The Salvation Army of the Sandhills could continue to offer White Flag shelter services, thanks to a proposed contract with the City of Fayetteville.
Last month, the Fayetteville Salvation Army location announced it would stop providing White Flag shelter services for the city and Cumberland County. A White Flag shelter is a heated space for unhoused people to escape dangerously cold temperatures.
First reported by CBS17, The Salvation Army sent a letter to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners describing why the service was being halted. Negative impacts on the day-to-day shelter programs and high White Flag shelter operation costs were among the charity’s reasons.
“When we did hear that they were not going to open up this year, we reached back out with them to have a conversation,” Alex Baker, city economic and community development assistant director, told CityView.
In that conversation, Baker said The Salvation Army of the Sandhills leadership emphasized security and staffing as reasons for halting the White Flag shelter.
The city’s proposed contract with The Salvation Army looks to resolve those issues. The city will provide $50,000 to cover a security guard and a monitor, or a staff member who will remain overnight at the shelter to oversee shelter users. The city will also pay for a security wand and an AED, a medical device to assist with sudden cardiac arrest. Finally, the funds will provide breakfast to people staying at the White Flag shelter.
“We’re concerned with all citizens,” Baker said. “But particularly the unhoused when it gets that cold and ensuring that they have somewhere that they can be safe.”
Fayetteville will use funds from its share of American Rescue Plan dollars, which totals over $40.42 million, to pay for the White Flag shelter services.
The contract would run through May 31 to cover any late freezes. Currently, the contract is being reviewed by The Salvation Army leadership. If approved, the charity’s contract with the city would begin in mid-January.
Last year, Fayetteville had days below freezing until mid-March and lows in the 30s into April. The county issued about 39 White Flag days — days when the National Weather Service reports freezing temperatures — between Nov. 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. The county expects to have about 35 White Flag days this year. The county has so far seen 10 White Flag days in December.
The county already started relisting The Salvation Army of the Sandhills as a White Flag shelter on its Dec. 7-8 and Dec. 11-13 White Flag shelter announcements.
The Salvation Army resuming its White Flag shelter services brings the total number of White Flag shelters in the county back to three. Besides The Salvation Army of the Sandhills, True Vine Ministries’ J Center on Morganton Road and Cornerstone Christian Empowerment Center in Spring Lake offer White Flag shelter services.
The Cumberland County government is also finalizing a separate contract with another White Flag shelter following its request for proposals for White Flag shelter services in October.
CityView wasn’t able to reach Corps Officers for The Salvation Army of The Sandhills Maj. Aaron Goldfarb and Capt. Jamie Goldfarb for comment.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that there are three shelters within Cumberland County limits. The county does not have contracts with all three White Flag shelters, instead listing them online as a courtesy to the community, a spokesperson for the county clarified Friday.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the CityView News Fund.
They wasn’t even feeding the housed residents hot breakfast when it was cold. How much money does it cost for cold cereal, outdated milk coffee and cold poptarts? The Salvation Army on Alexander street really needs new management. Professional people not the ones they already have. There has to be a way to call a city meeting to hear how incompetent the workers are and how they treat those people who come there for help. Think twice about this. Just open up some recreation centers for them, and get some volunteer organizations to rotate and help out.
Now this is something that is a very good use of our tax money. So many people who just cannot afford the basics NEED HELP and support as they get their feet back on the ground. Now if there was a way to get the proper mental health services that are needed to help those in dire need of them- But that is a federal problem. So many need institutional care but there is an extreme lack of psych centers since the bad rap on them from years ago. WE need and MUST do better for our mentally fragile citizens.