Charlotte Rescue Mission quarantine housing helping to enroll more people

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At one point during the pandemic, the Charlotte Rescue Mission only had 80 people enrolled in its program, which is less than half of its normal numbers. Community partners stepped in to support the organization so it could enroll more people.

Whether it’s seating customers or working in the kitchen, it’s all part of Christopher Prescott’s journey toward recovery.

“I know there are a lot of people out there that do suffer from addiction, and this is a great program that you are able to find yourself and live a different life than you had been living,” Prescott said.

Prescott enrolled in the Charlotte Rescue Mission’s program just two months before COVID-19 hit. At that time, enrollment was put on pause because there was no way to quarantine new residents. However, some community partners, who asked to remain anonymous, provided a valuable solution for new residents when summer hit.

Rescue Mission COO Ed Price said, “They’re in an outside facility with outside showers and toilets, so they’re completely isolated from the main building.”

Price said that mobile site allows people to quarantine for 14 days before they join the main program. He said no one has tested positive for the virus so far.

“If you know anything about our facilities, they’re dormitory style, so there was no way to isolate and keep people separate. So they really enabled us to start the admissions process again,” Price said.

At least 68 COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths tied to weeklong activities at Charlotte church event

Price said the need for rehabilitation services never let up. In fact, numbers are back to where they were before the pandemic. That new mobile site allowed people, including Prescott, to graduate from the program on time and start working on the next phase of their recovery at the adjacent Community Matters Cafe.

“It played a huge role in keeping us safe as well as keeping us focused on our main goal, which is to gain sobriety,” Prescott said.

Price expects even more people will enroll in their program in the next couple of months. He said that’s typically a time when more people seek help.

Cox Media Group