Former resident Tyshell Mack stands outside SOW Inc. with Trey Floyd (left), 2, and Alaisha Mack, 1, during the move out process on Friday. (Brittany Hannah / Rome News-Tribune)
FILE - SOW Family Shelter during an open house in 2011. (Ken Caruthers, RN-T.com)
The couple has a 10-month-old baby and had lived at the shelter since May, saving for a chance to get a place of their own, but they ran out of time when the SOW shelter had to shut its doors on Friday because of a significant decrease in donations.
According to the organization’s Facebook page and Wade, the power bill had not been paid.
Mike Jones, one of the co-founders of SOW (Serving Others Worldwide), said it takes about $4,000 to $5,000 a month to operate the facility, but contributions had declined to about $1,200 a month recently. The shelter opened two years ago.
The 404 S. Broad St. facility was one of the few shelters in the area that took in entire families.
Jones said Friday that the estimated 30 people who were staying at the shelter had some place to go and some were being directed to the Hope Rebirth shelter in Summerville.
Gerald Haygood, one of the founders of the Summerville shelter, said he was told the residents decided to stay in the Rome area because they had children in school.
When asked if they had room for the families, Haygood said, “Yes, we do.”
The Wades said they had nowhere to go.
The couple was living on Darlington Way when they were evicted from their residence when James Wade lost his job.
He has another job but said he would need at least another month before he thinks he could have enough money to look for another place.
Wade said other families were struggling with finding a place to go.
Jones said he hopes to reopen the shelter next year after reorganizing and paying off debt.
According to the organization’s Facebook page, a reorganization meeting is planned for Nov. 15. SOW officials will decide the future of the organization at that time.
Many supporters posted on the Facebook page indicating they wanted to send donations to help the organization keep its doors open.
To make contributions contact Jones at 706-676-2821.
How can you think of saying to your friend,"Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye," when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends eye. Matthew 7:4-5
These courageous, sensitive and loving men of God ..,who are heart broken.
Can't we just come together as a community and thank them for what they have done and offer to help. Maybe they need volunteers to sign up for shifts so there is a resource person there 24 hrs. a day. Maybe someone can answer phones, clean, greet people. So many possibilities. So many missed blessings.
Let us come together and get SOW back up and running.., better than before.
I know part of the reason contributions are down again has to do with the state of the economy but something else that crossed my mind is the story the RNT did about Holise Cleveland last year and some of the backlash that came out of it. After it was discovered that Mr Cleveland was not much more than a scam artist wanting to live off others it makes me wonder if people got a "bad taste in their mouths" about the homeless of Rome and stopped contributing to places such as this.
One good note is that if you Google Mr Cleveland's name you will see he has moved on to Ocala Fla. Their loss is our gain !!