Spring Lake nonprofit outgrowing its location as it helps homeless, domestic violence survivors

Since taking on homelessness cases in July, Spring Lake Family Support Services, which previously focused solely on domestic violence, needs to expand, its founder said recently.

"We are in a place where we are seeking larger grants because we have already outgrown our space and want to look into a phase two to include more employees, more housing opportunities and more storage for our donations," said Debora Hudson, CEO and founder of Spring Lake Family Support Services on Monday.

During a Board of Alderman meeting on March 11, Debbie Brown, with the Fayetteville Cumberland County Continuum of Care, said in a presentation to the board that Family Support Services began taking on cases of homelessness after a Point-In-Time study conducted in 2023 revealed at least 475 people were homeless in Cumberland County.

“We need to understand that there is a shortage of housing throughout Cumberland County and throughout the nation,” Brown said.

Spring Lake Family Support Services operates from the Kinsey House, a residence donated to the nonprofit by Alan Kinsey in 2020.

Since its opening in June 2023, the Kinsey House has received homeless references from the Fayetteville Cumberland County Continuum of Care. Hudson said her nonprofit helped 156 people last year.

What is The Kinsey House and how can they help?

Born and raised in Spring Lake, Hudson said she began her mission to help people in 2015 when she created the Spring Lake Family Support Services. Initially, she worked out of her home providing assistance, referrals, and transportation to individuals in need. At the time, Hudson was also employed by the Spring Lake Police Department as an executive assistant. Among her duties, she focused on helping domestic violence victims find safety.

“I worked out of my home and car until I could find a building,” Hudson said. “In 2019, I formed (the nonprofit)... Then in 2020, Alan Kinsey donated his family home to Spring Lake Family Support Services and he requested that we promise one thing — to call it the Kinsey House.”

The Kinsey House provides showers, laundry, mailboxes, notary services, a computer lab for resumes and job searches, a clothing closet and personal hygiene kits. People subjected to domestic violence can receive housing assistance out of state if trying to escape an abusive situation and “ones coming here from out of state can get into an apartment and we help furnish it from the donations we receive so when we walk away, they are ready,” Hudson said.

“We don’t just provide services, we stay with them and offer budget and financial classes for people in need,” she said.

What is Spring Lake's homeless population?

“Spring Lake’s homeless population is kind of different because we have a lot of women and children living out of vehicles,” Hudson said. “Our homeless population tends to stay around Circle K and abandoned lots and hotels.”

With the opening of the Kinsey House, people experiencing homelessness and domestic violence in Spring Lake now have a place locally to get help and access resources, Hudson said. Funding for the program comes from donors and “a lot of my money out of my own pocket,” she said with a chuckle.

“We had a lady come in the other day who has an autistic child who needed (toddler) pull-ups, and we were able to supply those to her,” Hudson said, noting her group fills needs wherever they see them.

“If we don’t have what they need, we know where to refer them," she said. "We don’t turn anyone away.”

Reporter Lizmary Evans covers growth and development for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at LEvans@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What is the Kinsey House and how can they help Spring Lake homeless?