GASTONIA, N.C. — In the wake of the closing of Gastonia's Salvation Army shelter, many unhoused neighbors in the city just west of Charlotte are seeking solutions to get out of a dark place.
That dark place is something Alyssa Jankura told WCNC Charlotte she was all too familiar with.
"Sometimes we make bad decisions," she said. "My plan was to go back to where I was using."
But instead of going back, Jankura found a different choice through Samantha's House.
"It's just a wonderful place," she said. "I didn't have money or clothes. I left everything behind and I came here."
Samantha's House is a nonprofit that's been helping unhoused neighbors get back on the right track since 2016. It works to offer a helping hand and free resources to people leaders say are facing the biggest barriers.
"You've got homeless [people], which is a top priority," said director Tracy Thomas. "But under that you got substance abuse, mental illness.
Samantha's House currently operates four homes, two of them set up as transitional housing. The nonprofit is planning to add five more homes in Belmont to maximize the work it can do.
"When we bring them in here, what we want to do is get them acclimated to all the resources that's available," Thomas said.
The goal of Samantha's House is to not only provide sustainable housing but also ensure the people they help remain sober. That includes expanding beyond traditional transitional housing services.
"Our goals are to start out in transitional housing and then being able to move folks into their own house, said Thomas.
Plans are already in motion for this expansion, and Samantha's House is working to meet a $400,000 goal to break ground. To learn more about Samantha's House or how you can donate, click here. You can also send the nonprofit a donation via Zelle; just enter the phone number (240) 300-2134 to do so.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.