GREENSBORO – Gov. Bev Perdue made a stop at Potter’s House in Greensboro Tuesday.
The soup kitchen feeds breakfast, lunch and dinner to more than 700 people each day. Officials hope her lunchtime visit will highlight how the state is working to end homelessness.
“They were nice enough to let me serve some tea and give some meals out. That's what I do best, I told them I was an old waitress, so I've done it before,” Perdue said.
Volunteers serve up around 800 meals each day at Potter’s House. Perdue says while she was there, she got a first-hand look at exactly how tough things are on people.
“I got to talk to people. So many of the folks are unemployed, looking for jobs, trying to get a better education. There were three or four kids here and you want to break that cycle now, and without this program and without the unemployment office, people wouldn't have a chance in this kind of economy,” Perdue said.
Officials hope Perdue's visit to Potter's House highlights all that's happening not only in the Triad but across the state to end homelessness.
“I talked with the governor today about the progress that's being made across the state,” the Rev. Mike Aiken, with Greensboro Urban Ministries, said. “A lot of progress is being made and a lot of people don't realize that there has been a concerted effort to implement housing first policies, which will help to end homelessness.”
And he says the Triad is a working hard to make that happen. Guilford County is already two years into a 10-year plan to bring homelessness to an end.
“We have a game plan, let's follow through. We can do more than just provide the meal. We can actually provide a home for all people,” Aiken said.
“People come here because they count on the support and the friendship and the opportunity as well as the food. So this reaches much more than to the tummy, this reaches the heart and that's what is so important,” Perdue said.
Aiken says since the downturn in the economy, they've seen a 50 percent increase in the number of people who need help. This year alone, they expect to help 65,000 people.
