Local Wal-Mart grant coordinator Jackie Childers hands a check last week in the amount of $1,500 to Rodney Adcock (left) and Dusty Brackett of Crossroads Rescue Mission. Dusty Brackett and Rodney Adcock of the Shelbybased Crossroads Rescue Mission understand the importance of Wal-Mart, being able to find virtually everything needed for daily life on one of the store's many aisles.

However, the men also see the retail giant as a partner in their goal of reviving and restoring lives.

Crossroads, a Christianbased nonprofit organization which provides shelter, food and training for those down and out, recently was the recipient of a $1,500 community grant from the local Wal- Mart. The donation is one of several the store will distributing during the course of the year.

"It's a great encouragement to receive help from an organization we support," said Brackett, Crossroads' director of planning and development. "It's a blessing to know they want to help us in the fight of helping our neighbors back to their feet. It lets us know we're not doing this by ourselves."

The organization's primary focus when formed in 2001 by Shelby's Rocky Shelton Sr. was to help men in Shelby and the rest of Cleveland County combat drug & alcohol addictions, which in many cases left them homeless and without money. After taking the men in, Crossroads builds them back up with spiritual and emotional counseling, financial assistance, job placement and educational development free of charge.

Currently, the mission is serving as many as 41 men. The assistance program could soon include women.

According to Brackett, the organization is waiting on funding to begin work on a women's shelter offering the same assistance as the original shelter in Shelby.

"We've already acquired property for a women's shelter in Gaffney," Brackett said, "but it all depends on the financial side. We're looking at about a year, but it all depends on who is led to give.

"The need is there and so is the property; it's just up to the funding."

Crossroads already had a friend locally contributing to their cause, with the Hands Full of Purpose thrift shop on Wilkinsville Highway already working with the organization.

For more information on Crossroads or to contribute to the nonprofit organization, contact them at (704) 484- 8770; or by e-mail at crm@crossroadsrescuemission. org.