Everyday Hero Shirley Peason calls a small house in Palmetto her mission. It’s called the Mt. Carmel Resource Center. Inside, in the kitchen, the ladies busily prepare food.
Five days a week, this is a place the homeless and poor know they will be welcomed and given something to eat.
Shirley is the founder and executive director. She says the meals are only part of what goes on here.
“We (give out) free clothing,” Peason said. “We get in a lot of donations for clothing. Everything we get here is free. We don’t charge for any of our services.”
The center is also available to help people get through the paperwork for things like food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid and more.
With a master’s degree in business management and a deep faith, Peason is determined to provide even more services for those in need.
“Our ultimate goal is to expand the building, get our classes going again and so we can really provide something in these people’s lives that can move them forward,” she said.
Classes in fatherhood, parenting, financial planning and first-time home buying are also in the works.
The nonprofit center also provides bags of food to those in need and formula, baby baskets and other items to new moms.
Mt. Carmel Resource Center relies on volunteers and fundraisers to pay for all the programs.