Read the stories of all of our 2012 guests.
Bill Tate
Bill and I sat together one evening to trade stories about our lives. Bill, at age 54 the eldest of three boys and two girls, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but moved to Greensboro in 1965 and graduated from Grimsley High School in 1975. After that he says he just "hung out" until entering the U.S. Army in 1979. He learned to repair microwave communications systems and was posted to various U.S. bases and for a time to Stuttgart, Germany, until he ended his military service in 1984. He earned an Associate's degree in Business at N.C. A&T University. He worked with Gilbarco for four years until the big layoffs came. Then he worked for Lowes Companies, Inc. as a dock supervisor until the Patterson Street store closed. He moved on to work for Organic Pigments in 1993, but then tragedy struck. By then he was a single dad with two boys and one girl, but a house fire on Martin Luther King Drive took the life of one son in 1993. That event was more than he could take – it led him into the world of illegal drugs, and for eight years he struggled. His mother became ill with diabetes and other serious medical problems, and she finally ended her life as a double amputee. He said he turned his back on drugs to take care of his mother during those many years, and he has been clean ever since. She was his inspiration. Despite her afflictions, she completed a degree in criminal justice at A&T. She died at age 70, just three weeks before receiving recognition for that hard-earned degree. Bill went forward at graduation to accept the degree certificate on behalf of his late mother. Bill took a lease on a house and planned to buy it over time from its owner – but after only three months the house went into foreclosure and he was out on the street. He says his goal now is to return to A&T to earn a Bachelor's degree in Psychology – when possible. He credits God with saving him, strengthening his faith, and showing him his purpose in this life. He attends the New Light Mission Baptist Church and works with many children there. He is a volunteer tutor of middle and high school youth. We talked about our many concerns for the youth of today, and how much they need loving parental and spiritual families to guide them. We finished our visit just in time for him to join the guys upstairs in the "TV corner" who were gathering to watch the Monday night football game. I wished him the best, and drove home, all the time thinking about all he had told me and, despite everything, how positive Bill is about his future direction and purpose in this life.
Each night through March 31, 22 homeless men will become part of our church family while residing at the Paisley House at 707 N. Greene Street, across the street from the Mullin Life Center. Male military veterans will have first priority to reside at the FPC site this year, so that we may focus on their specific needs and connect them with available services and support.
During the men’s stay, the shelter will need 300+ volunteers to offer hope and hospitality. Through God’s grace and your involvement, we can make a tremendous difference in the lives of our shelter residents, while we discover more about ourselves in our faith journey.
Here are some of the ways you can help:
• One male volunteer is needed per night to rotate sleep times with the paid staff employee, and to extend hospitality to our residents from 8:30 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. (8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday) the following morning. Contact Ginny Bradsher or Anne Chamblee (contact info below).
• Prepare and serve dinners (casseroles, hearty soups, salads, tacos, etc.) on Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday nights for 22 men. Contact Mopsy Patterson (contact info below).
• Greeters and leaders needed Friday and Saturday nights between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to help serve meals, play cards, listen, check in guests, and offer support. Contact Teri Hammer (contact info below).
• Drivers needed once a week to transport residents to the laundromat for their personal laundry.
• Daytime support to check on supplies, for shopping and stocking the pantry, and to launder bed linens weekly.
For more information or to volunteer –
If you’d like to volunteer to stay overnight, contact:
Ginny Bradsher / gbradsher@triad.rr.com / 272-4359 or
Anne Chamblee / annechamblee@bellsouth.net / 370-1453.
If you want to prepare dinner: Mopsy Patterson / mopsyp@triad.rr.com / 540-0430.
For more information or to get a volunteer sign-in ID (with your sign-in ID, you can schedule times online at www.whentohelp.com) contact
Teri Hammer / twhammer8@triad.rr.com / 271-2846.
