Ground broken for new homeless shelter in Sanford

Ground broken for new homeless shelter in Sanford

Ground was officially broken Friday for a new homeless shelter in Sanford.

The new Samuel J. Wornom Community Shelter is another step closer to reality as Outreach Mission Inc. hosted the ceremony, which included remarks from several local officials and a ceremonial groundbreaking at the end.

The new shelter will be located at 507 S. Third St. in Sanford and will house single men and women as well as women with children and families. The shelter will be 8,500 square-feet and replace the two current men’s and women’s shelters located in buildings that are more than 100 years old.

The new single location will be capable of serving 76 clients and will support more efficient and effective delivery of services. The shelter will also utilize many common areas to collaborate with other S3-Housing Connect agencies to provide services to those experiencing homelessness in the community.

The cost of the new shelter is projected to be around $2.8 million. Construction crews recently began preparations for the site. Wornom, the shelter’s namesake, co-founded The Pantry, a convenience store chain based in Sanford in 1967. The business eventually grew to 480 stores in five states. He died in January 2022 at the age of 79.

Business friends of Wornom have raised more than $1 million toward the construction of the shelter. Funding has also come from a variety of other sources including the State Employees Credit Union Foundation, NC Housing Finance Agency, private donations, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Fidelity, the Truist Foundation and the City of Sanford and Lee County.

OMI Board President Hamer Carter said it had been a privilege to work with fellow board members on the project over the past six years. Carter also noted the large crowd on hand for the ceremony.

“As I look out this morning, I can count the people who have touched OMI in some way,” he said. “It might be someone who brought a meal for the clients or who came and volunteered or helped when we needed someone. There are donors — or people who just call me from time to time and say, ‘Hamer, there’s somebody on the corner of Wicker and Horner with a bag and they look like they’re homeless. Is there anything you can do?’ ”

Carter said he relays the messages to the board and staff, and within a short period of time someone checks on the person.

“Your participation with support, with questions, with help in any way, is what has gotten us to where we’re at today,” he said. “This is not a one-person, five-person or 10-person deal. I don’t know how many people are here, if it’s 40 or 50, but that’s what it’s taken to get to where we’re at today. It’s a blessing.”

Pastor Tim Burris of Cool Springs Baptist Church offered an invocation and Laura Spviey, executive director of Outreach Mission, introduced the guests as she spoke.

The crowd heard comments from former Sanford Mayor Chet Mann, Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon, state Rep. John Sauls, Sanford Area Growth Alliance CEO Jimmy Randolph, representatives from the SECU Foundation and Kel Normann of the Friends of Sam Wornom gave special recognition to members of the Wornom family who were on hand.

“This has been 6 1/2 years in the making,” Spivey said as she recognized the OMI staff. “This doesn’t happen without a community like this.”

“It’s been a long road,” Mann said as he spoke. “This is one of the most important things we did during my almost two terms and a year. The key word I want to mention today that happens in Sanford is collaboration. What we were able to do to get to this place today was bring all of the agencies in Lee County and Sanford that are involved in helping people in need to collaborate together. The outcome is going to be this incredible facility that we so sorely need.”

Salmon noted that the groundbreaking for the shelter was a “transformative and remarkable moment in our community’s history.”

“This really has been a whole community effort,” she said. “This project will not only strengthen our community, but it will transform lives. That is a truly powerful mission. Our character as a community is that we are a community that truly cares about the people that live here.”

She noted that the Wornom Community Center was a “testament to our collective compassion and commitment to helping those in our community who are in need.”

Sauls concurred, saying he was “proud to be a part of this community.”

“Everybody is one,” he said. “When a body is one, all things are possible. Standing here now, seeing the results of collaboration of so many partners — Laura, Hamer, the board — I’ve never seen anybody with more compassion, love and sacrifice than you guys.”

Sauls challenged everyone present to “be touched by what you see today,” urging all to be a part of the project.

“There are going to be a lot of needs to look after this so it continues to grow,” he said.

Normann spoke about the campaign and Wornom.

“Sam was very close to me,” he said. “He was compassionate, he cared about others and he’d roll up his sleeves and get the job done. He loved Sanford, he loved helping others. He was a very humble man after being very successful in business. I can’t thank the State Employees Credit Union for stepping up. Sam would be honored. It all happened in his last days. I was approached about the naming of this building for Sam. I do believe that when we told him, he was laying in bed — I think he heard us — and he was proud.”

Normann said he was told that during Covid, Wornom made picnic tables for OMI so the people could get outside and gather safely.

“Whatever it was, Sam would roll his sleeves up and get the job done,” Normann said. “I thank anyone who supported this project. I think Sam would be very proud today. It’s a special day.”