Lisa Wigfall always wanted to make a difference in her community, which is part of the reason she founded the Quality Comprehensive Health Center. But she wanted to do something more. When Wigfall and her mother Vermelle Matthews put their heads together, they came up with another idea and a new way for the Charlotte community to help those in the most need: a transitional housing community.
That dream came to fruition in October when Vermelle’s Place opened its doors to those facing housing insecurity across the Charlotte area. The facility is located in a former motel, which was renovated to serve as new transitional housing.
“[We] really wanted to try to provide transitional housing for those in need,” Deputy Director of Quality Comprehensive Health Center Dr. Ra’Shawn Flournoy said. “We’re providing the healthy transitional housing that allows us to be able to have better accessibility for our patients and for them to be able to receive the care programs for mental health services, HIV, or even our medical practice for primary care.”
Vermelle’s Place, located off Freedom Drive in West Charlotte, has 90 beds and offers a wide array of services, including case management services, group activities, financial management, career coaching, accountability groups and more. Chaka Mouzen, who serves as the housing manager at Vermelle’s Place, said the home is meant to serve as a “beacon of hope” for its residents.
“Every day is a different day,” she said. “This is a place where you can feel the love, the genuine support and compassion of clients and people who are willing to change their lives.”
The home is a safe haven for people who are experiencing hardships, including substance abuse disorder or mental health disorders, as well as assisting low-income marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ residents. The home also offers different programming for each resident’s needs, from access to support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous to free healthcare and mental healthcare.
“There’s activities that are on site that will take place where we partnered with local churches and food pantries for volunteer opportunities,” Flournoy said. “Some residents may qualify for our peer support training, which will allow them to be trained to become certified peer support specialists, [and become] certified community health workers as well. So we have so many different programs that allow them to get the treatment they need and get the support they need.”
A day in the life at Vermelle’s Place is different for each resident, according to Mouzen. Some residents attend courses on substance abuse or will help keep the former motel clean. However, the common thing she sees is the empathy the residents show for one another.
“They’re always saying ‘How can I help somebody to get to the next level? How can I help myself get back to the next level and rebuild my life?’” Mouzen explained.
There are currently nine residents residing at Vermelle’s Place, and the facility is still taking applications, according to its website. The cost to live at Vermelle’s Place is $650 a month, and that includes all of the programming and healthcare provided on site. Because of the affordability and desirability, Mouzen said the facility is growing fast.
“Because of the way we’re filling up, it’s going to be a shared living situation for our residents,” she explained.
Because Vermelle’s Place is dedicated to making a real change in the lives of its residents, it has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs on its premises, according to Mouzen.
“We are here to help you as you help yourself — we will stand by you through thick and thin,” she said. “We are passionate about helping you get to your next level and rebuild your lives and getting back the stability that you want.”
The facility also utilizes community partnerships to help provide holistic care, according to Flournoy. One of the most crucial partners for Vermelle’s Place has been Atrium Health Services, which has offered grants to sponsor some individuals to be able to be a part of the program for three months.
“If it wasn’t for our community partners, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today,” he said. “What makes it really great is that community partners can work together, identify the needs and work off of everyone’s best practices and strengths to collaboratively make for a better community at large.”
The future of Vermelle’s Place is optimistic, as administrators are looking for ways to expand programming to include educational opportunities, financial literacy courses and more. In order to complete these goals, however, the facility needs to have more volunteers and community partners step up to the plate.
“We really wanted to make Vermelle’s Place like a community hub, so that other organizations that may have a greater strength can be able to help our community together, whether that be [with] education [or] services that we may not provide at Quality,” Flournoy said. “We want to be the anchor in the community to provide a place for many folks to be able to know they can be able to live again, dream again and be able to accomplish everything they thought they wouldn’t be able to.”
Mouzen said Vermelle’s Place is more than just a home for those in need: it’s a place where hope is found.
“We are committed to seeing each resident or client reach their goals,” she said. “We stand by our residents, we let them know that they’re not in this walk alone.
“As we offer you these holistic approaches to wellness … we’re going to ensure that you get what you need to go to the next level. We’re gonna’ give you tools to build on for a lifetime.”
People interested in volunteering at Vermelle’s Place can go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EA4AE28A1F5C70-vermelles#/ to sign up.
Applications to live in the facility are located at https://my.innago.com/a/73u4GY26pes.
Vermelle’s Place accepts donations through an Amazon Wishlist, which can be found at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/29U14IY5A0MCK?ref_=wl_share.