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For the second time in as many weeks, a public forum was held to allow residents who live near the proposed site for the new men’s shelter at 418 N. Brown Street to ask questions and voice their concerns. “The two meetings that we have hosted were not mandatory,” said Reverend James Moore, the executive director of Metropolitan Housing and CDC, which will gift the property to the Zion Shelter and Kitchen pending the approval of the special use permit by the city. “We want to be transparent and ease the existing anxieties about our plan––address the concerns over the proposed relocation, discuss possible concessions, and come up with a plan that will maintain the integrity of the neighborhood. That is why we wanted to conduct these public forums before the Board of Adjustments meeting, so there are no surprises for the residents who live in the area.”

The proposed plan is to build a new 6,500-sq.-ft. building, which will provide shelter for up to 20 men and a soup kitchen. The facility would also include a day treatment area and three conference rooms. Unlike the current location, the services would be program-based. The residents will be provided housing, job placement, employability skills, transportation, food stability, medical/mental health services, financial literacy training, and assistance with other issues they may face. To be a resident, an individual will have to go through extensive background checks and drug screenings. Each must work on a job site or work towards earning a certification during the day, which will include classes provided onsite by Beaufort County Community College.

Moore went into great detail to explain the security measures being proposed, the constant zoning roadblocks that have been encountered when trying to find alternative locations, the strict compliance guidelines that each resident will have to meet, or they will not be allowed to stay, and the list of over 50 community partners who have come forward in support of the program. But for the five neighborhood residents who were in attendance, there were still questions, the biggest of which were security, safety, and the location. “Can you keep our 9-year-old daughter safe, or the 17-year-old across the street?” asked resident Amy Terblanche. “I’m okay with the shelter, but I’m concerned about the food kitchen and the people coming in for food daily that have not been screened. Putting all of this in our neighborhood doesn’t give my husband and me any comfort for our safety. Are we going to have to put up our own security system as well? I’m still not hearing a plan that can give us a sense of security and make us feel comfortable. And I don’t think it will help to improve our area that has seen improvement over the years.”

“Security is my biggest issue,” said Dr. Wendy Jones, who also lives in the neighborhood. “Having a shelter and having the ability to feed people are wonderful things. But I’m very concerned about the increased foot traffic, people walking through our yard, or looking in our windows. That aspect alone is very disturbing to me.”

Added her husband, Steve, “I’m very concerned about the safety of our 17-year-old daughter, who always likes to take our dog out for a walk. I’m also concerned about how this is going to impact our property values. You just don’t drop something like this in the middle of a neighborhood.”

Moore explained the vision is for more than just a shelter, but a small business incubator. It also calls for a church to be housed in the existing Kingdom Distributors warehouse. “We are also speaking with many of the ministries that we have partnered with and have discussed setting up satellite locations where we can deliver the meals, which will cut down on foot traffic in the area,” said Moore. “We are not just dropping a shelter in a neighborhood and walking away. As executive director of Metropolitan Housing and CDC and the work we have done over the last 30 years, we know what something like this looks like and how to do it. Together with Metropolitan Property Management, we will be overseeing all of the operations.”

Among the proponents in attendance was Laurie Stevens, executive director of the Open Door Women’s Shelter in Washington. “The fact that what is being offered is programmatic is huge,” said Stevens. “The fact that individuals will have to qualify to reside there will make it look very different from your typical shelter. The more these individuals see that you are respecting them and giving them their dignity through a program like this, the more they will respond to that. I work with these individuals all of the time, and I totally see their hearts and how beautiful they are when you allow them to shine, and this is a program that will allow that to happen.”

Also in attendance was Reverend Moore’s mother, Melinda, who lives near the site of the proposed new shelter. Her husband, David, pastored at Metropolitan Zion Church for 32 years and was instrumental in starting the Zions Men’s Shelter and Kitchen in 1987 and the revitalization efforts along then 4th Street that can still be seen today. “I’m 70 years old and feel very comfortable where I live there on Fifth Street,” said Melinda Moore. ‘I can tell you some of the people you meet at the shelter and the soup kitchen are some of the kindest and sweetest people you will ever know. People tend to say those people when referring to the homeless. Those people are our people. All of us here are one in spirit and one in the Lord, and that is how I believe. I believe in this vision for the new shelter, and I believe it will get better. If you can all buy into that dream, it will be fine; we are going to be fine.”

And as Reverend Moore reiterated throughout the evening, “At the end of the day, I’m feeling your heart. If I were in your shoes, I probably would feel the same way. But, I grew up in this shelter, and my narrative and perspective are different from yours. So, with that being said, perhaps we can educate each other along the way.”

On Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, the Washington Board of Adjustments will consider the request to issue a special use permit for the shelter. The meeting is open to the public.