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Hurricane Florence’s aftermath resulted in thousands of North Carolina residents being displaced from their homes. This sudden change of address or living situation does not, and should not, prevent a citizen from expressing their right to vote. Those who find themselves in this type of situation have three options this voting season. They include submitting an absentee ballot if you are temporarily removed, early voting in your home county if it is safe to return and registering to vote at your new address if you do not plan to return.

Submitting an Absentee Ballot

Any voter can request an absentee ballot by submitting an absentee ballot request form in-person or by mail, fax or email to their county’s Board of Elections by 5pm on October 30, 2018. The completed absentee ballot and return-container envelope must be signed by two witnesses over the age of 18 or a notary and must be postmarked or delivered in person by 5pm on election day, November 6, 2018.

The absentee ballot request form can be found here: http://bit.ly/NCAbsentee

Early Voting

Voters can vote at any early voting location in their county from October 17 to November 3.

Early voting locations and hours can be found here: http://bit.ly/NCRegistration

Register at New Address

Since the October 12^th deadline has passed for registration applications, voters can register during the early-voting period using same day registration by bringing proof of residence such as a utility bill, bank statement or any utility document.

If you are still unsure of which option best applies to your situation, please contact the Southern Coalition for Social Justice at (919)321-1848.

New Hanover County Public Information Hotline: (910) 798-6800
Residential debris removal for NHC has begun. Click here for more information.

New Hanover County’s Community Recovery Resource Center is open at Independence Mall to assist residents of New Hanover County and surrounding areas as they recover from Hurricane Florence. It will house federal, state, and local agencies that are providing relief services. More info here. The Salvation Army will be distributing clothing vouchers at the FEMA Distribution Center from 8am-6pm, 7 days a week.

Brunswick County Public Information Hotline: (910) 253-2995
Brunswick County Distribution Sites & Recovery Updates: http://www.brunswickcountync.gov/brunswick-county-distribution-site-recovery-updates/

Pender County Public Information Hotline: (910) 259-1210
To view Pender County’s After the Storm page, complete with distribution points for supplies, click here.

North Carolina Center for Nonprofits: Click here for a list of resources.

 

Finding Financial Assistance

FEMA is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security that aims to help people before, during, and after disasters. If you are a victim of Hurricane Florence and within the counties declared a disaster by the President, you are eligible for financial assistance from FEMA for food, clothing, medical needs, temporary housing/lodging, home repairs or replacement, as well as disaster-caused damage to vehicles, clean-up items, disaster-caused child care or medical and dental expenses, etc.

To start a claim you can (1) visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or (2) call 800-621-3362 if you do not have access to the internet. FEMA has also set up a distribution center at Sears, where representatives can assist individuals with filling out applications in addition to providing food and clothing.

To apply, you will need the following:

• Personal information including Social Security Number, address of property impacted, and phone number
• Insurance company and type of policy
• Household annual income
• Banking information including routing number and account number
• Description of damage and loss

Within 10 days of submitting your application, FEMA will contact you to schedule an inspection of the impacted property. While you can begin clean up of your home prior to the inspection, remember to take pictures and/or videos of the damage and keep samples of damaged carpet, wallpaper, cabinet doors, etc. These will provide proof of the impact.

If you have insurance, file a claim immediately. FEMA cannot give financial assistance for losses covered by your insurance company. If you receive benefit from FEMA then also receive benefits from your insurance company, you are required by law to pay FEMA back.

For more information, here’s a link to FEMA’s Help After a Disaster Pamphlet.

 

Finding Help with Tree Removal & Storm Clean-Up: 

Baptists on Mission: Click here to apply for tree removal, mud-out, tear-outs, etc.

Riley’s Creek Baptist Church (19845 NC-210, Rocky Point, NC): Hours are 9am-4pm. Call ahead: (910) 231-3397 or (910) 231-3397. They need volunteers; if able to lend time, call Mike Moser at (910) 473-2911 or mose2911@gmail.com.

Scotts Hill Baptist Church (185 Scotts Hill Loop Rd): Hours are 9am-4pm. Email work requests to baptistmen@scottshill.org. If you’d like to volunteer, register at www.scottshill.org.

First Baptist Church Activity Center (1939 Independence Blvd, behind the mall): Hours are 8am-5pm. Call (910)-524-9828 for more information. 

Mt. Olive Baptist Church (2919 Galloway Rd, Bolivia): Call John Henry at (601) 668-1732.

Eastern Baptist Association Office (109 N. Center St. Warsaw): Call Richard Weeks at (910) 590-1720. 

 

Finding Help with Rent/Mortgage

Contact Cape Fear Regional CDC if you are concerned about being able to pay your rent/mortgage due to loss of employment or pay as a result of Hurricane Florence. You can call (910) 762-7555 or visit their website: https://www.cfrcdc.org.

