Fire Closes Shelter
Fire gutted the second floor of the Friend to Friend shelter.
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An early morning fire Tuesday temporarily closed an emergency shelter for battered women.
"It started upstairs about seven this morning," said Anne Friesen, director of Friend to Friend. "A smoke detector in an upstairs bedroom went off. We have Central Security, so the firemen came in record time. A few minutes later a downstairs smoke detector went off."
Nobody was injured in the blaze, which gutted the interior of the upper floor. Friesen credits quick response by the Carthage Volunteer Fire Department.
"Carthage Fire was there within minutes," she said. "If they had been 10 minutes later, the whole house would have gone. Another blessing is that, up until a few days ago, we were full."
The building is not safe to go in, but it can be repaired and they are planning on repairing the damage.
"We can't operate out of the shelter right now," she said. "We are at the office.
Only two abused women and two children were living at the shelter - called Serenity House - at the time of the fire. The two children were already on their bus headed to school, according to Friesen.
"They don't know about the fire yet," Friesen said in a brief telephone interview. "We won't tell them until we know where they will be and have someone to help them."
Recently, the shelter had housed 18 victims. All but two had moved on to new homes and jobs, Friesen said.
The county fire marshal is currently investigating to determine the cause of the fire, according to Friesen.
"Was it electrical, was it someone smoking?" she said. "We don't allow smoking in the shelter. We never had that problem. If that was the case, hopefully we will find out by the end of the day. The whole upstairs is completely blackened. The floor has caved in in certain places."
Friend to Friend started 20 years ago to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault rebuild their lives. It offers guidance, maintains a 24-hour crisis line - (910) 947-3333 - and support groups, has programs for children, provides court advocacy, court and hospital accompaniment, and community education.
"Right now, we are focusing on the clients," she said. "A couple of days ago, we were completely full, and it could have been tragic. The good news is we have two clients right now - and two children - and everybody is safe."
For now, the two women and two children who had been with Friend to Friend will be relocated.
"I think what we are going to do is relocate them to surrounding county shelters," Friesen said. "We want to get them safe. We took the women to the coalition, because all they had were their nightgowns. All that they had - and it wasn't much - went in the fire.
"We are trying to get everything lined up for the children when they come home from school for the least amount of impact possible. It's a little boy and a little girl."
The location of Serenity House is not public in order to keep it safe.
"The abusers of these women are still looking for them," Friesen said. "One has had to relocate, because the abuser found her at another shelter."
While Serenity House was insured, it had just finished a major renovation done by volunteers. Now all that is gone.
"The upstairs will have to be entirely gutted," she said. "We will rebuild."
The Serenity House provides a safe residence where victims are given the opportunity and the support to heal physically and emotionally from the abuse of domestic violence and sexual assault.
"We really need folks to think about us once we start getting the construction completed," Friesen said. "We could use some help on that level in the future."
The good news is that the building was insured, so Friend to Friend can get going on its repair immediately.
"We have so many people that need the shelter," she said. "We are hoping we can start next week getting it worked on. We have been full most days. It was a real blessing that this is a transition time when many of our clients had moved away. We are so happy we weren't full." -
Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.
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Comments
pilotreader 2 years, 2 months ago
You fail again at common sense. Do you people at the Pilot think this is funny reporting this location for a second time online?
runorbike 2 years, 2 months ago
I thought the same thing when I first saw this earlier today and started to comment on it but I didn't bother. It does no good.
JohnChappell 2 years, 2 months ago
Friend-to-Friend has been located in Carthage for years, has their main office in the Carthage Furniture building, has a Carthage 947 listing for their 24/7 hot line.
NocOwl 2 years, 2 months ago
The shelter where women are housed and the office the organization operates out of are two different locations. You even state that the location of Serenity House is not public in your article. You have changed that, and it seems like you fail to acknowledge your mistake. I don't often comment on stories I read online, but this makes me angry. I truly feel that you have been irresponsible in reporting this the way you have. Twice.
listenup 2 years, 2 months ago
Typical Pilot reporting. Even though the shelter has "been located in Carthage for years, has their main office in the Carthage Furniture building, has a Carthage 947 listing for their 24/7 hot line.", somebody who is not from this area may not know that, but they do now. These women are in the shelter to be safe and secure knowing that the people searching them out to harm them will not find out where they are. Maybe the story should not have been published period. This kind of reporting makes me wonder if the pilot should go back to printing only twice a week, since they are grabbing at any story they can get their hands on to fill copy for a 3 time a week publication. It is hack journalism to say the least.
clbvpm 2 years, 2 months ago
I agree. The location of the Friend to Friend adminitration building and The Serenity House are not the same. There was no need to publish all this information. John Chappel always has this type articles. If you will look at his publishings you will find a lot of quotes and no actual investigations and journalism. My kindergarten grandchild could furnish quotes for The Pilot.
pilotreader 2 years, 2 months ago
Irresponsible and then a sorry 'justification.' Good job Mr. Chappell.
pootie 2 years, 2 months ago
I agree! This is too much information to share about the location of the battered women's shelter. The picture of the house makes it even more easily identifiable!
