Seven of the Exodus Homes' "Young Men of Integrity" were perfect gentlemen at the African Amercian Cultural Center Summer Gala on Saturday July 26, 2008 at the Hickory Art Museum. Led by the program founder and director, Chris Johnson, who was honored with the Ukama Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community, the young men served as ushers for the elegant affair that celebrated the evolution of the African American Cultural Center from the dream of a building, to a reality as a comprehensive online resource for the Greater Hickory Metro Region. The Young Men of Integrity is an at-risk youth mentoring program serving 25 young men from the ages of  10-19 who do not have fathers in their homes. Founded in 2006, the Exodus Homes' United Way program pairs adult mentors with youth who need healthy male role models to learn about decision making, entrepreneurship, living drug free, treating women with respect, getting an education, preventing gang involvement, and avoiding teen pregnancy. One of the primary activities of the program is keeping the young men busy in community service projects such as Habitat for Humanity, the Christmas Bureau, Charity Chase, and neighborhood block parties with healthy youth-centered themes. They also participate in cultural or leadership development events such as the Western PIedmont Symphony, Promise Keepers, and the Man to Man Conference. Chris Johnson is the quintessential leader for this innovative program. An Exodus Homes graduate, and substance abuse counselor with The Cognitive Connection, he is a polished and dignified community activist who grew up without a father in his home, and he knows how to motivate young men. Chris helps them believe that life holds great potential for them if they will make good choices that will help them reach their goals. He says, "Inside every man there is a boy, and inside every boy there is a man. It's up to mentors like us to reach inside a boy and find out how we can pull out the man inside."
 
Six Young Men of Integrity have been designated Heroes of Hickory, African American leaders of tomorrow from Hickory High; John Smith, Michael Boyce, Jamil Johnson, Marlon Williamson, T.J. Middlebrooks and Troy Wright. Five are going to college this year: John Smith - Gardner Webb, Troy Wright - LIvingston College, T.J. MIddlebrooks - Glenville State, and Garfield Wilson - Alice Lloyd College, Desmond Johnson - Lincoln Memorial University. This first wave of college graduates plan to return to the program during summer breaks, and after graduation to become mentors themselves. The amazing success of The Young Men of Integrity has the same synergizing momentum that was seen in the phenomenal growth of Exodus Homes since 1998. Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Exodus Homes Executive Director says "This is how we want to impact the community. We are very proud of Chris and the brilliant job he is doing with his young men."               
 
Duane Muhammad, Chairman of the Board for the African-American Cultural Center says "The Ukama Award is given to recognize individuals in the Hickory Metro region who work with young people of color directly or indirectly. Mr. Johnson and Young Men of Integrity exemplify the mission of the African American Cultural Center to Preserve, Promote and Inspire the culture and development of the African American community."

On April 9th, 2008, Exodus Homes won the Runner Up Award for Fair Share Giving in Division 6 with the Catawba County United Way during the Spirit Awards Luncheon at the Gateway Conference Center. Division 6 represents organizations with 2-49 employees, and Exodus Homes had 100% fair share giving participation for all of our employeess.

This was a very special day for us because one of our residents, Bernice Newman, sang at the beginning of the program prior to a special message from Susan Smith who thanked the audience of corporate leaders for all of their hard work in the 2007 United Way campaign.

Rev. Reginald Longcrier, founder of Exodus Homes, was awarded the Community Service Award Plaque from Lenoir-Rhyne College at a recent Convocation in Belk Centrum on Feb. 10, 2005.

Reggie's vast accomplishments include:

•Educated at Mercer County College in NJ; Milligan College in TN; Immanuel School of Religion in TN; Winston-Salem Bible College in Winston-Salem NC; and Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury NC.
•Founder and CEO of Exodus Homes providing faith-based supportive housing and for homeless recovering addicts, alcoholics & released prisoners. 
•Chaplain at Catawba Prison Ministries and Catawba Correctional Center in Newton.
•Ordained, AME Zion, 1989
•Senior Pastor, Exodus Missionary Outreach Center, a church he created as a multi-ethnic inner city ministry. 
•Center Pastoral Advisory Committee, Cooperative Christian Ministry, Faith Community Task Force 

Rev. Longcrier’s other service includes Community Economic Development Study, Hickory Ministerial Alliance, Hickory Area Ministerial Association, Community Resource Council, Frye Regional Medical on Poverty and Hickory Housing Authority. Reggie received the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service 2001, Hickory Spirit of Martin Luther King Award 1999, Person of the Year Nominee by Hickory Daily Record 1999, and Honorable Service on Pastoral Advisory Committee of Frye Hospital 2000.  He is married to Audrey and they have one daughter.