The NC Realtors Relief Foundation has opened an opportunity for homeowners and renters to apply for up to $1500 for mortgage or rent relief. You can access the application here.

 

Finding Food & Supplies

D-SNAP Benefits: 

• New Hanover County: Applications available at the Sears parking lot (3500 Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403) through Saturday, October 6.  More information here.
• Pender County: Applications available at Pender County DSS (810 S Walker St, Burgaw, NC 28425).

Hot Meals:

• NEW HANOVER — First Baptist Church Wilmington Activity Center (1939 Independence Blvd, behind the mall): Churches can pick up for groups of 24 or less, just show up. If the group is larger than 25, call ahead to (910)-524-9828. Drive-Thru: lunch served 11am-1pm, dinner from 4pm-6pm.
• BRUNSWICK — Mt. Olive Baptist Church (2919 Galloway Road, Bolivia)
• PENDER — Poston Baptist Church (4121 S. NC-11, Wallace, NC). Contact: David Wells (636) 209-0019.

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — New Hanover County (open through Friday, September 28)

• Scotts Hill Baptist Church (8am-5pm) — 185 Scotts Hill Loop Rd

Visit NHC’s Emergency Information page for up-to-date reports on organizations providing meals for residents: https://emergency.nhcgov.com/donations-volunteering/

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — Brunswick County:

http://www.brunswickcountync.gov/brunswick-county-distribution-site-recovery-updates/

Brunswick County Red Cross fixed feeding sites:

• Goshen Baptist Church (4124 Mt. Misery Road, Leland)
• 3781 Ruby Stone Drive, Leland
• 4889 Vernon Road, Northwest
• 2991 Dogwood Road, Navassa

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — Pender County 

Pender County – Red Cross will serve 150 meals each evening, 5-6 pm, from Station 14, 19470 U.S. 17 in Hampstead. Hot lunches will also be distributed daily from 1-3pm at St Matthew Baptist Church (152 Arlington Avenue, behind the tractor store) through Friday, September 28.

Pender County – Distribution Center for relief items, including water, food, cleaning supplies, toiletries and tarps are open:

• Lighthouse Church, 98 S. Trade Way, Rocky Point
• Atkinson, 700 E. Church St., Atkinson
• Maple Hill, 115 Old Maple Rd., Maple Hill
• Shiloh-Columbia Fire Department, 19170 U.S. 421, Willard
• Union Rescue, 89 Veach St., Willard
• Station 14, 19470 U.S. 17 – serving evening meals.
• Share the Table, 12395 Hwy. 50, Surf City (call 910-616-8897 for hours)
• Gateway Community Church, 416 W. Bridgers St., Burgaw
• Lighthouse Church, 98 South Trade Way, Rocky Point.
• Station 29, 4849 U.S. 421, Currie
• Station 23, 200 Wilmington Ave., Surf City
• Station 20, 816 S. Anderson Blvd., Topsail Beach (tarps only for residents).
• Share the Table, 12395 Hwy. 50, Surf City (limited hours).

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of food pantries, free hot meals, as well as information on SNAP/EBT and WIC. You can go to their website, or call 211. They also provide a list of programs that can provide clothing, hygiene items, and furniture and other household goods. Once again, you can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding a Safe Place to Stay

Salvation Army and the Domestic Violence Shelter are both CLOSED due to significant damage and will not be operational for an undetermined period of time.

Good Shepherd is open, and has electricity and open beds. The Soup Kitchen is not operational until further notice, though they are feeding their shelter guests.

Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear’s Interfaith Hospitality Network is OPEN. They are gathering supplies for those who are still without power. As of Tuesday, September 25, their office does not have power.

Safe Haven is OPEN to current guests and is operating with limited staff and no phone/internet service on site. Voicemail is being accessed and calls returned.

Rescue Mission is OPEN. They are able to interview potential residents.

LINC’s Marvin E. Roberts Transitional Living program is OPEN and existing residents have returned from storm shelter.

Hope Harbor Home is CLOSED, awaiting necessary repairs to the facility. HHH will re-open when those have been completed, and we will update this post accordingly.

First Fruit Ministries has beds available. The Outreach Center services will resume Thursday, September 27.

Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to talk with someone in person for guidance or information. To find a center near you, use the DRC Locator or text DRC and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362). Example: DRC 01234. (Standard text message rates apply.)

Search for open shelters near you by texting SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362). Example: Shelter 01234. (Standard text message rates apply.)

Search for open shelters using the Red Cross “Find Open Shelters” search.

Affordable Housing Units Available: The Wilmington Housing Finance & Development has 4 units available. Applications and qualifications are listed online: http://whfdinc.org/

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of shelters, low cost housing, home repair, and housing expense help. You can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding Medical Care

MedNorth has a Mobile Medical Unit for persons seeking medical attention. Call (910) 343-0270 for more information.