HillTopper 2 years, 2 months ago
My first thought was OMG! I can't believe they showed the building! Then find out that they even gave the address away. I truly hope the "Make Money Any Way We Can" Pilot is ready to cough up some serious dough to help Friend to Friend find another location because the safe house has been exposed. What a dumbass excuse as well. You people should be ashamed of yourself first of all for being so irresponsible and secondly not owning up to the fact you screwed up. Now what do you intend to do about it?
pinehurstmom 2 years, 2 months ago
I agree-irresponsible journalism by Mr. Chappell and the Pilot editors (did anyone think this was wrong?). The safety of the women and children who stay at the shelter are worth more than your story. There was no need for a picture or the mention that it was the Carthage FD who responded, thereby giving away the location. One would not have necessarily assumed that the home was in Carthage just because the hotline and offices are there. Please think next time before you put the lives of others at risk!
KarenH 2 years, 2 months ago
Mr. Chappell-the social services office is in Carthage. They have all kinds of phone numbers for many different emergencies (thus the 947 prefix ).That number is likely an on-call cell number as I am fairly certain that they don't have a person sitting 24/7 at the headquarters building. The article was bad enough but you make it too easy for abusers to click and locate. Just as you reported some poor woman has had to relocate once already because she was discovered. What were you thinking?
NocOwl 2 years, 2 months ago
So now they have even posted a picture of the house that wasn't there when this article was first posted this morning. It seems it is a big joke to Mr Chappell and The Pilot staff. You would think that in this area, where a man who took the lives of multiple nursing home residents and an employee in what is presumed to be related to a domestic violence relationship, the issue would be given more serious consideration. I hope the Pilot's irresponsibility with this sensitive information doesn't cost anyone their life. Although if it does, I doubt they will even acknowledge their part in it.
dogbroke 2 years, 2 months ago
Now that you have seen the picture, can you tell me where it is located?
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
Seems like you all are freaking out at the wrong people. The Friend-to-Friend coordinator should not have said anything to the press. To me the fault lies upon the source of the information. She was not required to say one word. Since she willingly told the newspaper information, the burden of this is clearly on the organization to relocate these abused women elsewhere.
@ CLBVPM You wrote "If you will look at his publishings you will find a lot of quotes and no actual investigations and journalism. My kindergarten grandchild could furnish quotes for The Pilot."
It sounds as if you're suggesting that articles published in papers should be completely left to discrimination of the writer. Without quotes all your "investigation" gives you is personal bias. Quotes are the most direct way to report anything with regard to written news. Oh, and how do you think reporters obtain quotes? If your grandchild begins to submit articles anytime soon I'd love to read them.
pinehurstnative 2 years, 2 months ago
Seriously doubt the coordinator said any of that. As a native and having read Mr. Chappell's articles for too many years, he usually makes up his own quotes or edits them to say what he wants them to say. Facts have never gotten in the way in his articles....
pinehurstnative 2 years, 2 months ago
So sorry; I did not realize I needed to include my resume which would show that I have, in fact, worked and written for three large city dailies, and published a fourth.
A friend of mine was interviewed by this author many years ago. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that. But, there was the article to prove it! Did he confront the author? No. His response was that the only people who would believe anything written by Mr. C were not natives and natives were the only opinions he cared about.
I can only assume that the directors quotes were taken out of context, edited or overheard. They don't even make sense here...
clbvpm 2 years, 2 months ago
Yes, he does make up his own quotes. I have personal knowledge of this happening on several occasions.
clbvpm 2 years, 2 months ago
I have personal knowledge that Mr. Chappel's "quotes" have not always been accurate. He just puts quotation marks around some words he thinks he hears.
KarenH 2 years, 2 months ago
NocOwl- Good point!
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
So your saying that Mr. Chappell made up every quote in this article? How childish and foolish of you to assume such things. You don't think the coordinator would have already had the article pulled if it was made up? "They don't know about the fire yet," Friesen said in a brief telephone interview. "We won't tell them until we know where they will be and have someone to help them."
