Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 05:39:16 -0500
From: Beth Morton
Subject: RE: Introduction to Chatham Non-Profit
Introduction To: The Kid’s Warehouse, Inc. and House of Israel Program
Many folks in our county are still unfamiliar with or not aware of an established non-profit in the county.
In 2002, Barbara Myers in Siler City had a big heart and a great idea to help the Kid’s in Chatham County that were poverty stricken or neglected in someway. She founded The Kid’s Warehouse, Inc. non-profit and began taking in donations of used furniture, appliances, cars, and clothes and food. Barbara also established The Kid’s House, LLC where Kid’s could come for a safe place to hang out or stay overnight if needed and receive mentoring assistance. The donated items were given to Kid’s and their families to help them during periods of unforeseen circumstances in life. Handing up instead of out was the mission.
Upon Barbara’s retirement, the board asked my husband and I if we were interested in assuming the job as Co-Directors of the program because we were already involved doing almost the same thing with aged youth, young adults, and families in the eastern part of the county as our personal mission. We accepted the position and added to the already established program.
The Kid’s Warehouse, Inc. today continues to accept good used furniture, bicycles, linens, blankets, toys, outside grills, kerosene heaters/oil, wood stoves/fire wood, TV’s, radios, used mattresses with frames, baby cribs/play pens/car seats, baby clothes and supplies size 0-12 months, sleep sofas, small and large appliances, cars, specific request clothes, towels/washcloths, curtains, and mattress pads to give away to those Kid’s, families and individuals in need.
We also accept and need cash donations to assist families/individuals with gas for emergency transportation, emergency food, money for school supplies, fresh under garments, shoes, medications and such. The individuals usually receive a small gift card from us to purchase those items and are limited to the amounts they can receive. We also accept donations for paper products such as: paper towel, toilet paper, laundry soap/supplies, shampoo, bath soap, animal food (yes-some families animals go unfed when there isn’t money), feminine hygiene, diapers and such other items that can’t be purchased with food stamps. We were able to furnish or partially furnish 42 homes for families and 105 families with paper goods or some other donations last year.
We also prepare meals and feed those who are hungry daily; and we have a FREE Christmas Breakfast for those home alone and/or hungry on Christmas morning (dine in or take out) – several local churches and local agencies help deliver, serve and/or cook the meal. We prepared 1,584 meals in the last year between two shelters.
We have discontinued the food donations; however, we do volunteer to serve as a collection site for other organizations when asked. We have a mobile rescue for the homeless, abused and mentally challenged individuals that need assistance. We also have started a homeless shelter program that temporarily houses individuals and assists them in several ways such as finding jobs, obtaining proper and attending to medical needs, completing educational needs, learning self help skills, and find permanent housing.
The House of Israel Homeless shelter was established. Homes are donated for such use or rented to us for a small amount. Our homeless shelters have housed over 14 individuals and mentored over 36 individuals on the outside in school, job, spiritual, medical and social training. We also have a prison ministry for the incarcerated, new released, and probation offenders. We handed out over 88 Bibles, Christian books and Bible studies last year to meet spiritual need requests.
Our agency works very closely with the Sheriff’s Department and local police, social services, public health workers, and area churches. Sometimes individuals just need a motel room for the night and hot meal and others need ongoing assistance. Our program tries very hard to meet the people we serve where they are at and help them to reach a higher level and often healing in emotional and other troubled places in their lives. When we give a bed away, we like to make sure we have mattress pad, linen, blankets and a frame for the bed to sit on to send a message they are loved and have moved up from the floor or ground just a wee bit higher, hopefully to give the person some much needed encouragement. We continue Barbara’s vision of handing up and not out.
A new vision for next year: we will be accepting used lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and small engine type equipment in need of repair to hopefully start a small business for our program participants to learn job skills and provide paid job training by the sales of the repaired items. We would also like to have scrap metal donated so we can donate to needy families to sell to help them financially with larger donation needs. This would give those families a sense of helping themselves in bleak times.
Since 2002, all of our volunteers, including the co-directors are just that – VOLUNTEERS. We have no paid staff, however, because of increased office work, a paid administrative assistant position in is the future planning.
We hope this information has helped you to learn more about our local non-profit work. We thank Chatham county residents for their support of our mission to help local children, families and individuals in need by providing available goods and supplies. We ask for your continued support as we continue to advocate for children and family issues and to house and feed the homeless and hungry in Chatham County the coming year.
Sincerely,
Mark and Beth Morton – Co-Directors
The Kid’s Warehouse, Inc. , A 501(3)(c) non-profit agency
874 Chatham Church Road
Moncure, North Carolina 27559
Telephone: (919) 542-6159