Small Brunswick nonprofit wants to help more families

When Orbie Smith taught in Horry County Schools, she set up community service projects for her students as part of their wider education beyond instruction in science, language and math. The groups were called H.O.P.E. clubs, for Healing Our Planet Earth.

Now, Wings of H.O.P.E. of Brunswick County is Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects. The 501(c)3 serves families, seniors, school children and homeless people, primarily in Brunswick County, N.C. Currently one of the 17 families receiving a monthly delivery of groceries is in Horry County. The nonprofit has had four families in the Little River area. As Wings grows, Smith plans to help more people in Horry County.

A total of 52 families applied for Christmas assistance, primarily for toys and clothing for 102 children. Only four additional families (beyond the 17) applied for food assistance which included a turkey – or a ham if they so desired – and other food for a holiday meal. The Christmas deliveries were made from Dec. 17 through Dec. 24, including to three families who applied later. Wings also delivers food for families in an emergency such as a house fire.

On Fridays, 16 seniors receive soup, crackers and other food. Wings also makes backpack deliveries to two Brunswick County schools for a total of 157 children. This is a similar program to Help 4 Kids / Backpack Buddies in Horry County. In its homeless street ministry, Smith and a few volunteers also provide personal hygiene bags, non-perishable food, blankets and coats and food cards to homeless people. They use donated ladies’ purses to deliver items to homeless women.

Smith estimates weekly contact with an average of seven to ten homeless people in encampments and other locations in Brunswick and northeastern Horry counties. Smith notes that she now sees in Brunswick County some homeless people she formerly saw in Horry County. In a presentation earlier this month to the Rotary Club of Little River, Smith asked: “What do you first think of when you hear the word homeless?”

Most folks perhaps “think of the chronically ill or alcoholic male sleeping on the street. Most people don’t think of the invisible people – families with children.” The fact in recent years, as observed by nonprofits such as the North Strand Housing Shelter, is that the homeless profile has changed to include families with children. While Smith “is on the lookout for people who may be homeless,” the main focus of Wings is “to help people from becoming homeless.”

Smith makes the point that “on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level [$24,250 for a family of four] just to afford basic expenses.” In more than three decades, the poverty level has increased only $4,250.

For most food deliveries, Smith has only a few volunteer helpers, although as many as 20 help serve a Monday monthly meal at Friendship Baptist Church on Ash-Little River Road in Brunswick County. At the December meal, 105 people were served.

While she will gladly work additional volunteers into the schedule, Smith says “the biggest need is for financial donations.” The operating budget for Wings is $5,000 and that limits the number of people the nonprofit can regularly serve. “We’re growing and as we grow we hope to help more people in Horry County.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Small Brunswick nonprofit wants to help more families."