On Friday, Dec. 9, Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson visited the construction site of North Carolina’s first “net-zero energy” domestic violence shelter. Amy’s Closet, Lincoln County’s non-profit for domestic violence protection funding, has been raising money for almost 10 years to be able to build this building.
“It was an honor to be invited to the construction site of this important project and see the work being done to help those in need,” Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson said. “This new domestic violence shelter will provide safety, comfort and opportunities for the future and I’m looking forward to visiting again when it is completed in May.”
Once completed, this domestic violence shelter will be able to house 12 families and have space for all executive staff of both Amy’s Closet and the Lincoln County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCCADV) to conduct daily business. The shelter is tentatively set to open in April 2023.
“Based on our research, as far as we can tell in the United States, the new Amy’s House will be a ‘first of a kind’ in architecture and design, using many of the latest technologies in building science to first reduce the need for heating and cooling the occupied space,” Senior Project Manager for LCCADV Skip Steele said. “It’ll use the sun, the earth and the air to passively heat and cool the structure as much as possible. There’ll be an active solar photovoltaic system on the building to generate as much power, on average, as needed to run the facility. This design will meet all the desired attributes of modern building – low carbon footprint, near net-zero energy, and so forth. More importantly for us, it will provide constantly comfortable working and living space for the people we serve with almost no on-going utility costs. That money saved over the life of the structure will allow us to provide better services to people who are rebuilding their lives.”
The LCCADV is a non-profit that was established in 1993 by citizens who were concerned about domestic violence issues. This non-profit provides support, shelter and services for women and children who are survivors of abuse. The LCCADV provides a safe haven and opportunities for those in need to heal and get back on their feet. Amy’s Closet is a non-profit boutique that was started in Lincolnton in 2016. This non-profit provides clothes and household items to survivors, at no cost to them, to help with their new beginnings.
“Beam prides ourselves in being tightly knit within our community. Being a part of projects that create a difference in the lives of the people in our community is what we're all about,” Project Manager with Beam Construction Dylan Smith said. “We're really proud of all the work that we're doing for Lincoln County and Amy's House shelter seekers. This shelter has been a pride of a project, so to speak -- we know that when we show up every day, we're building something that is going to make a difference and hopefully a lot of peace to families that will need to come and stay here for years and years down the road.”
If you would like to be a part of this project that is making a difference for the community in Lincoln County, you can purchase a brick and have it engraved with an encouraging note. Families for years to come will be able to spend time in the Serenity Garden and read the kind words of others that will help build them up during the trials they are facing in their lives. You can also make a donation to Amy’s House by shopping at any of the Amy’s Closet locations. For more information, please visit: www.polarengraving.com/amyshouse and https://lincolncounty-cadv.org/amys-house/amys-closet/.