving 59 individuals: 7 families at the MaC,<br />

including 10 children, and 17 families in the Teaching Housing program,<br />

including 25 children.<br />

We are blessed with an opportunity to replace a portion of the<br />

lost housing capacity in spring <strong>2023</strong> through space offered by a<br />

Kannapolis Church partner. <strong>CCM</strong> is hoping to assist the church<br />

with renovations to this facility in order to serve 4 families<br />

with the same care and services that have been historically<br />

provided at My Father’s House.<br />

The Homeless Count!<br />

Cabarrus County will participate in the Annual Nationwide<br />

Homeless Point-In-Time Count on Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 25, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />

This count is helpful to convey changes in the homeless population<br />

to state and national programs addressing homelessness.<br />

Local agencies serving homeless populations will be asked<br />

to record a census of individuals and families residing in their<br />

programs on that night.<br />

Others will seek out unsheltered individuals throughout the<br />

community in an effort to identify specific circumstances and<br />

causes of homelessness that would allow our community to better<br />

respond to the need.<br />

Any individual or agency interested in participating as a<br />

volunteer can inquire at <strong>CCM</strong>@cooperativeministry.com


COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> is honored to highlight a new partnership with the Gene Haas<br />

Foundation! In connection with the Kannapolis, NC-based Stewart<br />

Haas Racing, <strong>CCM</strong> was provided an opportunity to present our Bold<br />

New Initiative and intent to build Housing Solutions here in Cabarrus<br />

County to Mr. Haas’ Foundation.<br />

We were extremely grateful to learn that the Foundation awarded<br />

<strong>CCM</strong> $50,000 towards the increase in housing capacity here in<br />

our community. Moreover, this grant helps to move <strong>CCM</strong> one step<br />

closer to breaking ground for Grace Place, which is planned for<br />

development in the city of Kannapolis. May God Bless the Gene<br />

Haas Foundation for their generosity!<br />

As a community, we have an opportunity to ease the struggles of families and make the holidays<br />

brighter for our neighbors, by adopting a family for Christmas through the Empty Stocking Fund<br />

Adopt a Family for Christmas program and filling a shoebox for a senior in need through our Senior<br />

Care & Share Shoebox program. This Christmas Season 94 families were adopted including 262 kids.<br />

And 287 senior shoeboxes/packages were collected and distributed to seniors through our community<br />

partner, Meals on Wheels.<br />

Many families have expressed such gratitude, sometimes accompanied by tears, for receiving help this<br />

holiday season. These families are individuals who are struggling with special circumstances such as<br />

homelessness, disabilities, health challenges, job loss or other hardships. Beyond the gift-giving is the<br />

expression of love, generosity and kindness for each family adopted. Each carefully packed shoebox<br />

restored hope for those seniors who may feel forgotten.<br />

Thanks to the generous support of individuals and our community partners including, Connect<br />

Christian Church, Crossroads Church, Gilwood Presbyterian Church, First Citizens Bank in Concord,<br />

Pitts School Baptist, Post-Surgical 1 at Atrium Health Cabarrus. These were all instrumental in providing<br />

Christmas gifts, gift cards and food to our families in need.


We are grateful for the team from<br />

Ketchie Inc. that came and served<br />

at <strong>CCM</strong> as part of their annual<br />

Christmas volunteer day.<br />

Thank you to the wonderful<br />

teammates at Levine Children’s<br />

Hospital Specialty Care (in the<br />

Pavilion at Atrium Health-Cabarrus)<br />

who collected and donated 392 lbs.<br />

Thank you to the volunteer group<br />

from Clayton Homes who came out<br />

and painted the exterior of one of<br />

our teaching houses.<br />

The Eagles Rock! Thanks SO much for your very successful Food<br />

Drive benefiting Cooperative Christian Ministry. You all collected and<br />

donated 1,425 lbs. of non-perishable food! That’s enough food to<br />

provide about 1,100 meals to our neighbors who are in need. Thanks<br />

to all the students and staff of W M Irvin Elementary who made<br />

this food drive such a success.<br />

Thank you to Grayson Burgess of Troop 33 of Trinity United<br />

Methodist Church-Kannapolis for choosing <strong>CCM</strong>’s Teaching<br />

Housing program for his Eagle Scout project. With support<br />

from Troop 33, scouts from Troop 254 and members of<br />

Journey UMC, Grayson’s project replaced steps, repaired<br />

gutters, installed drainage pipes and painted porch railings and<br />

foundation walls at two of <strong>CCM</strong>’s properties.


UPCOMING EVENTS<br />

PASTOR<br />

LEADER<br />

UPDA E<br />

Attention all Church<br />

Leaders, Staff, and Volunteers!<br />

JOIN US!<br />

JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST<br />

Register NOW<br />

JAN 24<br />

7:30am-<br />

9:00am<br />

Multiply Church<br />

280 Concord Pkwy South<br />

Suite 15<br />

Concord, NC<br />

Sign up to round up your monthly City of Concord Utility bill to the nearest dollar<br />

and help keep the air, heat, and lights on for hundreds of families in need.<br />

Visit: https://concordnc.gov/Departments/Customer-Care/<br />

Neighbor-Helping-Neighbor<br />

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246 Country Club Drive NE, PO Box 1717<br />

Concord, NC 28026 TEL: 704-786-4709<br />

GIVE ONLINE: www.CooperativeMinistry.com or TEXT: ccmhelps to 44321

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