Friesen told the press before she told the abusees!!!! Do you see what I'm saying now? She's not denying giving any information over...I'm a native as well to the area and as far as I can tell you have no idea how a paper runs PINEHURSTNATIVE. Yea reporters make up all their quotes and then publish their own paper. No editors or publishers or anything right. Your criticism is flimsy and your thought process weak.
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
and to be on everyone else's level of accusation and conspiracy , how do we know that one of these "angry" husbands didn't burn the building down? We don't, so I'd stop assuming.
listenup 2 years, 2 months ago
Either way, it is up to the Pilot in the end to decide if they run a story or not...the fault/blame lies with Mr. Chappell and his editor.
Bflat 2 years, 2 months ago
There is an actual photo of Serenity House, as though it is ok to disclose the location. Outrageous! Will those needing help be told about this article and the location is now leaked that could jeopardize their safety?
HillTopper 2 years, 2 months ago
Probably because THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS is why some "angry husband" probably didn't burn it down ... but now they do. Friend to Friend can't re-open in the same location. That safe house's cover has been blown. SouthPaw, you know anything about domestic violence? Could you image being terrified for your safety and your children's and not have anywhere to hide, feel safe. Stop defending the Pilot! What they did is absolutely one of the dumbest things I've heard of lately and their excuse was even dumber.
JohnChappell 2 years, 2 months ago
Our web edition doesn't show (as the print edition does) that this photo of Serenity House came directly from Friend-to-Friend’s executive director Anne Friesen herself. In addition, every detail of the story was cross-checked with her for accuracy and safety before it went to our editors.
The Carthage Fire Department, by the way, responds to fires all over the local fire district in addition to those in town and also to fires in other districts.
clbvpm 2 years, 2 months ago
Again an empty justification.
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
How is it empty? If the coordinator of Friend-to-Friend hadn't spilled the beans to the press there would be no story. Seems like their public relations department needs a little work.
Zoey 2 years, 2 months ago
as the old saying goes, "Hindsight explains the injury that foresight would have prevented.”
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
Not a single person has given me a good reason why the coordinator isn't to blame. HILLTOPPER- did you not read where one of the sheltered women had to be relocated to the current safe house? Think her advisary may have found her at the other one. Its not hard, they mentioned that their kids ride a bus. Any nit wit stalking a women is going to follow the children. It happens all of the time. And with the information given about this situation please prove to me that an angry ex didn't do it. You can't unless you assume.
dogbroke 2 years, 2 months ago
I love how folks love to play the blame game. No one knows what was said and whether it was embellished except the writer and the "coordinator". As many women, children, police officers, firemen, employees of F2F, board members of F2F, county employees, and anyone else that has been to this shelter over the last 20 years, do you really think it would be that hard to find by some mental midget abuser with more than 2 brain cells to rub together. The "coordinator" was doing her job to raise awareness of their plight and maybe generate some sympathy from the generous people in Moore County. They are a non-profit that provides a priceless service to those in need and depend solely donations and grants. Maybe instead of bi****ing about how some reporter did or didn't do his job, use that energy to put your money where your mouth is and write a check or volunteer your time to help them recover from this tragedy.
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
I'm not defending "The Pilot" either, I'm standing up for accurate information that is given to the press to be printed. It seems quite foolish that Friend-to-Friend only has one little safe house anyways, wouldn't it be a lot smarter to have a few spread out instead of one big one? So if an angry ex does track it down they won't have the opportunity to hurt 20 or 30 women. Maybe this story will reveal several ways to improve the foundation of Friend-to-Friend's secrecy. To be quite honest I'd be intrigued to see the laws surrounding this foundation on information leaks. They are responsible for leaking locations and telling the only paper in the pines.
HillTopper 2 years, 2 months ago
"The location of Serenity House is not public in order to keep it safe." SouthPaw - might be a good idea if you re-read the article. A yellow hi-lighter might help.
Bflat 2 years, 2 months ago
It's just a matter of time before stories like this cause serious problems.
SouthPaw 2 years, 2 months ago
News for you Sherlock, the director provided the photograph. Before you suggest what I should or shouldn't do, why don't you take a step back and look at what your posting.
KarenH 2 years, 2 months ago
SouthPaw, you are right,the director should not have given ANY info to the Pilot. The best path from Friend to Friend might have been to request that nothing be written. Wheather the Pilot would have gone with the suggestion will never be known. That said- 2 adults made bad chioces that might cause serious problems for others,and for what? As to why not have several shelters instead on one ...money. Taxes,utilities,insurance,and even volunteers are easier to afford under one roof. Plus mothers can "help" each other with childcare while another goes to dr. appt., court dates,etc. plus moral support for those in the same boat. It can be a tough road when you are all alone.