Isaac Gene Hodge lost everything he had after his wife died from a brain tumor in 2006.
The 39-year-old from North Myrtle Beach - who has stayed in abandoned homes - is living under a bridge and looking for a job.
After three years of being homeless, Hodge hopes a new shelter expected to open by the end of the year on the north end of the Grand Strand will not only provide housing but also help those staying there find work.
"It will help us out a whole lot, especially during the winter," said Hodge, who used to do landscaping work. "In addition to housing, I hope it will help us get jobs."
Several residents and individuals at area churches have secured an 8-bedroom, 51/2 -bath house that used to be a women's shelter in Longs for the North Strand Housing Shelter. Organizers hope to have the shelter open by mid-December. Volunteer days are being held each Saturday this month for people who want to help clean and prepare the shelter for opening.
"There will be people that want to change their lives and some that just want a place to sleep and eat for a day or two," said Dana Black, one of the visionaries of the shelter who attends Barefoot Church in North Myrtle Beach. I just want to bless some of these people."
The shelter - which will allow 16 residents at one time - will give preference to veterans, but would be open to all homeless individuals.
"It's absolutely needed," said Kris Tourtellotte, director of the Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center in Little River, about the shelter. "It's going to be huge for us because there's nothing on this end."
The last homeless count, in 2009, said Horry County had 893 homeless people, compared with 714 people in 2007.
And out of the 893 people, 62 are homeless veterans, according to the 2009 homeless count. That number has more than tripled from 17 in 2007.
But Tourtellotte thinks there are at least 100 homeless veterans in the area today.
"It's a growing problem," said Tourtellotte, who said places that cater to the veterans are struggling to raise funds. "[The shelter] is going to be good for us and the veterans."
Several North Strand churches and agencies already provide services for homeless people, and at least one agency provides some type of shelter or housing.
The North Stand shelter is becoming a reality after a fund was established through Worldview Ministry International Inc. in memory of a homeless man named Phillip who died earlier this year. The Phillip fund is to raise money for the shelter and services that will be provided there, organizers said.
Phillip, who was employed with the furniture industry in North Carolina, was laid off and couldn't find work when he ended up in the woods in the North Strand area, said the Rev. Jim Evans, care pastor at Barefoot Church.
Evans said Phillip, who had medical issues, died one cold March night in the woods in Little River.
His body was found three days later.
"We can't let another winter go by without something to offer," said Little River Methodist Church member Cookie Weber. Weber said Phillip attended the Friday evening meal served at the church's Shepherd's Table.
In addition to a place to sleep, organizers want to connect the homeless with the right resources, offer them other services such as Bible study, mentoring, transportation, and a discipleship program along with Celebrate Recovery, which works with people that have addictions. The shelter also hopes to reserve a section for people caught in between jobs and finding a place to live.
They are in need of a 16-passenger van to help transport the homeless to jobs and medical appointments, Black said.
For Chad Honeycutt, 41, the shelter would provide an opportunity to get away from temptations such as drinking.
"Everything's so tempting here," said Honeycutt, who also lives under a bridge in North Myrtle Beach. "The shelter is a good thing," said Honeycutt, who has helped clean the housing.
Black said "It's been such a blessing to see people say we want to help. I think God has his hands and blessing on this."
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