MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW)- A homeless shelter called New Directions in Myrtle Beach serves about 200 people per day, and the shelter is taking a look at changing needs in clients they serve, including adding a possible drug treatment center and medical center.
The directors for New Directions told city council leaders Tuesday that they’re growing for the needs of the people they serve.
Kathy Jenkins, the Executive Director for New Directions, says the facility has ten thousand square feet upstairs that’s ready for expansion.
“One of the biggest issues when we’re talking homelessness is we’re talking substance abuse and addiction,” said Jenkins.
In a community plagued with a drug problem, Jenkins says they’re looking at a couple options, and one of the big ones would be to add a drug treatment center.
“One of the big things with treatment is it’s hard to find something that’s affordable for someone who’s homeless. so, that would be that would be a really good reason for doing it here,” said Jenkins.
However, right now, she says they aren’t sure how they’d pay for it.
“Anytime you launch a large project that you have to have the community support financially and from a perspective of people being behind what you’re trying to launch,” said Jenkins.
Outside the facility, Jenkins says they’re about to break ground on a new shower facility that is paid for by an anonymous donor, and they hope to soon start their own medical clinic partnering with Ltttle River Medical and Grand Strand Medical Centers.
“We haven’t hammered out the details on the cost, but we believe that we will run other than the medical staff that’s available, we will utilize volunteers in the medical clinic and we’re very hopeful that the funding will come from the hospital side,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins says right now for the treatment center and medical center would only serve their clients who are homeless, but the idea is to eventually expand the facilities to anyone in the community that could not afford those services.
