Rocky Mount has long had a special place in its heart for helping the unfortunate.

Even before the flood that followed Hurricane Floyd in 1999, United Community Ministries operated a shelter for homeless men. After the flood – with so many families displaced by the worst natural disaster to hit North Carolina in the 20th century – area churches networked to offer temporary housing for women and children on a rotating basis.

From that effort grew the Bassett Center, which has housed women and children since the early 2000s.

United Community Ministries, under the leadership of Director Chris Battle, has continued to expand its programs. The shelters are more than just places to find three hots and a cot. Battle and his staff help folks who are down and out get back on their feet. They counsel their clients on everything from preparing for job interviews to personal finance management.

So it was with a heavy heart on Sunday that we read of United Community Ministries’ daunting financial challenges in this ever-struggling economy. Unless the ministry finds new resources, there’s a real possibility that it will have to close the doors of the Community Shelter in just a couple of months.

The immediate impact of such a catastrophe would be a growing population of folks who will have to scramble to find meals, beds and clothing. But the long-term effect will be the loss of a resource that has helped turn around the lives of hundreds of people who simply needed another chance.

There are so many worthy organizations in this community that face the same issues that United Community Ministries does. It’s impossible to suggest one is more important than another.

But the shelters and the works of Battle and his staff have been an essential beginning for so many people the ministries have served. If you can spare a gift for United Community Ministries, you can rest assured: Your money will be spent wisely.