Inter-Faith Council to celebrate 2011 successes at meeting

The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service has seen victories this year, despite difficult economic times and heated criticism from local residents.

At an annual meeting and potluck on Thursday, staff members, volunteers and community members will discuss what these achievements were and what challenges lie ahead.

Allan Rosen, project manager at the council, said he is expecting a turnout of more than 100.

The relocation of the men’s shelter is one reason to celebrate, IFC Executive Director Chris Moran said.

After years of waiting, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved May 9 the special-use permit for the Men’s Community House, which will be located at 1315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. It will move within the next few years.

But the move drew criticism from residents worried about the site’s location near residential areas.

Moran said decreasing state and federal resources also challenged the organization.

“We are doing the best we can with the situation that has been given to us,” he said.

During the 2010-11 fiscal year, the Community House provided 17,757 nights of safe shelter for 386 men and 78,566 hot meals at the Community Kitchen and HomeStart, said Elizabeth Garfunkel, the council’s executive assistant, in an email.

She also said 342 residents received free health care and 208 received free mental health care this fiscal year.

Moran said most of the contributions to the council come from private donors, which he said has allowed it to continue its level of services.

“If all our resources came from public resources, we would only be open 31 days out of 365,” he said.

At the meeting, the council will consider combining Chapel Hill’s Community Kitchen and Carrboro’s Food Pantry into one center, FoodFirst, to maximize resources.

Moran said they will also recognize an outstanding volunteer at the meeting with the Mildred Berkley Award.

“Mildred Berkley was a longtime volunteer of the community kitchen,” Moran said. “She was a quiet and unselfish person who stood up for people who were unjustly treated.”

He said he is looking forward to the event.

“These discussions are important because we learn more about what everyone does and how everyone contributes.”

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