Hickory – Exodus Homes, a United Way agency, is appealing to the community for help. With the steep rise of gasoline prices, they are struggling to make ends meet in providing 73 beds of faith-based supportive housing to homeless men and women returning to the community from treatment centers and prison.
They have 27 vehicles including box trucks, pick up trucks, full size vans, mini vans, SUVs, and cars used to operate their revenue generating vocational training program Exodus Works where they provide moving, landscaping, and general labor as well as getting all of their residents back and forth to work, to the doctor, mental health, social services, recovery groups, court, church and all the others places they need to go to learn a new way to live after addiction or incarceration. “Transportation is a critical component of our ministry and without it, our ability to do everything else is affected,” said the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Exodus Homes executive director.
They are asking individuals, businesses, and churches for help in raising funds to pay for gasoline which in one year has increased 34% and is still rising. “We are doing all we can to cut transportation costs but we need help from those who believe in our mission to keep going” said the Rev. Susan Smith, Exodus Homes assistant executive director.
You can donate on their website at www.exodushomes.org. Click on the “Donate” button and where it says “Special instructions to seller” put the word “gas”. You can also send a check to Exodus Homes PO Box 3311 Hickory 28603 and designate “gas” in the memo line.
For more information, please contact the Rev. Susan Smith at 828-962-8196 or [email protected]
Photo: Exodus Homes’ resident Tim Mathis is seen driving one of their moving trucks used in Exodus Works, their revenue generating vocational training program.
