Aiken homeless shelter struggle as need continues to rise

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’ve told you about the rise in homelessness in Aiken and the growing effort for more housing.

Some shelters already servicing the community need help before they’re forced to close.

Now, Mt. Salem Ministries is feeling the brunt of the rise in need. For more than 20 years, they’ve helped those in need in Aiken.

As the need rises, they say the face of the people they serve is much different than what it was when they started.

“A lot of people think a homeless person is someone is dirty looking and pushing a grocery cart and they’re sleeping in a brown box. No, that’s far from the truth today,” said Robert Landy, Director for Mt. Salem Ministries.

From providing free lunch to shelter for men facing homelessness, they’ve seen it all.

“They get a bed, they get a shower, they get a meal. If they need clothes, they get clothes, and it’s all done in the name of Jesus,” he said.

They rely on the community’s to keep their doors open and with the path they’re on, they say that may not happen.

“For the last year and a half, our has dwindled down to a very small amount. We’ve had to cut back on our programs,” said Landy.

Right now, they have 20 people committed to donating at least $25 a month to fund their mission, but in order to continue, they say their goal is at least 1,000.

If you’d like to be on the list of donors, you can call 803-634-7526 or email [email protected].

“If we don’t have the , then that means more and more people are struggling more and more, and that just leads to more problems,” he said.

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