Residents at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Inter-Faith Council for Social Service Community House on Rosemary Street will move to their new location at 1315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The new facility will provide a transitional home for 52 men.
The State Employees’ Credit Union Community House celebrated the opening of the facility with the community Monday morning. Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Chancellor Carol Folt and U.S. Rep. David Price were among the speakers at the grand opening.
The SECU Community House’s mattresses still have plastic packaging wrapped around them. The shelves in the laundry room are waiting to be stocked. The aluminum kitchen counters shine — and IFC residents will begin moving in Thursday.
“I’m excited and nervous,” said resident Chris Horton, who is part of the residential staff. He said he will work the third shift making breakfast for all the residents.
The community house has adequate space to accommodate its residents with a kitchen, a dining hall, an exercise room, washers and dryers, bedrooms with desks and drawers, a library room, a community garden, on-site medical and dental care facilities, a pharmacy and rooms to receive job coaching and counseling.
Piedmont Health Services Inc. provided all the medical equipment and will provide medical professionals to care for the residents.
“Our former building had charm,” said IFC residential services director Stephani Kilpatrick in the grand opening speech, referring to the house located in the old Town Hall building. In her speech, she said the new facility had the potential to pioneer new opportunities like volunteer-led exercise classes or a 12-step rehabilitation program.
“We can also say ‘yes’ to a space that honors the dignity of our clients,” she said.
