Learning how to build a business can open a door to a second chance.

But for many in our community, the first step toward a fresh start is much more basic: food, clothing, hygiene, and someone who cares enough to show up.

Recent studies show over 3,000 people a month experience homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

For the past 15 years, Mickey Coria has made it his mission to meet them where they are through his nonprofit, Raise You Up Ministries.

You may have even seen the RV rolling through town.

Mickey refers to it as a shopping mall on wheels.

As producer Russ Hunsinger shows us, it's about more than supplies.

It's about restoring dignity, building trust, and reminding people who feel invisible that they are seen.

(gentle music) - It's rough.

It is scary.

It is cold.

I've been homeless over 10 years off and on.

I can't sleep on these streets.

I can't take these streets.

I'm not getting any younger.

- [Mickey] We estimate we have, you know, 600 people per month, about 70,000 people per year.

- You want pasta?

- Raise You Up Ministries started organically.

Just a group of people caring for people experiencing homelessness.

What it does is really create relationships with people living on the streets and making their life a little bit easier.

Operational Hug happens twice a month, and what we do is come with the shopping mall on wheels.

Inside of that shopping mall, what we do is recreate a real shopping mall for people to go and shop like they do in retail.

They take anything they need.

We have an attendant for each person.

And then when they go to check out the clothing and anything else that they need, they don't have to pay anything.

- Mickey's vision was always to be able to go to where the neighbors are and not have them try to find a way to get to us.

So this works out really well.

- That's a plus.

That's a plus.

And they have nice, nice stuff.

I feel like a new man coming up out of here.

- [Mickey] I didn't want just to go to the street and hand out clothes.

I want it to feel dignified.

I want it to feel normal.

We create this beautiful space, they can actually go and shop and feel amazing.

(upbeat music) - And that's the idea of them being catered to.

You know, like if you were in a store at the mall, someone would ask you, "What can I get you?

Can I help you find your size?"

At one point before we had the RV, we just had the clothes.

I guess the best word is dumped on tables.

And you know, you're hauling through that and it takes away some of the humanity of it.

If you're just grabbing clothes for yourself, this way you're being served one by one.

I think it makes a big difference.

- [Mickey] We have a dressing room, yeah.

Because many times, you know, sometimes it's raining and people get wet.

They discard the old clothes and then they get a whole new outfit head to toe.

Can you imagine how they feel?

It is an incredible experience.

(uplifting music) - I appreciate, you know, other people that care enough to come out and actually, you know, feed us and take care of us.

Because you'd be amazed at how many whispers we hear behind our back.

- [Mickey] We provide first quality food, we provide haircuts.

♪ Happy birthday to you - [Mickey] We celebrate people's birthdays.

It's another thing that we do to accomplish the purpose of feeling normal again.

- A little unusual, but a great unusual feeling, 'cause I hadn't had a gift from, I don't know how long.

But it's a great feeling, you know what I mean?

- It's really warm and it is nice.

And today I got two sweat tops.

I got a blanket.

So if I have to sleep outside, I can cover up.

And I got some brand new shoes and a brand new bag to carry it in.

They gonna help me a lot.

I don't have to get anything else, just enough.

When you're homeless, you don't need that many things, but what you have is good quality.

It's going to last.

Thank you so much.

- [Mickey] I always remind them that homelessness is not the identity.

Homelessness is just a situation.

- Making them feel loved.

That's really important.

Making them be seen, known, and heard.

- Thank you, Mickey.

- [Mickey] We are the one blessed.

We think that people get blessed is true, but we are even more blessed 'cause we're able to see that.

We saw this lady Jackie, just changing their life and one day her life changed.

Literally for someone living on the street, receiving what she received, it was day and night.

And we get to witness that, in which you see the happiness and the love back to us.

That's amazing to us.