How Eden Village Wilmington Came To Be
How we started and where we intend to go.
Eden Village of Wilmington is still in our construction and planning phase, but it’s taken a lot of hard work and dedicated people to get us where we’re today, building an infrastructure for Wilmington, NC to be a city where no one sleeps outside.
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The Eden Village Story
See where the first Eden Village began.
EDEN VILLAGE – WILMINGTON, NC TIMELINE
Eden Village Fully Operational
All of the pieces have come together and Eden Village Wilmington is fully operational.
Grand Opening – June 30, 2023
Over 1,000 visitors came to an amazing celebration with music, hot dogs, ice cream, and cold coffee. Speakers included State Senator Michael Lee, County Commissioner Reverend Clifford Barnett, Mayor Bill Saffo, Eden Village Chief Visionary Officer Nate Schleuter, and Founders Kim and Tom Dalton. Visitors were able to tour the garden area, rest in the air-conditioned community center, meet residents and tour homes.
First Resident Moves In
James Moore, a faithful volunteer who took part in the very first work day in 2020 and who worked in the garden for over two years, moves into Eden Village of Wilmington as the very first resident! James reflects the mission of Eden Village, to build relationships and communities for our homeless friends.
Community Center Completed
Ray Conner and the Thomas Construction team put the finishing touches on the community center and the SECU Foundation joins the Eden Village family by sponsoring the “Gathering Tree Community Center;” the name reflects the original non-profit from Missouri, The Gathering Tree. Board member Kathryn Ciarrocca leads a team making the signs and designs for this center of activity.
Final House Arrives
The last and 31st house arrives from Virginia Homes with a special new roof system that allows two homes on a trailer and cuts back significantly on the cost of the last 14 homes. Dan Southerland of Thomas Construction continues to install homes on permanent foundations; managing a number of subcontractors and volunteers to build stairs, put in hot water heaters, and more.
JULIA MANUEL JOINS THE EDEN VILLAGE TEAM AS THE VILLAGE COORDINATOR
Julia hails from Fairfax, Virginia and graduated from Mary Washington University with a degree in English. She joined AmeriCorps and was stationed at Maggie’s Place, a crisis pregnancy and homeless housing center based in Phoenix, Arizona. She brings an experienced youthful exuberance to Eden Village and offers a remarkable smile to those that are in need.
COMMUNITY CENTER CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
With basic infrastructure complete and eleven homes on foundations, Thomas Construction began the community center where residents will enjoy a full community kitchen, a dining facility for 50 people, office space for support services, and a 24-hour laundry.
INFRASTRUCTURE STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE
Grading and utilities began, with combined efforts of not-for-profits, the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Our partnership with Wes Corder’s group and 274 Construction is off to a great start. Second home sponsored and made possible by F3
POSSIBLE RESIDENTS DEFINED
Further resident relationships were built by our amazing social services team including director Shawn Hayes, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Donna Evans, and Case Management expert Ursula Greene. A data tracking system was developed by MPH Holt Evans III which identified the best 31 residents at Eden Village and placed about 40 local folks on the approved waiting list. This commitment to outcomes data remains critical to our mission.
FUNDRAISING MILE MARKER REACHED
The end of 2021 marked a remarkable fundraising effort with over $1,000,000 additional funds raised for the infrastructure and foundations at Eden Village of Wilmington.
MODEL HOME ARRIVES
After a long City permitting process, Dan Southerland of Thomas Construction led a group to build the brick and cinder block foundation and a crane delicately lifted the first home into position. This home will serve as a model for fundraising throughout the construction process. The Christian men’s group F3 worked to clear the land and provided the funding for the first home at Eden Village of Wilmington.
MODEL HOME CONSTRUCTED
Keith Miller, owner of Future Homes, a modular home builder in Wilmington, led a series of design meetings to finalize plans for the 400-square foot homes. The Joe Manis Family and Crestline Homes in Laurinburg, NC joined the team by offering discounted construction pricing in their modular factory. Construction of each completely furnished home takes about one month.
CONSTRUCTION TEAM PLANS ARE FINALIZED
A volunteer group of construction experts led by Thomas Construction’s Chris Reid convened to develop a construction budget and timeline. Jeff Petroff and the engineering team at Coastal Land Design took the lead to move the development through the City of Wilmington’s technical review committee and subdivision review board. Hundreds of pro bono hours of planning were required before settling in on an approved gated courtyard design for 32-tiny homes and a community building.
DEFUNCT RECREATIONAL BUILDINGS ARE DEMOLISHED
Wes Corder of Thomson, Corder and Company Construction brought in heavy machinery to remove two uninhabitable recreational buildings on the Eden Village property. This pro bono effort included New Hanover County allowing the dumping of debris free of charge.
THE PROPERTY IS PURCHASED
Developer Matt Scharf with Real Properties LLC connected with the Eden Village Team offering 4.2 acres of land adjacent to the Salvation Army future development at a deeply discounted price. With funding from First Citizens Bank, the land transaction was completed by the Eden Village pro bono legal team at Jeffrey Porter’s office. All surveyor requirements were provided free of charge by Michael Underwood and Associates.
OVER $500,000 IS RAISED
Following a Facebook post, a large local donor pledged to match the first 16 home sponsorships promising $640,000 to the organization. This immediate cash infusion accelerated the process of development dramatically.
501(C)(3) STATUS IS OBTAINED
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic ramping up, the non-profit qualifications were met in just 6 weeks to become a registered 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.
EDEN VILLAGE OF WILMINGTON IS INCORPORATED
A consulting agreement with The Gathering Tree and Eden Village of Springfield Missouri was reached and under the pro bono guidance of attorney Dickson McLean, the initial papers were filed to model the Springfield entity and incorporate Eden Village of Wilmington.
INITIAL GATHERING CONSIDERS TINY HOMES IN WILMINGTON
A group of about 30 homeless advocates and interested medical personnel convened to discuss the possibility of building Hope Village, a tiny home community for the homeless and patients of the local hospital. The group from Eden Village in Springfield, Missouri traveled to Wilmington and presented their model which includes a fixed monthly lease for the disabled and chronically homeless. Dr Dalton shared data from the local hospital noting the homeless that are frequent patients without medical problems. One patient was admitted to the hospital a staggering 246 times in a 36-month period. The concept of Housing as Health Care was discussed.