“All of Us” resource center for homeless citizens now open

Today, Charleston Mayor John J. Tecklenburg, members of city council and the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing and We Are Family participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new “All of Us” Resource Center at 529 Meeting Street.

The All of Us Resource Center, which was named by homeless citizens, provides a “one-stop shop” for the homeless citizens of Charleston and those at risk of homelessness to connect with a variety of service providers and enroll in job readiness training, housing, educational programs, financial management workshops, life skills training, healthcare and mental health services.

The facility is being provided by the city of Charleston and We Are Family is responsible for general management of programs and operations.

“It is the duty of all of us to help the most underserved members of our community, the unsheltered,” said Melissa Moore, executive director of We Are Family. “We, as a community, cannot sit by and watch our people suffer. We have to take care of each other, and that’s what this resource center is all about.”

Services are being offered by a number of community organizations including We Are Family, Art Pot, YWCA of Greater Charleston, Origin SC, Loving Arms, Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center and MUSC Department of Family Medicine, Charleston Pro-Bono Legal Services (CPBLS), College of Charleston Sustainability Institute, Lowcountry Herald, Roper St. Francis Ryan White Program, Lowcountry Aids Services (LAS), People Against Rape, and Hotdog Ministries.

Funding for the Center is being provided by the Homeless to Hope Fund, City of Charleston and private donations, including a generous contribution of time and resources by Google.

“Google is proud to support We Are Family in their efforts to provide leadership and development opportunities to LGBTQ  youth in the Lowcountry ,” said Lilyn Hester, Google’s Head of External  Affairs for the Southeast. “We hope that these resources will be helpful in furthering the needs of this community.”

Googlers worked to outfit the computer lab, install all equipment and do networking. Google has provided wifi to the following areas throughout the Lowcountry via the Charleston Digital Corridor: Marion Square, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens, Moncks Corner Ball Field, Downtown Summerville, Goose Creek Town Hall.

Mayor Tecklenburg said, “When I formed the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing along with our neighboring mayors, the purpose was to come up with creative ideas to tackle two of the greatest challenges facing our region. The All of Us Resource Center is precisely that kind of initiative. I am uplifted by the number of service providers who have answered the call and will be offering their support to this important cause.”

The drop-in center service hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Client intake ends at 4 p.m.

Next week, Closet Case–the on-site thrift store–is expected to open and will operate Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Donations to the thrift store can be dropped off during both drop-in service hours and thrift store hours. The thrift store is open to the public and all proceeds over and above operating expenses will be returned to the Center.