AFL Awards Community Shelter of Union County $2,500 Grant
20-10-2019
Monroe, NC and Spartanburg, SC – AFL awarded a $2,500 grant to the Union County Community Shelter (UCCS) located in Monroe, North Carolina to support its Homeless and Hunger Services program. The grant is made possible by AFL’s Community Outreach Program and will support case management services and financial assistance for clients.
The Union County Community Shelter provides food, emergency shelter and rapid rehousing instruction for individuals and families in need. The Community Shelter commenced operations in 1985 and at that time, had capacity for 15 male clients. Since then, the Shelter has tripled its capacity, moving from a 7,000 square foot facility to a newly-constructed 20,000 square foot two-building campus, increasing the number of beds from 28 to 90, and the dining space from 45 seats to 150 seats.
“We estimate between 300 to 400 homeless individuals in Union County are living in shelter facilities, temporarily staying with a relative or friend, living in a motel, camp, car or other structure,” explained Kathy Bragg, executive director of the Union County Community Shelter. “AFL’s donation will help us make headway with serving the homeless in our area.”
Clients that are homeless receive services to meet their immediate needs such as shelter, food and clothing. Each client is assigned a case manager who helps develop a plan to address obstacles that led to the homeless status. Case managers work with clients to stabilize income, provide instruction on budgeting and life skills, locate affordable and appropriate housing, and develop a housing acquisition plan. Thereafter, case managers follow up with clients for 12 months providing support services as needed.
Bragg continued, “We anticipate serving approximately 650 homeless women, men and children with services this year. From 2018 to 2019, we helped 36 percent more people move to permanent housing, and we hope to increase that percentage this year.”
UCCS programs include an emergency shelter with a goal to provide safe emergency shelter to 650 individuals annually; rapid rehousing with a goal to rehome 90+ homeless households annually; nutrition services with a goal to feed 2,500 unduplicated individuals; and Pathways to Prosperity that has a goal to provide a pathway for individuals living in poverty to achieve economic stability and a thriving lifestyle.
AFL’s Community Outreach Program includes grants, sponsorships, volunteer and environment initiatives, disaster relief, scholarships and more. For additional information on AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and “like us” on Facebook. Review our blog or subscribe to our bimonthly e-newsletter.
Contacts
Christina Blount
Community Outreach Coordinator
AFL
704.926.5783
Christina.Blount@AFLglobal.com
Corie Culp
Community Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com
The Union County Community Shelter provides food, emergency shelter and rapid rehousing instruction for individuals and families in need. The Community Shelter commenced operations in 1985 and at that time, had capacity for 15 male clients. Since then, the Shelter has tripled its capacity, moving from a 7,000 square foot facility to a newly-constructed 20,000 square foot two-building campus, increasing the number of beds from 28 to 90, and the dining space from 45 seats to 150 seats.
“We estimate between 300 to 400 homeless individuals in Union County are living in shelter facilities, temporarily staying with a relative or friend, living in a motel, camp, car or other structure,” explained Kathy Bragg, executive director of the Union County Community Shelter. “AFL’s donation will help us make headway with serving the homeless in our area.”
Clients that are homeless receive services to meet their immediate needs such as shelter, food and clothing. Each client is assigned a case manager who helps develop a plan to address obstacles that led to the homeless status. Case managers work with clients to stabilize income, provide instruction on budgeting and life skills, locate affordable and appropriate housing, and develop a housing acquisition plan. Thereafter, case managers follow up with clients for 12 months providing support services as needed.
Bragg continued, “We anticipate serving approximately 650 homeless women, men and children with services this year. From 2018 to 2019, we helped 36 percent more people move to permanent housing, and we hope to increase that percentage this year.”
UCCS programs include an emergency shelter with a goal to provide safe emergency shelter to 650 individuals annually; rapid rehousing with a goal to rehome 90+ homeless households annually; nutrition services with a goal to feed 2,500 unduplicated individuals; and Pathways to Prosperity that has a goal to provide a pathway for individuals living in poverty to achieve economic stability and a thriving lifestyle.
AFL’s Community Outreach Program includes grants, sponsorships, volunteer and environment initiatives, disaster relief, scholarships and more. For additional information on AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and “like us” on Facebook. Review our blog or subscribe to our bimonthly e-newsletter.
Contacts
Christina Blount
Community Outreach Coordinator
AFL
704.926.5783
Christina.Blount@AFLglobal.com
Corie Culp
Community Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com