As temperatures fall, need for services rises

With temperatures dipping below freezing some nights in York County, several nonprofits and ministries on the front lines need the public’s help meeting the needs of the most vulnerable residents.

Kim Vinesett, founder and director of the nonprofit Serving Our Neighbors homeless ministry, says the ministry takes a multifaceted, hands-on and holistic approach to helping those who are struggling.

“There’s not a cookie-cutter approach,” Vinesett said. “What we’re doing in Fort Mill is assessing the individual.”

SON actively assists and partners with other local relief organizations year-round. In the winter, the bulk of SON’s time and resources are spent making sure no one is left out in the cold. Because there is not a homeless shelter in Fort Mill, Vinesett points any homeless people she makes contact with to the volunteer-run warming shelters in Rock Hill – the men’s shelter at Bethel United Methodist Church and the women’s shelter on Charlotte Avenue.

The shelters are experiencing record numbers this winter, and with a lack of affordable housing in the local area, among other factors, Vinesett said she expects this trend to continue in the coming years.

The men’s shelter has helped 90 men since opening in mid-November. The shelter saw 108 men for the entire four-month season the previous year. There are 19 homeless people for every 100 citizens living in York County, according to Renew Our Community, a Rock Hill-based relief organization.

“We’re not really solving the root problem,” Vinesett said.

Shelter organizers refuse to turn anyone away, and shelters are now operating in “overflow mode,” which creates logistics and transportation issues, Vinesett said.

Transporting around 20 men to the overflow shelter at Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene at night and then back to the ROC center in the morning, where many spend their day, costs about $140 a week. The ROC, Bethel and Emmanuel are shouldering the logistics of providing dinner, lodging and security and need financial support to cover transportation, Vinesett said.

They started out needing financial support for nine weeks, but with the help of SON supporters, the need is currently at five weeks, she said.

Fort Mill is Rock Hill’s “rich older brother,” Vinesett said, and because Fort Mill is smaller, it has fewer people pooling its resources.

Vinesett asked organizers at a recent meeting of local relief organizations how SON can best assist them and they said transportation funds is at the top of the list. Vinesett said she does not ask for money very often, but she will, if it’s needed.

“When they cry help, we need to be there for them,” she said.

The women’s shelter is in need of meals nightly to feed 30 women. This can be a one-time commitment or ongoing. A website has been set up to help with logistics.

In 2015, SON helped 68 individuals in or facing homelessness receive resources and relief. The group was recognized last year by Rep. Raye Felder for charitable contributions in the community.

Vinesett said that while she realizes one organization can’t solve all of a vulnerable person’s problems, SON is and always will be about caring for Fort Mill’s homeless.

“We go wherever we’re called to be, regardless of the perceived risk,” Vinesett said. “Worse than pretending (the homeless) don’t exist, is not caring that they exist.”

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 10:52 AM with the headline "As temperatures fall, need for services rises."