The Outreach Center prepares for second phase of construction at College Street location

The Outreach Center is another step closer to opening its new home on College Street after completing the first phase of renovations and receiving approval to move forward with the next stage of construction.

Founder Holly Johnson said contractors will soon finalize cost estimates for the second phase of construction as the nonprofit works toward opening the space to the public within the next year. Located in the former Jordan’s Cleaners on College Street, the new space offers expanded ways to serve the community and target the mission of empowering children and their families to break the cycle of generational poverty.

Upstairs will be home to an arts and cultural center geared to serving children and seniors, which will include a theater and event space, rooms for guitar and piano lessons, and a full kitchen for cooking classes and fundraising events.

“We want to make this a space where all of these children who are in poverty can come and interact with kids and do things that other people get to do that, they would never have an opportunity to,” Johnson said, adding that exposure to cultural activities can boost children’s self-esteem and give them hope. The same can be said for seniors.

The downstairs portion of the building is currently operational, with a few of the nonprofit’s staff using the space as offices. The space also serves as storage for leftover delivery food.

The Outreach Center is known for its Wishes, Opportunities, and Wonder program (WOW), which provides children living in poverty with nutrition, exercise, and tutoring. In addition to basic needs like food, clothing, and school supplies, the WOW program provides art, music, cultural, and educational opportunities.

Formerly off East Fleming Drive, the nonprofit would serve thousands of people per month, but after selling the building in 2023 and changing its distribution model, the scope has changed.

For the past three years, the nonprofit has been operating temporarily out of Morganton Baptist Church’s school building. Volunteers have been serving the community by delivering meals to the homes of about 300 families per month.

Because the USDA prohibited the nonprofit from requiring proof of income after the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said staff had to start purchasing more of the food independently and distributing it so that they could get proof of income.

“We were growing to the point that we were having thousands of people every week get food. They were driving from Charlotte and all over to come get food because it was just free,” Johnson said. “So, we had to make some really hard decisions, and our decision was that we were going to dial back because we didn’t have unlimited resources for staff, and it was killing our staff.”

Knowing people’s income also helps the nonprofit offer more help long-term, Johnson said.

“We have to know your income, and we have to be able to help you help yourself,” Johnson said. “We have to be able to ask questions about what your budget looks like and what we can do to support you, so you’re not just stuck getting a handout every week, but you’re really getting a hand up.”

During deliveries, volunteers can assess the needs of the community members they are serving, especially seniors, Johnson said. For example, volunteers have been able to build ramps and get HVAC working again for residents. The nonprofit’s 100 volunteers also help provide emotional support and companionship.

“It’s not as big and impressive as it was, but it’s so valuable and meaningful, and that’s what’s important,” Johnson said.

Part of The Outreach Center’s growing pains has been the loss of donors. Johnson founded the organization in 2000. In recent years, it has been impacted by the deaths of several major donors during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a decline in visibility.

“We had promises from several people who were really going to fund a lot of the renovation, and they passed away during COVID. That’s been very challenging because that was something we were really depending on,” Johnson said.

The first phase of construction has been completed, including the installation of new doors, windows, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler systems. Johnson said The Outreach Center received approval about two weeks ago to move forward with phase two, which will bring the building closer to her original vision.

In the coming weeks, Johnson is meeting with contractors to get a construction quote and will move forward with work that can be completed using existing funding. She expects that more funds will have to be raised to complete the project.

The goal is to have the space open to the public within the next year, Johnson said. Left to be completed is the installation of a heating and air system, interior walls, insulation, and a section of concrete are the main steps that need to be completed.

“The center is really going to be a space, not only just for the people that we serve, but really for the community,” Johnson said.