Heal Charlotte Community Campus opens its doors!
The Baymont Hotel becomes Heal Charlotte Community Campus
In the midst of the 2020 Covid housing crisis, Greg Jackson of Heal Charlotte was not sleeping well. Already burdened by the growing number of evicted and homeless families, a crazy vision of buying a hotel repeatedly woke him up at 5am. An activist at heart, he knew this was from God and was propelled into action. Fast forward to April 17, 2024. Anyone tuning in to local news would witness the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Baymont Hotel. This monumental day signified Heal Charlotte’s obtaining a 2.2 million dollar city grant and full rights to master lease the entire property to families in need. Greg’s dream has become a reality through God’s miraculous provision.
Post Covid, the tent cities in Charlotte were multiplying. The city was offering housing money, but the existing entities came with harsh restrictions, such as no children past a certain age, no children with fathers at men’s shelters, and no family units. Greg couldn’t bear the thought of separating families whose homes had been padlocked because of overdue rent. Emboldened by his faith, prayer, and activism, he dreamed of using an existing building to allow families to stay together.
In 2022 Greg crossed paths with Sean Ahmad, a Muslim, and owner of the Baymont Hotel. Sean wanted to help Greg and agreed to give him 20 rooms to house a family for 60-90 days. A rigorous and thorough process was developed to screen them for occupancy, a capital campaign began, and Greg worked tirelessly completing grant applications from the city.
The April ribbon cutting marked Heal Charlotte’s full operational control of the Baymont and its 125 rooms. God’s sovereign plan to provide stability for 125 families will become a reality, thanks to this generous city grant and the divine meeting of Greg and Sean. In addition to family housing, Carolina Farm Trust will provide an on-site marketplace with fresh fruits and vegetables and Commonwealth Charlotte will bring experts in budgeting on site to walk with and coach families out of poverty. The idea is a holistic approach in care, birthing a new prototype for the Queen City.
The ceremony didn’t go unnoticed. News outlets WBTV, WCNC, and Queen City News made this event a part of their nightly broadcast. Sheriff Gary McFadden, former mayor Jennifer Roberts, and representatives from CMPD stood proudly in the audience, and God’s goodness was proclaimed.
Greg’s God-ordained vision, the city’s and StoneBridge’s generosity, along with God’s captivating grace have worked together to bring revival to the I-85/ Sugar Creek Road corridor. New life has entered a dark area filled with crime and trafficking.
Thank you, StoneBridge, for your partnership and support for the new Heal Charlotte Community Campus. Pray for each family that will occupy the 125 rooms, that they would move towards stability and healing. Let’s be placed for a purpose in our love and support for Greg and for God’s greater purposes for our city.
As you drive down I-85 and pass the Sugar Creek Road exit, lift up these families trying to move out of poverty.
Go to stonebridge.org/serve for opportunities to volunteer at the community center.
