Press release from Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry:
ABCCM receives $125,000 from the TD Charitable Foundation 15th Annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. The only agency in North Carolina to receive an award.
There are approximately 30-40 million nationally, and 485,000 households in NC at risk of eviction. ABCCM Crisis ministries receives an average of 26 calls weekly requesting rental and mortgage assistance, with an average assistance cost of just over $400. ABCCM’s $125,000 award could assist as many as 300 households from eviction.
“ABCCM is honored to have been selected to offer ‘Housing for Everyone,’ by the TD Bank Foundation,” said ABCCM’s Executive Director Scott Rogers. “During Women’s History Month, we are mindful that most low-income families are headed-up by single moms who are working hard (some in multiple jobs) while feeding, schooling and raising their children. ABCCM will add to this $125,000 award, over $75,000 in designated funds from other gifts to bring the total impact to over $200,000 for providing rental assistance to prevent eviction. ABCCM is honored to collaborate with multiple housing agencies and government providers to fill the gaps for those who do not qualify for assistance and to help stretch these housing funds to the greatest number of families, our vulnerable neighbors.”
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, today awarded 32 local organizations from Maine to Florida nearly $5 million through its 15th Annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. The Housing for Everyone program has awarded more than $32 million in grants to over 500 community organizations since 2005.
The 2020 competition focused on supporting organizations that provide direct rent relief and supportive services to individuals hit hardest by the pandemic. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Housing for Everyone, the TD Charitable Foundation increased the total amount of grants to be awarded by 30%, from $3.75 million to $4.9 million. Grants ranging from $125,000 – $250,000 were awarded to organizations working to help COVID-impacted households remain in safe, affordable rental units.
“The economic instability created by the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by many renters, a large percentage of whom have experienced job loss and lack healthcare insurance,” said Charles Frederick, Regional Vice President, TD Bank. “The TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support ABCCM as they play a key role in helping to combat this statistic in their local communities.”
More About ABCCM:
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) is one of the key non-profit organizations addressing poverty, hunger, homelessness and access to health care for the uninsured and under-served in Buncombe County, serving annually around 21,764, or 1 in 12 persons in Buncombe County in 2019.
Begun as a small collaboration of churches in 1969, ABCCM has played a significant role in meeting emergency assistance needs for families in crisis, coordinating religious services and education activities at the jail, providing transitional and permanent supportive housing for the homeless through 300 beds, increasing access to health care for half the uninsured and medically underserved; as well as work readiness, mentoring and job placement services. We serve Veterans across 75 counties across NC.
ABCCM is generously supported by 300 churches of all denominations with over 6,100 trained volunteers in 2019 providing emergency assistance to anyone in need regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability.
• ABCCM has a great stewardship track record where 93.1¢ of every dollar donation goes directly to service those in need, compared to the national average of 75%.
• Through the work of 6,068 volunteers, over 144,000 hours of service were given in 2019 to listen and care for every person’s needs, leading to effective short-term and long-term solutions.
• Thanks to the gifts of food, clothes, household items, furniture, medicine and time, every dollar given had an additional $2.77 of providing direct help and services.
• ABCCM serves individuals, and families in crisis regardless of race, religion, sex, nationality throughout Buncombe County North Carolina.
ABCCM CRISIS Ministry
Over 14,500 served in 2019
ABCCM’s Crisis Ministries helps fill the gaps for families who cannot make ends meet by providing nutritious emergency food boxes along with clothing, blankets, and limited financial assistance for utilities and rents to prevent heat cut-offs and families from eviction.
ABCCM Daily Bread at Sonrise, 1543 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC provides hot soup, sandwich and dessert To-Go lunches Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
ABCCM Medical Ministry
ABCCM offers the only free clinic providing medical care, medicine and dental care (temporarily suspended due to the pandemic) to the uninsured. Those without insurance of any kind are served by two pharmacies that distributed about $2.7 million in prescriptions and about $2.8 million in medical/dental care, an impact of $5.5 million in health care in Buncombe County.
ABCCM – Transformation Village
ABCCM provides 100 beds of transitional housing and 6 beds for emergency shelter. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success. These include stabilization with all the basic necessities provided; life skills training with 24 volunteer courses per month to choose from including Bible studies; education and professional training certifications that lead to living wage jobs and reintegration into the community with permanent housing. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
ABCCM – VRQ (Veteran’s Restorations Quarters)
ABCCM provides 160 beds of transitional housing and 40 beds for emergency shelter and 50 units for permanent supportive housing for a total of 250 beds. Restoring lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success. These include stabilization, with all the basic necessities provided; life skills training, with over 60 volunteer courses to choose from including Bible studies; education and professional training certifications that lead to living wage jobs and reintegration into the community with permanent housing. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
ABCCM – VSC (Veterans Services of the Carolinas)
ABCCM serves Veterans across 74 counties (half in North Carolina) in three regions – Eastern (37), Piedmont (12), and Western (25). We offer Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) where 450 are trained and 80% are placed into living wage career level jobs. We prevent homelessness for about 270 families a year. Veterans HOPE program outreaches to connect with the chronically homeless. Veterans Call Center responds to over 800 crisis calls a month, bringing resolution to most cases within 4.6 days.
Serving Veterans with Hope, Healing, Honor and a Home.
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