TUESDAY'S FOR HOPE WITH KATHY JENKINS 8/11/26

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Tuesdays for Hope with New Directions right now on the Liz Callaway Show with Nick Summer's talk for the entire grand strand.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

All right, and joining us right now is Kathy Jenkins, the CEO of New Directions. And of course, we've invited back, and I really appreciate you coming back. You are retired, but here you are working. Um, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, former regulatory, uh retired regulatory officer, Stephanie Perrin. Thank you so much. Thank you for for coming back. And Kathy, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Absolutely. We we love Steph Perrin. We we really hated to see her retire because we have had a great partnership with her and the Myrtle Beach Police Department for the 13 years we've been in business. And um it, you know, we couldn't do it without the police department, and we're doing a lot of good for the people in this community who are experiencing homelessness.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

And you know, um, do I still call you officer? I don't know how does that work out? Officer Perrin, I can't help but call you that Steph. Okay. So, Steph, I I I can't help but say here we were talking about can we arrest our way out of problems of the service resistant? You taught me a new phrase, service resistant homeless population. Um, and or and uh you were like, I you know, I'm not sure, probably not, you know, and I said, What policies do we need? And we were having that conversation. Well, lo and behold, a couple of days later, we're seeing the police are arresting people who are seemingly homeless, or we're told that they're homeless, and they were loitering in a city hall parking lot, which is next door to the to the freshly brewed coffee house. And I know you have some experience uh and knowledge of this situation. Can you tell us to the best of your knowledge and understanding what you think is happening here?

SPEAKER_01 1:57

So obviously, as you stated, I am retired, so I don't have the ins and outs of everything that occurred. Um, but unfortunately, there are times when, you know, people do violate the law, and if they do violate the law, enforcement action has to be taken. Um, with enforcement action, we have a process that takes place that goes through the court system. So if anybody is arrested, they have their opportunity to go through court and the court will settle that out. We don't settle things through social media, we don't settle things out, so to speak, in the street. Um, if there are violations that were committed, you know, enforcement action needs to be taken.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

What is the definition of loitering?

SPEAKER_01 2:35

So uh with our ordinance, we have uh uh different forms of loitering. You have loitering for a harmful purpose, which could be prostitution or drug related, you have loitering when it pertains to the signs. If you are not um if you are not uh using, let's say it's it's a business, and that business is a retail business. If you're not going in there to patronize that business for what it's intended, and you're hanging out, you're charging your phone, doing whatever it may be, you you're considered loitering if they have that sign.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

There's different variations.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

So they the cops also said they smelled marijuana. What does that mean as a cop when you smell marijuana? And there's people standing there.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Obviously, you know, you're gonna use your uh due diligence, you're gonna use your senses. It gives you the opportunity to go ahead and investigate a little bit further to see if there is anything that is happening that's unlawful.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Mm-hmm. And um and that was some of what we what we heard. But you know, as a as a person in the media, and um it I feel like we never get the full story in the first report, the press releases from the city or the police department. So I think there's more to this story than we hear. And Kathy and and um staff, you're both very knowledgeable of the homelessness situation that we have in in the city. Um, what is your take on what's happening, Kathy?

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Well, um, I I just want to say that we do have a walk-in center for people who are living on the streets who either choose not to come into our program. We're open 8 30 to 4 five days a week. We are currently not open on the weekend, but we have offered um uh to city officials to open on the weekend. Um we haven't heard back from them.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

This was maybe you would need additional funding funding for the city to do so.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

We absolutely we would need additional funding to be able to open be open seven days a week. Um I think it would be helpful for the people who are living on the streets, and I think um But this is for the service resistant uh factory. That that is correct. That that is who frequents our walk-in center at this time. We offer showers so people um who want to go to work but don't want to be part of our program can get a shower and uh where do those people go on the weekend right now?

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Good question. Okay. Good question. I mean they they're not showering at the coffee house, I'm gathering.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Well, I don't really know what they do at the coffee house. Okay. Um but but we don't offer it currently over the weekend. Okay. Just because we don't have the staff, um we don't have the funding to keep it open seven days a week.

unknown 5:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Steph, um, did I ask you if you live in the city? You did. And you don't? No, ma'am. Okay. Um are you going to the meeting tonight to meet the the candidates for the police chief of the city of Myrtle Beach? Yes, ma'am. I plan on going. What do you what are you what do you think people should look for in a police chief in this city in particular?

SPEAKER_01 5:58

So we we definitely need somebody who is grounded, who is a leader, who knows the community, who knows the department, who knows the officers. Uh that's very important to have somebody that knows a tourist location, that they can go ahead and police in a tourist location. As everybody knows, Myrtle Beach is a unique destination. It's a unique police department. So you need somebody that has that coastal experience. You need somebody that has that community connection to Myrtle Beach and Ory County. You need somebody that's going to be uh willing and able to work with our partners here within the city, within the county, within the 15th uh judicial circuit.

SPEAKER_02 6:38

Now, is the outgoing chief still in her role?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Uh his role, yes, in interim chief, Chris Smith. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Oh, okay. So um, okay. I I've I lost track of what's been going on. So we have an interim police chief. Yes. Okay, and is he in the running? It's my understanding that he is not one of the four finalists. He's not one of the four finalists, okay. Kathy, do have you um picked a a favorite and um is there a method for the the people in the community and you live and work in the city of Myrtle Beach. Is there a method for after this event to cast a vote in some way?

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Um I don't really know if it comes down to casting a vote. I um I was a little bit surprised um that Chris Smith is not in the running. Um he has been uh with the Myrtle Beach Police Department for a number of years.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Did he toss his hat in the ring?

