CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Many consider Larry Mims a Charlotte icon. Known to his followers as No Limit Larry, his award-winning morning show “No Limit Larry and The Morning Maddhouse” on Power 98 is a staple in the Queen City. However, his heart for the Charlotte community, particularly the homeless community, is evident.
He’s been part of a community outreach program called Block Love CLT for nearly two years.
The idea for Block Love CLT started in 2014 when its founder, Deborah Woolard, went out with her kids to try and meet the needs of people on the streets of uptown Charlotte. Those were people who many call homeless, but Woolard calls them neighbors.
“Deb is like, she's like a person who really loves the homeless. Like the people that are forgotten, she really loves on them. She talks to them. She not only feeds them, and she knows everybody out here almost by first name,” Mims said.
Sharing love and blessings, one block at a time. With those words, the group of Charlotteans set out on a mission to help. The main critical piece of the program is feeding the less fortunate community many who are homeless and live on the streets uptown or in homeless encampments.
“Our feeding time during the week Monday through Friday is 5:30, and we also come out on the weekends. We do breakfast lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday starting at about 8:30 in the morning till about 5 in the afternoon,” Mims said.
As the need in our city continues to grow, the coronavirus has complicated reaching those people most in need.
When Mecklenburg County enacted the “stay at home” order, that wasn’t usually an option for our city’s homeless population.
“I think a lot of people are paying attention to it now because of COVID-19 and a lot of stuff is getting recognition because a lot of people are at home,” Mims said. “They're taking time away from their busy lives, and they get time to see other stuff that's really going on.”
While North Carolina announced the closure of nonessential businesses and schools, few have announced steps to protect the homeless from COVID-19.
“Our city pretty much has honed in on what’s going on with the homeless population. When stimulus comes down, when packages come down, they’re the of the last,” Mims said. “The last thought about. The last to get money. The last to get service.”
While some of the people being helped don’t have a home, some are employed but just don’t have the means to pay for food, so this community of volunteer heroes has stepped in to fill the gap between bills and meals.
The area near where they serve is also known as “The Wall,” where it is common for some less fortunate people to get a meal, sometimes donated clothing or toiletries.
Mims proposes putting up a tent city on the property near The Wall at N. Tryon Street and Phifer. The group is seeing an increase in homeless encampments in the area, so he said a tent city can be a safe, secure and monitored area for homeless to sleep, be fed and receive medical care.
“(The homeless) can’t always come in,” Mims said. “Sometimes you have to get mobile you have to come to them. They've done it in other cities in other states, so I think we could do it in that great city of Charlotte.”
With no funding, all this food is donated by caring individuals or businesses who understand the great need to help struggling families.
“The citizens of Charlotte -- the real citizens of Charlotte -- have really stepped up and helped feed these people, to clothe these people, on a day-to-day basis,” Mims said.
The uncertainty of how the stay at home order will affect our population in need, the people within and surrounding Block Love CLT will remain in place to help, support and love.
“I have at least four or five volunteers that started like coming out three weeks ago, and they come out every day,” Mims said.
It is obvious that this team of caring Charlotteans will stay in place for as long as it takes, and they are working and serving every day.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND HELP SUPPORT BLOCK LOVE CLT.
The group also has a need for bottled water, drinks, snack crackers, cookies, fresh fruit, pop-top canned foods like sardines, Vienna sausages, tuna and soups. Monetary donations can be via Cash App at $blockloveclt or by dropping off donations at 1245 Tom Hunter Road.
If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/Telemundo Charlotte public affairs manager, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com.
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