Greenville is one of only two S.C. counties with 500+ homeless people (627 to be exact + Richland County’s is 779). There’s clearly a major need for shelter in our area, but we currently only have two main cold weather shelters.
The Miracle Hill Greenville Rescue Mission has 100 cold weather shelter beds (this is in addition to the 140 regular shelter beds) and the Shepherd’s Gate shelter in Greenville has 30 cold
weather beds for women and 12 cold weather beds for children (in addition to the 56 regular shelter beds.) Miracle Hill also has cold weather shelter beds in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties.
The Salvation Army Greenville opens from 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. on an as-needed basis when the temperature falls below 32° + had about 30 beds available last year. The Salvation Army opened its cold weather shelter after the snow on Dec. 8 and filled to capacity.
Shelters are pressed for resources + space, even in larger cities like Charlotte. Churches and community centers sometimes open when the weather becomes extreme, but otherwise it’s up to Miracle Hill + The Salvation Army to provide as much help as possible.
Want to do more than just read this newsletter + feel sad about people braving the cold winter nights. How can I involve myself or my family or be prepared to assist a person who is experiencing homelessness?
Offer items such as:
- Bottled Water
- Pre-packaged food like Granola bars or mandarin oranges in disposable plastic cup
- Hygiene items like deodorant + toothbrushes/toothpaste.
- Donate supplies to agencies providing help such as:
- Shower Shoes or Flip Flops (United Ministries, The Salvation Army, Miracle Hill Rescue
Mission) - Plain new twin sheets/towels (The Salvation Army, Miracle Hill Rescue Mission)
- NEW boys underwear (The Salvation Army, Miracle Hill Ministries)
Support Shelters such as:
- Miracle Hill Ministries’ Greenville Rescue Mission – David Hanna, Director | 575 W Washington St | (864) 242-6933
- The Salvation Army of Greenville County – Lauren Stephens, Director of Social Ministries | 417 Rutherford Street | 864-235-4803
Support Growing New Resources via the Greenville Homeless Alliance:
- Donate to support the hiring of a Greenville Homeless Alliance Coordinator
- Contact the Community Foundation at 630 E. Washington Street, Suite A, Greenville, SC 29601
- Join the advocacy and education list to receive regular updates. Contact Susan McLarty at smclarty@wpc-online.org.
All donated items (such as the above or sleeping bags, backpacks, blankets, shoes, etc.) should be given directly to a shelter or other helping agencies. If given out directly to people who are experiencing homelessness, they may well be sold rather than distributed evenly. Please don’t give people who are experiencing homelessness money or take tents, sleeping bags, food and other supplies into homeless encampments.
For most of us, cold weather means it’s time to wrap ourselves in blankets by the fireplace. For homeless Greenvillians, it means sleeping in freezing temperatures + fighting off illness or hypothermia night after night.
About 1,500 homeless people were living unsheltered in S.C. last year – let’s try to help that number decrease by getting involved and donating time + resources when possible. Check out Greenville’s Emergency Resources & Information Listing guide for additional ways you can help our homeless community stay safe + warm.
