Lottery news from http://www.fayettevillenc.com/
The door is open again at a Fayetteville program for the homeless, thanks to the faith of its founders and $10 well spent.
“It’s the day that God reminds me he answers prayers,” Bishop Ford, president of The Hands That Help Center, said Monday as the center reopened. “This elevates my faith level.”
In April, the center — which offers meals and classes toward obtaining a high-school equivalency diploma — had to close. The utilities had been disconnected.
Larry Williams, the center’s manager, and Ford couldn’t keep up with bills for running the program. The two military veterans had been keeping the center open mainly with their disability pay.
Ford prayed that God would supply enough money to reopen the center.
On June 7, Williams, while traveling back to Fayetteville from South Carolina, stopped at a store and bought a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket. That ticket was the answer to Ford’s prayer — Williams won $1 million from the South Carolina Education Lottery.
Williams used a portion of his winnings — more than $20,000 — to renovate the building and pay bills.
On Monday, the 40-inch television blared gospel music while people stopped in to get a hot cup of coffee and a honeybun.
The walls are freshly painted and lined with a floral border. New tile is on the floors, photos of residents and volunteers are up on the walls and the once-leaking roof has been repaired.
Ford said the reopening of the center on Jasper Street shows people who are down on their luck that someone really cares for them.
“The Hands That Help Center is a place where you can sit down, feel comfortable and get a meal,” Ford said. “If you want to further your education you can. If you want some guidance, not counseling, you come here. If you want employment, we help people find jobs.”
Along with paying for renovations, Williams has also hired four staff members to assist in the daily operations.
One of them is Tara Baker, 35, who was released from jail in June after serving six months for a drunken-driving conviction. Baker said the center provides hope for people who find themselves in a bind.
“For the people in the community, no matter what they’ve done, they’re still human,” Baker said. “Somebody’s got to look out for them.”
The center is open Monday through Friday, serving two meals a day — breakfast at 8:30 or 9 and lunch at noon.
“I’m glad the people are eating again,” Williams said.
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