About Us
About Us
The GUCC Outreach and the Benevout Community Service Corporation was established February 2021. The overall objective of the Organization is to help and assist in combating homelessness and hunger within our community. But, in the face of Covid 19, homelessness and hunger in the United States is on the rise. Why? The top four causes of homelessness are: lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty and low wages. With a helping hand, we can provide healthy meals, affordable housing, and the tools needed for those who finish our program to live independently.
| THE PROBLEM | STATISTICS | THE SOLUTION (PROGRAMS) |
| There are more individuals needing affordable housing than there are available housing units. | Between September 2020 and September 2021, the nation’s median apartment rent rose by 15%. 19% increase in Memphis. According to a MLK50 report, Memphis has about 36,000 fewer affordable housing units than it needs.; | Benevout Efficiency Homes tiny homes with rent based on income will offer individual, safe and private accommodations |
| Shared environments pose health risks, violence and theft. | 51% live in places not meant for human habitation. 66% are without any shelter at all; | • Temporary housing – micro homes will serve as the emergency and temporary shelter • Permanent housing – Renovated blight homes that can be rented or purchased with a payment plan without interest and is based on income. |
| Hunger is an economic condition. In America, hunger is caused by poverty and lack of financial resources. | More than 38 million people in the US is food insecure | • Healthy Meals Food Truck • Community Garden • Budgeting • Basic Life Skills |
| Hunger contributes to poor health and intellectual deficiencies. | •Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity”. • Nearly 50% of all deaths from heart disease, stroke and diabetes in the US are associated with poor diets | • Spiritual guidance • Counseling • Job Readiness • Employment • Savings |
Homelessness and hunger are not new to our nation, communities or cities but they have increased over the last couple of years and especially during the age of Covid 19. We are seeking to combat this reality through the development of our Benevout efficiency homes, healthy meals food truck and other services that cater to the development of basic life skills, spiritual and professional counseling.
We need sponsors and partners to help move our program forward. Our .53 acre community located on Wells Station Road will hold 4-6 homes that we are scheduled to complete by the end of 2024. The cost to build is estimated to be $50,000 per efficiency home. We estimate these costs to be $300,000 ($50,000 x 6). Volunteers and in-kind donations will help to decrease these costs. After the completion of our first community, our goal is to build a community of efficiency Care Homes on property that will allow us to start with 10-20 homes and continue to build as the need arises and as funding becomes available.
OUR MISSION
To help end hunger and homelessness in the state of Tennessee and Shelby County
OUR VISION
1. Build a community that will provide housing that the tenants can be proud to call home.
2. To provide support to help our tenants live with dignity, confidence, and purpose while they are going through a setback in life.
3. Provide affordable efficient housing, provide education for healthy meals, life skills, access to spiritual guidance and professional counseling.
4. Provide support so that our client does not re-enter homelessness.
