By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 21, 2026 at 7:23 PM
The VAC Opportunity Campus, a new homeless shelter in Boone County, has been operating at nearly 90% capacity since its opening on July 13. The facility, which includes the Waypoint Shelter, the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, and New Day Columbia’s day center, has been a crucial resource for local residents. Almost all of the nearly 150 beds filled each night are occupied by Boone County residents, as reported by shelter director Jessica McNear to the Boone County Pachyderm Club.
The opening of the Opportunity Campus was smoother than anticipated, with McNear noting the seamless execution of plans. This integrated campus is managed by the Voluntary Action Center and aims to provide low-barrier facilities with trauma-informed staff. The housing-first program prioritizes shelter before any other requirements, such as sobriety or employment, aligning with the mission to offer immediate support to those in need.
One significant observation since the shelter’s opening has been the reduction in the use of Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses. Previously, the old shelter used Narcan five to seven times a week, but only two overdoses have been recorded at the new facility in the past 53 days. McNear attributes this to the commitment of many individuals to sobriety, supported by nightly AA and NA meetings run by guests already in recovery programs.
The Opportunity Campus primarily serves Boone County residents, with 131 of the 151 people served living locally, most of whom are between the ages of 40 and 49. At least 70% of guests engage with a case manager to develop a housing plan within 30 days of checking in. While the campus generally works with Boone County residents, it has extended its stay limit for out-of-town guests from three days to 14 days due to the unexpected end of a transportation service for the unhoused.
The shelter’s approach reflects a commitment to care for the vulnerable, echoing the biblical call to care for one’s neighbor (Matthew 25:35). By providing a safe haven and support for those in need, the Opportunity Campus exemplifies a community’s effort to uphold justice and mercy for its residents.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