SPEAKER_00 7:41

As far as I know, I'm gonna do that. Yes, okay. But um he's always been great to work with, and um so I don't know anything except what I've read about the other candidates. I don't know that any of the other candidates have coastal experience, and like Steph said, we have a very unique situation here. Um so I think it's gonna be interesting to hear from them all and uh where to go from here, I'm not really sure.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

And uh would he go back to his other role once a person is chosen?

SPEAKER_00 8:18

That would be a question for Steph. Would he go back to a Do you know?

SPEAKER_02 8:22

I I don't know. You don't know. Okay. All right. Before we run out of time, uh the reason why I asked you back, Steph, was because we really wanted to delve deeply into what's going on with women and homelessness in particular in our community, and the need for a um uh a better response and resource than what uh New Direction has so far provided. And uh you've been looking to expand, Kathy, for quite some time.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Yes, um uh around six years we've been looking to expand. Now we have plans, we own the property to put this building on, and we are looking at at going from 27 beds to uh 70 program beds and 22 emergency overnight beds. We do offer emergency overnight stays at our men's shelter seven days a week. Um and but but the the numbers are limited. Our experience on the women's side, even during a code blue, is typically we we see between 18 and 20 women, and we are planning for 22 uh overnight emergency beds.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

Okay. And so what had happened was I asked that um that uh former police offic retired uh police officer Steph Perrin uh repeat the speech that she gave at City Council making the case for what the situation is and the need is for women. And I asked you if you would come back and and share that with us. Yes, ma'am. Okay, well I'll give you the floor.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

All right. I stand I stand before you not only because of my profession, but because of what I have witnessed firsthand. Every day, more than 70 service providers, faith-based organizations, community members, and city employees work together to serve those in need. No one organization can solve homelessness alone, but together we have built a network that responds with compassion, accountability, and purpose. Over the years, I have worked directly with individuals experiencing homelessness. I have listened to their stories, responded to their crisis, and seen both successes and failures. Those experiences have taught me one important truth. Homelessness is complex, and lasting solutions require more than simply providing a bed for the night. A bed may meet an immediate need, but it does not address the reason someone became homeless in the first place. Real change comes through structure, accountability, and support. That is exactly what a program-based shelter provides. We also need to recognize that not everyone experiencing homelessness is in the crisis. Some individuals accept help and are ready to change. Others decline available services and choose a different path. That reality does not lessen our compassion, but it does remind us that meaningful progress requires personal responsibility alongside community support. When true crisis occurs, our community responds. Crisis is the person suffering an overdose, the individual experiencing severe mental illness, the family arriving in Myrtle Beach with nowhere to go, or some or someone who is elderly, vulnerable, and without shelter. In those moments, our partners come together to provide immediate help in long-term solutions. I've had the privilege of working closely with Kathy, William, John, and the entire New Directions team for many years. They answer the phone, they show up, they build relationships, most importantly, they stay engaged long after the immediate crisis has passed. Their model works because it is built on accountability. I have watched individuals enter the program with nothing, commit to the process, find employment, address addiction or mental health challenges, secure identification, and ultimately move into permanent housing. I have also seen people choose not to engage and miss those opportunities. That is the reality of any program built on responsibility. Success cannot be measured on how many beds we provide. Success is measured by how many lives are changed. At New Direction, shelter is only the beginning. Every participant works alongside case managers to create a plan for stability and independence. They are connected with employment, opportunities, behavioral health services, addiction recovery, housing resources, and community partners who help them build a future, not just service another day. That approach, I'm sorry, not just survive another day, that approach benefits everyone. It provides people with a path towards self-sufficiency, strengthens public safety, improves quality of life throughout our community, and ensures that our resources are invested in solutions that produce lasting results. A program-based shelter is not about lowering expectations, it's about raising them. It says to every person who walks through the door, we believe you can rebuild your life and we will walk beside you while you do the work. That is why New Directions matters. It is more than a shelter. It is a place where accountability meets compassion, where partnerships create opportunity, and where hope becomes action. I encourage you to continue supporting a model that not only responds to homelessness, but works to end it one life at a time. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

And from a police officer's stance, to say that it changes it. It's not someone who is um you know maybe on the board or volunteering for new directions, but you've actually seen the impact. It's measurable as being as a police officer on the street and you having that conversations with a cop program where you would set up shop right where they are to write in the community, and um and they would be interested in speaking with you and and actually having letting their guard down with the because the police officer is not the bad guy here. In fact, in those arrests, they would they did recover a person that had been missing, that had been reported missing from by a family, um, in the midst of that group that was quote unquote loitering in the City Hall parking lot. So you guys are in the business of saving lives. Correct. Um, but right now, uh, you know, it seems like there's a group, a fraction of this effort um to help people who are homeless in in what they're saying, that's what they're doing. Um and some people might say they've actually been able to, they might be enabling it to continue in some of their lives. But um, you know, it's kind of like the police are the bad guy, is kind of the spin they're putting on it.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Sure, and that's unfortunate. You know, with the Myrtle Beach Police Department, we are blessed to have um embedded inside there a mental health uh professional. Um, and also we have uh an individual that's uh part of our health care coordinator uh program, and he goes out there as well as she goes out there and they help individuals uh get the help that they need and get them on the right path.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Well, thank you so much for your insight. We're out of time. Kathy Jenkins of New Directions, go to helpnewdirections.org to get in contact with her and uh retired Myrtle Beach police officer Steph Perrin, who worked in the streets um with all the people there. Uh thank you so much for joining us in in the future. Okay, thank you.