Greene County Christian Outreach raises funds for rental grants

Greene County Christian Outreach is one of the best allies for tenants facing eviction due to nonpayment of rent. This Greensboro-based organization helps raise funds through a thrift shop, which it uses to benefit Georgia residents who live nearby.

Amount of funding is not huge but it is stable. Instead of being fully dependent upon government grant funding like many other charities, this initiative gathers donated household items and places them for sale in their thrift shop. It provides a great way for lower income families to obtain many of the household goods needed when they cannot afford to shop at more expensive retail outlets.

The profits are then used to help local residents of Greensboro and surrounding Greene County who are running into financial troubles. Aid can be authorized for individuals, couples and families who have experienced a crisis and cannot pay their bills for the current month.

Eligible expenses can include food and utilities, though rent tends to be the greatest need. Both current month rent and delinquent rent payments are eligible for assistance through this local effort.

The thrift shop is open for a few hours on Thursday through Saturday each week. To keep overhead low, volunteers from The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and several other area churches staff the store. This allows for more money to be given to those who need it the most.

Anyone who is about to be evicted or who is worried about being short on rent is invited to visit the thrift store on West Broad Street in Greensboro. Aid is considered based on a number of factors. Those with children in the home can expect to receive special attention.

Calls to Greene County Christian Outreach may be made at 706-454-0250. A volunteer can answer questions about the types of requests that are normally honored as well as the amounts that a person in need might be able to expect.

It is important to note that amounts given to a tenant are not a loan. These are individual grant funds that never have to be repaid. It is one way in which the organization helps to increase funding to help those who are living on the fringe of self-sufficiency.

Hardships could include a job loss, sickness or death in the family. Even an unexpected repair could push a family to where they cannot afford their rent payment. In these types of emergency situations, funding can be approved to avert disaster. Anyone in Greene County who is at risk of homelessness is eligible to apply for this emergency rental assistance funding.