Rutherford Weekly

"Hospice" is a word that means diff erent things to diff erent people. Mostly it is a word that brings up images of nurses, social workers, chaplains, doctors, and volunteers who work with seriously ill patients in kind and caring ways. The local agency, Hospice Of The Carolina Foothills has provided a high level of care for its patients for decades. And for lovers of thrift store shopping, the word "Hospice" brings up the Oak Street, Forest City store and the Thrift Barn near I-26 in Landrum. "We are so fortunate to have this level of community support," Heidi Owen said of the customer and volunteer base that keeps the two stores humming. And hum they do. With clothing, jewelry, nicknacks, books, toys, furniture, household items, movies, music, electronics, a great variety of treasures, the two stores off er a bargain hunter's dream. Net income from the two stores last year was $863,675, according to Owen, who is the organization's vice president of business development. Those funds go to pay for room and board for the uninsured at the Hospice House on Hudlow Road in Forest City. About two thirds of the people who use the Hospice House cannot aff ord the room and board, the costs which are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. "Not all agencies have this kind of support for people who can't aff ord to pay," Owen said. No kidding. Many Hospice agencies are for-profi t; and they depend totally on private pay, insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. By depending on that kind of income, many of these agencies cannot serve people who cannot pay. Hospice Of The Carolina Foothills can serve these people at a critical time in the life of a family or a patient. Visitors to the facility on Hudlow Road will fi nd one hallway which is decorated with photos of almost every church house in Rutherford County. That says a lot as the extraordinary work of the organization is supported by many of those churches and by the people who attend them. The scriptures which inspire those church goers contain over 2,000 orders to serve those who lack the ability to pay. Think about the man found beaten on the Jericho Road who was served by the Good Samaritan. Not only was he whooped pretty bad, but he lacked the ability to pay for the care he needed. The agency on Hudlow Road serves people who lack the ability to pay for the care they need. Owen said, "I feel honored to do my job or I wouldn't have stayed here 26 years." The fi rst Hospice Thrift Store in Forest City opened 20 years ago. It has been in four diff erent locations. "Hopefully the one on Oak Street will be the last one," she said. Covid19 forced both stores to close in March, at which point both were thoroughly cleaned. The week before the reopen there was another thorough cleaning; and Owen said, "We are following all protocols: gloves, masks, plexiglass barriers at the cash registers. We also quarantine all donations for two weeks and spray them with alcohol, denatured alcohol. We have spent thousands of dollars to protect our employees, volunteers, and customers; and it's not over." While Owen is a bit reserved and professional in her enthusiasm for the Hospice work and its community support from the thrift stores, store manager Rodney Lattimore is an evangelist with heartfelt enthusiasm. "We had a woman in our church who was delighted with her Hospice Care. She was actually joyful; and I just felt this was an opportunity for me to combine my experience in retail with this wonderful ministry and service to the community," Lattimore said. That inspiring relationship took place at Chimney Rock Baptist where he was minister of music. Lattimore has worked in a number of retail settings including big box stores and gun battles at Ghost Town In The Sky. N.C. TRACTOR & FARM SUPPLY 299 Railroad Ave., Rutherfordton • 828-288-0395 Mobile: 828-429-5008 • mf1dpshehan@gmail.com SALES SERVICE PARTS PROUDLY SERVING RUTHERFORD, CLEVELAND, GASTON, LINCOLN, POLK COUNTIES AS THE AREAS HOMETOWN MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER. IF YOU BUY ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WILL PAY TOO MUCH! IF YOU BUY ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WILL PAY TOO MUCH! GREAT GREAT SELECTION SELECTION Hospice Thrift Stores Fund Needed Services SMALL TOWN FRIENDLY, BIG TIME RESULTS ISSUE NO. 28 •July 16, ISSUE NO. 28 •July 16, 2020 • 2020 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 Our 28 th Year IN GOD WE TRUST! IN GOD WE TRUST! Housing in Rutherford County is a mixed bag of need, shortage of units, aging stock, and local leaders determined to change things for the better. For better or worse, it will take years to fi x. Luckily the county brags on a board of county commissioners who have made housing a priority, a regional planning commission that is looking for help, hard working builders who employ skilled trades people in every fi eld, and a number of big- hearted nonprofi ts who understand the need and are on the job working to fi x it. People don't have to drive far to fi nd substandard housing, blight, abandoned houses giving way to kudzu and other vines. Even more discouraging is the fact that when Section 8 recently opened its waiting list for federally subsidized housing, 1300 people applied in four hours. That's one thousand, three hundred families looking for a better place to live. But the good news is that everybody knows we have a problem; and many elected offi cials, public employees, nonprofi t leaders and builders are working on it. A report last year from Asheville's T. Ronald Brown: Research And Analysis predicted that the Rutherfordton-Spindale-Forest City area could support 130 new, rent subsidized units; and Lake Lure could fi ll 60. It's not hard to imagine. Adequate housing is always a moving target. Rutherford County is seen as a bedroom community for workers employed in Charlotte, Spartanburg and Hendersonville. In addition retirees fi nd the cost of real estate attractive and come here for the cost of living, climate, and local culture. The county also has a 19 percent poverty rate; and those are the folks who qualify for Section 8 or federally assisted housing. The needs for more housing fall across the board. There is plenty more data on the current housing initiative at Isothermal Planning And Development's website, https://regionc. org/housing-programs/isothermal-regional- housing-data. This story about the local housing situation comes at a time when Rutherford Housing Partnership has hired a new executive director. Nell Bovender has been at the helm since 2002 and is best known for her work with the Women Roofers, a group she will continue to lead in retirement. Melissa Ailiff, who lives in Campobello, SC, and has 15 years experience in working with nonprofi ts is the new leader. She has been a Peace Corps volunteer and has worked for Habitat in New Jersey and in Henderson County. "It's super exciting. I am very passionate about affordable housing. Despite the fact that everyone knows there is a need, the problem gets worse and worse every year. It's great that RHP has done a great job over the years; and I'm excited and thrilled about the opportunities," Ailiff said of her new job. "It's an amazing community of support." Both through RHP and Habitat For Humanity, Rutherford County has made progress over the years and as Ailiff noted, has been, "an amazing community of support." Now with the work of IPDC and its latest housing initiative hopes are high for more and better. Need A Home? You're Not Alone Article by Article by Pat Jobe Pat Jobe Care For The Seriously Ill, Even Those Who Cannot Pay Article by Pat Jobe Article by Pat Jobe 135 West Main Street, Spindale, NC 28160 828-395-2140 Hours: 11-8 Tuesday-Thursday 11-9 Friday & Saturday DINE IN • CARRY OUT • CATERING Family Family www.circlebBBQ.com www.circlebBBQ.com Food truck dates available Food truck dates available Call for details Call for details ©Community First Media Community First Media Hospice store manager Rodney Lattimore, takes off his mask to talk about his passion for serving through this generous and kind local work.

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