 

Finding Help with Utilities

To contact Duke Energy, call (800) 419-6356.

To contact CFPUA for water/sewer emergencies, call (910) 332-6565. Note: CFPUA announced it will be waiving late fees on water bills due September 11-25. Those bills will be due by close of business on Sept. 26.

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of programs that can assist with utility bills. You can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding Help for your Business

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (1 Estelle Lee Dr, Wilmington, NC 28401) to help businesses impacted by Hurricane Florence. SBA representatives at the Center can provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and assist businesses in completing the SBA application. The Center will have normal operating hours Monday through Saturday, 8am-5pm, and will be closed on Sundays.

The SBA offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans for physical damage and working capital. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov. To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register for FEMA assistance (see above).

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 13, 2018.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 14, 2019.

In the wake of Florence, even those who have jobs may be experiencing unemployment, unable to get to work or employed by a business undergoing repairs. This is where Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) comes in.

DUA is a federal program through the Division of Employment Security that provides temporary payments to people in a federally declared disaster area whose employment or income has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster. 

To receive DUA, you must first file for regular unemployment insurance. If an individual is determined ineligible for regular unemployment insurance, or has exhausted their regular unemployment insurance benefits, a DUA claim can then be filed. In addition, before you apply for DUA, you must also register with NC Works: https://www.ncworks.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx. 

You must file an application for benefits by October 17. You’ll need your Social Security number, copies of your most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs, or documentation to support you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred.

DUA is available for weeks of employment beginning with the week starting September 9, 2018, and may last for up to 26 weeks, as long as your unemployment continues due to Hurricane Florence. After being approved for DUA, you must complete the weekly certification either online or via telephone. 

Ways to Apply for DUA: 

1. Online at ww.des.nc.gov. *NOTE: The online system is being updated Tuesday, September 25 through Thursday, September 27. As such, paper applications may be the best way to go until Friday, September 28.
2. Fill out a paper application at the NHC Workforce Center (1994 S 17th St, Wilmington, NC). Call (910) 251-5777 ext 222 for questions.
3. Call the Division of Employment Security at (866) 795-8877 weekdays from 8AM-5PM. *NOTE: Call times are quite long right now, up to 3 hours. Options #1 or 2 are best.

If you are unable to reach the NHC Workforce Center, we welcome you here at StepUp Wilmington, and will work to get you registered online. Call us if you have any additional questions: (910) 343-8469. 

A Wilmington native and mother of two beautiful boys, Keisha Hudson joined us on Monday, August 20. She loved her first week, and quickly saw the value of Jobs Week. “At one time, I had a four year work gap, along with a criminal background. When I was trying to get back into the workforce, I faced a lot of judgment. I had to overcome those obstacles on my own. I didn’t have StepUp Wilmington. If I had, I feel like I would have returned to work a lot faster. It’s exciting to see our graduates go from quiet and discouraged to empowered and confident. Everybody needs Jobs Week.”

Keisha came by way of a community partner, seeking a career where she could give back. “I wanted to see if StepUp could assist me in my job search, but when I talked to Ally about my experience and what I’ve accomplished, she said she might have just the job for me — here, at StepUp Wilmington.” Keisha has over two years of employment counseling experience and a deep passion for serving her community. If you haven’t had the chance to meet her, be sure to do so the next time you’re at StepUp!

“My experience with StepUp has been a powerful one,” Sal shared with us in an email, just one month after he graduated from Jobs Week. Before he came to StepUp Wilmington, Sal spent 17 months in prison.  While in prison he earned his way to the work release program and worked diligently to gain the respect of his plant manager and the entire leadership team.  He says, “when it came close to my release date, the plant manager set up a meeting with a re-entry coordinator. He recommended that I get in touch with StepUp and go through Jobs Week.”

Throughout Jobs Week, Sal absorbed the curriculum and was very excited about the possibilities for the future.  He says, “I felt very optimistic!” On the last day of Jobs week, he met with Isabelle, StepUp Wilmington’s Career Development Coordinator, who asked if he was interested in taking a plumbing class at Cape Fear Community College.  Sal says he was reluctant at first and knew nothing about plumbing.  He was offered a scholarship and thought “Why not? It can’t hurt.”

For two weeks following Jobs Week, Sal attended CFCC’s Construction Institute. During that time, his Employment Counselor at StepUp, Bruce, checked in on him and made sure the classes were going ok.   At graduation, both Bruce and Isabelle were there to celebrate his achievement.  After graduation all the students had the unique opportunity to meet with owners of very established plumbing companies. Sal’s instructor introduced him to a local company and recommended him for a position. Sal had an interview with them the following Monday and the very next day they called him with a job offer!  Today, Sal is enjoying his new career and is excited about the future.