Hickory Community Relations Council
2004 Community Relations Award

Exodus Homes is a six-year-old private non-profit faith based United Way agency providing 80 beds of supportive housing for recovering addicts, alcoholics, and ex-offenders in six locations in Hickory. After overcoming initially strong opposition to the establishment of their program, today Exodus Homes’ success is known all the way to the White House. Our organization is the quintessential example of how a visionary leader can marshal the forces of local volunteers and create a program that helps bring fallen people from their disgrace into a life of dignity and service.

Rev. Reggie Longcrier, founder and Executive Director of Exodus Homes saw that people leaving substance abuse treatment centers and prison had nowhere to go and nothing to do when they got there. He knew from personal experience that people need support to rebuild their lives after losing everything due to addiction or incarceration. Drug addition and alcoholism plague our community across racial lines and socio-economic classes, and the resident population of Exodus Homes is a uniquely diverse recovery community. It is an extraordinary mix of people from college graduates to those with little education, from those whose fall from grace was riches to rags, and other who have never know anything but poverty. In 2004, the average resident population has been 66% African-American, 28% White, and 6% other races. The Exodus Homes recovery community is an ongoing cross-cultural training project where diverse people learn about each other and find ways to live together in peace.

The residents themselves who serve in full and part time volunteer staff positions primarily operate Exodus Homes. The management of the program is self-government in its truest form. Residents run the office, provide transportation, maintain the facilities and vehicles, as well as help shape and evolve the program. Exodus Homes makes room for the diverse gifts and talents of those who come, and our motto is “The only thing about Exodus that will never change is the fact that we’ll always be changing.”  The Exodus community as a subculture is fluid and ever changing based on the personalities and gifts of those who reside and work here. The staff is primarily groomed from within the resident pool by leadership development that produces a diverse team of players via a mentor/apprentice training process.  Today the staff team is 73% African-American and 27% White, 76% volunteer, 24% paid, 76% residents, 24% non-residents. Every day is an exercise in improving human relations at Exodus Homes!      

The agency is affiliated with Exodus Missionary Outreach Church that created the organization to carry out the mission of the church.  The church is a nondenominational multi-ethnic ministry that provides opportunities for spiritual growth and service to all residents of Exodus Homes as soon as they arrive. Residents are encouraged to grow spiritually in the faith of their choice, and Rev. Longcrier says “We live out our Jesus by respecting all faith groups.” Tolerance of, and appreciation for, religious differences is highly valued. Agnostics, atheists, and those who just aren’t interested in faith -based activities are given an option to participate in other programs that are equally valuable to their recovery. Exodus Homes residents can find God in a way that works for them.

The six housing facilities and the church are located in four Hickory neighborhoods, making its impact widespread across the city. Exodus has a presence in the Ridgeview, Green Park, Kenworth, and Highland neighborhoods. The agency is appreciated for what it brings to each community.  Exodus Homes’ residents who were initially feared by local neighborhoods are now seen as assets to the community, and are called upon for help. “Can you send some residents to the next neighborhood clean-up?” “Do you have anyone who can help me move?” or “Help! Heavy rain is causing my living room to flood! Can you send some men to get my furniture up on blocks?”  The Hickory Police Department, the Hickory Community Development Department, and the Hickory Neighborhood Coordinator all praise the positive impact the program has had in neighborhoods all over the city. Human relations are significantly improved when people who were once feared are now your neighbors with faces and names you know. People who once felt rejected and thrown away now feel valuable and needed. Exodus Homes’ residents and staff help bring people together for healing and restoration.

The tremendous success in the growth of the Exodus Homes over the past six years is a moving testimony of how human relations in Hickory have been improved by diverse people working together, restoring lives and communities.