The Carying Place is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit that was established in 1993 to serve homeless, low-income working families in Wake County with housing support. Our nonprofit is unique in that it serves homeless families with children, breaking the cycle of generational homelessness. Journey Home Financial literacy is the hallmark of our program, as we believe taking the time to teach and ensure accountability is life-changing.
The Carying Place teaches homeless, working families with children life skills to attain independent living while providing short-term housing and support services to address their needs.
Empowering families to break the cycle of homelessness and thrive within our community.
The Carying Place uses these core values to achieve our mission: Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Compassion.
Our founder, Milt Douglass, chartered our program’s path in 1993. After coming across a local family in dire need of a plan for housing stability and the financial knowledge needed to acquire housing, Milt gathered volunteers from several area churches to help resolve the issue of homeless working families with children in Cary.
Using his volunteer experiences with Christian Community in Action, known as Dorcas Ministries today, and Step Up Ministries, The Carying Place was born. Today, Milt’s vision has morphed into our current Journey Home program. We hope we are exceeding Milt’s dreams of empowering and improving the lives of struggling but motivated working families with children.
Our “Journey Home” program begins by stabilizing homeless working families. We offer 16 weeks of free transitional housing while providing education in life skills and financial literacy. During this time, families are required to save a portion of their income and pay off debts that hinder their ability to secure housing. The savings, held in escrow, are returned to the families to support their move into self-sustained housing after completing the program. Families receive support in managing personal finances, setting realistic goals, finding permanent affordable housing, and maintaining employment. Throughout the 16-week period, families attend mandatory weekly meetings to learn essential skills for self-sufficiency, followed by a year of workforce development and homeownership preparation.
“We have learned lifetime skills to budget, plan our finances, and coping skills, and have been introduced to resources to help our family succeed in different areas. We went through the motions of others having full access to our finances and past mistakes, and it has truly helped us build better habits that will not allow us to fall back into the same rabbit hole. Please utilize your support team. They are your #1 resource. The experience, wisdom, and resources they have are like no other. Be open to their input and perspective. It will be hard at first, but worth it in the end.”
– A TCP Graduate
The Carying Place relies solely on donations and grants to help change the lives of hard-working families with children who are experiencing homelessness. Each dollar donated positively impacts a family needing assistance to learn the life skills necessary to obtain financial stability and permanent self-sustaining housing. The Carying Place, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation that is supported entirely by grants, contributions, and donations.