Pastor works to change thift store into homeless shelter

A local pastor said he hopes to transform the vacant Salvation Army thrift store into a homeless shelter and soup kitchen.

Tommy Ivey, a founder and pastor of the New Life Full Gospel Church, said the Salvation Army gave the church the vacant building at 1713 South Church St.

The initial plans call for the church moving out of its cramped space and into the new building, Ivey said. The short-term goal is to use the building for church services with a fellowship hall and a soup kitchen for needy residents in that area.

“Our long range goal is at some point to open a shelter there,” he said.

A fundraising golf tournament is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at Northgreen Country Club to help fund the renovation of the building.

Bryan Bush, a Charlotte golf pro who is Ivey’s son-in-law, is leading the fundraising effort. The cost is $50 a person.

“We have had some teams sign up, but if anyone wants to come (play), they are more than welcome,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of spots available. We’ve got a ton of great gifts and prizes to win.”

Bush said the fundraising effort he is sprearheading will pay for items such as showers, industrial cooking equipment and cots.

“So people going through tough times now have a place to get a hot meal and lay their head at night,” he said.

He said the goal is to use the front half of the building for church services with the back being used for the soup kitchen and shelter.

Bush said the goal is to help people who are down on their luck land jobs.

“The goal is to have a big wall of success stories,” he said.

Bush said he is firmly behind the cause.

“I’ve never been more behind anything in my life,” he said.

After the golf tournament, Bush plans a fundraising campaign to try to get 2,000 people to donate $60 for the year towards the project.

Ivey said the current church building at 178 Sullivan Lane is not large enough to feed people, but the 7,000-square-foot building on South Church Street offers plenty of room.

“We don’t have facilities or means of serving people food,” he said.

Ivey said the city requires an architect to be hired as a first step in remodeling the building.

“The inspector wants me to hire people to draw out plans,” he said, adding that walls will have to be moved and bathrooms expanded for handicapped access. “It is going to be some expense, for sure, but I hope and believe we’ll get pledges from people,” Ivey said.