Organization rebrands as StepUp Wilmington; Announces 1,000 Job Goal

Wilmington, N.C. – On Jan. 31, Phoenix Hometown Hires will update its DBA name to “StepUp Wilmington.” The evolution comes as part of the local nonprofit’s long-term strategic plan and reflects its existing affiliation with the member-driven organization, StepUp NC (www.stepupnc.org).With this fresh direction, StepUp Wilmington has set a bolstered job goal, aiming to put 1,000 people into occupations over the next four years. In the 2016/17 fiscal year, Phoenix Hometown Hires placed 171 jobs.

Since 2013, Phoenix Hometown Hires has been actively collaborating with other StepUp member organizations in Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham. The Wilmington nonprofit officially became a part of the StepUp NC collaboration in January 2017, allowing it to learn from some of the state’s most successful nonprofits in the workforce development space.

The Phoenix Hometown Hires rebrand follows a long community history. The organization was originally founded in 2002 as Phoenix Employment Ministry and integrated Hometown Hires – a program under United Way of the Cape Fear Area – into its operations in 2015.

As StepUp Wilmington, its mission will remain the same, with a focus on addressing unemployment, poverty and economic instability throughout the Cape Fear region. In addition, the organization will continue to be locally run, managed and funded. “By collaborating with top-notch workforce development organizations across the state, we will bring better programs to more people and place more people into better jobs,” said Will Rikard, Executive Director of StepUp Wilmington.

An event is being held at Live Oak Bank on January 31, 2018 from 5:30pm to 7pm to announce the re-branding and share the organization’s future goals. “StepUp Wilmington and Live Oak Bank have very similar missions – to provide people with the tools they need to live the American dream,” said Kate Groat, Live Oak Bank’s Director of Philanthropy. “The direct impact of helping someone find a job so they can provide financial stability for themselves and their family is extremely valuable. That’s exactly how you create a stronger, more vibrant community both economically and culturally.”

StepUp Wilmington is working with Bon’s Eye Marketing to develop its new logo and website. Look for more information to come over the next month at www.stepupwilmington.org.

For more information about StepUp Wilmington, visit www.stepupwilmington.org or contact Will Rikard at (202) 957-4298 or will@phoenixhometownhires.org. StepUp Wilmington is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

For more information about StepUp North Carolina, visit http://www.stepupnc.org. StepUp North Carolina is a member-driven organization that provides a platform for communication, best practice sharing, standards, service provision, funding, strategic initiatives, and leveraging resources and promotion.

On June 28th eleven adults and two children graduated from the 9 month Life Skills Program. It was an evening of celebration, but also a reminder of just how far our participants have come in achieving their goals. Several have found their dream jobs, others have been promoted; they have worked on their finances and collectively saved over $2,800. As one participant shared, “Since starting the Life Skills Program I have gained confidence and learned so many new skills. I have met people who are going through job struggles as I have done, yet we have overcome them and set goals for our future.”

In 2017 Phoenix Hometown Hires partnered with the Blue Ribbon Commission to provide job readiness training to 47 students ages 16-19. Over the course of 2 weeks, volunteers and staff worked with the students on overcoming barriers, building self-confidence, marketing yourself, time management and interviewing techniques. Forty-two students successfully completed the training and were placed into summer jobs and internships in fields that aligned with their career goals. We loved being a part of these students transformation and are excited to see where their jobs take them.

Every day Gino wakes at 5:30am. After getting ready and eating breakfast he hops on his bike and starts the 4-mile journey to Dillard’s where he works as the store’s Support Manager. He is proud of his job and loves working at Dillard’s. You can tell from his smile that he has a warm and welcoming personality. Upon arriving at work, he helps prepare the store for opening and works until noon. Then he hops back on his bike for a 5-mile ride over to Cape Fear Community College where he has been a full-time student for the past two years. Last Friday, he graduated with his Associates degree in Arts. He says he has always loved school. He regrets not finishing school when he was younger and is determined to follow through with his Bachelor’s degree now. After class, Gino heads back to Dillard’s to finish his day at work and then bikes home. This life, the life he has now built for himself, is a far cry from the one he had when he first walked into StepUp Wilmington back in 2015. He was referred by Sister Isaac from Basilica Shrine of St. Mary after moving to Wilmington. He came to Wilmington to be close to his son and the opportunity to go back to school.  In 2015, he started Jobs Week and was so impressed by the dedication of the staff and volunteers. He says he will never forget the StepUp core values that were instilled in him on the first day, which he credits for keeping him motivated to come back every day. He started out as a Dock Manager at Dillard’s and was promoted after 6 months to his current position. He loves his job and is happy to have work. Next week Gino will start as a student in the Cameron School of Business at UNCW. His focus is to get his Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Relations. He says he hopes to move up with Dillard’s and use his experience and knowledge to advance in his career.