Union County community shelter works to build $4 million shelter

MONROE, N.C. — The Union County community shelter, the only shelter in the entire county, can no longer keep up with the need in the community.

Officials plan to build a $4 million facility that could help hundreds struggling to find a stable home.

Mark has lived at the shelter for six weeks. He’s been sleeping on a cot in the dining room, because there’s no room.

The shelter doesn’t turn anyone away, so it’s often crammed.

Mark is one of 600 people the shelter helps in Union County and the need continues to grow.

The shelter delivers up to 1,500 food boxes to local families every month. Volunteers serve 50,000 meals each year.

Everything is prepared in a tiny kitchen with minimal storage space.

The food is mostly donated as less than 10 percent comes from government funds.

Kathy Bragg, executive director with the shelter, said a much larger building is in the works.

She said the city of Monroe donated a plot of land, but the shelter still needs to come up with the $4 million for the remaining costs.

The new facility will have 24 beds for women, and 64 beds for men. The current facility can only fit eight beds for woman and 20 beds for men.

The dining room will triple in size, seating 150 people compared to the current 45 available.

Bragg’s main goal is to get people back on their feet.

In the past year, the shelter has helped 100 people find stable housing.

Bragg said the shelter has raised $1.7 million so far and they hope to open the new shelter within two years.

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