Religious Community Services of New Bern, Inc. helps serve Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties by providing food, clothing, and shelter to those most in need. They are always looking for volunteers to help serve the community and accept donations to help supply those necessities.
Marcy Winter recently began volunteer work with RCS a little over a month ago, quickly earning a staff position as a residency assistant. Winter felt called to serve after her community rallied around her family in 2019 when her daughter Paige survived a bull shark attack off the North Carolina coast. Children Kale and Anais were also present on the day of the attack. The entire family has felt a strong sense of gratitude for everything done to ensure their family survived such a scarring ordeal.
“The way the community came together for our family was overwhelming,” Winter recalls. “We’ll never be able to repay it.”
Winter is a licensed massage therapist, offering sessions by appointment during the week around her busy schedule, which also includes teaching massage courses at Coastal Community College in Jacksonville. By offering discounts and service upgrades for bringing in much-needed donations for RCS, she uses her trade to fund and support her efforts with RCS.
Shelters at RCS
There are currently three shelters at RCS. The Veteran’s Residence is a long-term 5-unit residence where Veterans work with a case manager to achieve independence. They each have their own bedroom, 2 shared bathrooms, and a community kitchen.
The Family Residence houses 4 individual families with children while working with a case manager to assist in self-sufficiency. Each resident has their own living space with beds and a private bathroom. The families share a community TV room, with a kitchen, laundry room, and a children’s play area.
The Crisis Shelter has space for ten men and ten women in each dorm. Currently, five beds in each dorm must remain unoccupied due to COVID -19 restrictions still in place. It opens daily at 3 p.m. The first 20 people in line are admitted in for the evening. Any residents with jobs or who are actively enrolled in school who are not able to be in line to check in at 3 p.m. will have a spot reserved for them.
“Some of the biggest needs we have right now are items for the welcome package we give to each resident when they arrive. This includes things like fresh twin sheets, blankets, pillows, travel-sized hygiene products, and shower shoes like flip flops,” says Goodrum. Other needed items include feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, and canned goods.
All of the residents go through a background vetting system with the New Bern Police Department to ensure the safety of the community, and to be sure there are no active warrants.
Dinner is served, and residents and staff enjoy their meals together in a family-style environment.
“There is a real sense of community here,” Winter says. “Each evening when dinner is served, we sit and eat dinner together. We’re all in this together.”
RCS recently reopened its community kitchen, which was closed due to the pandemic, and is now open 365 days of the year. Breakfast is served Sundays at 8 a.m., and Monday through Saturday, lunch begins at 10:30 am.
“Nothing goes to waste here,” Winter explains. “We use everything, even down to composting. We receive donations from area grocery stores and are able to serve anywhere from 75 to 150 meals a day.”
“Being in a situation where you are without housing is a traumatic experience,” says Winter. “It’s important to have somewhere safe to go, with a stable routine each evening.”
After dinner, the lights are out by 10 p.m. The next morning begins at 6 a.m. and residents check out by 7 a.m. The center closes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to clean and reset for the following evening’s check-in.
RCS accepts donations for residents’ welcome packages, such as fresh twin sheets, blankets, pillows, travel-sized hygiene products, shower shoes, feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, and canned goods. They are located at 919 George St. and open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information call 252-633-2767 or 252-633-1887 after 3 p.m. or visit rcsnewbern.com.
By Becky Wetherington