Department of Social Services investigating homeless shelter for veterans

DSS investigating Good Neighbor Center
By Renee Dudley
rdudley@postandcourier.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010



A state agency is investigating the Good Neighbor Center, a 32-bed, taxpayer-supported North Charleston homeless shelter for veterans, for food stamp fraud.

The S.C. Department of Social Services inquiry comes on the heels of a Post and Courier report showing that shelter Executive Director Nancy Cook doubled her salary to nearly $130,000 between 2007 and 2009.

Cook and the president of her board of directors refused comment for this story.

Other new findings from The Post and Courier show that a $542,100 grant, awarded to the Good Neighbor Center by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008, is unaccounted for in the nonprofit shelter's tax filings.

But even as Lowcountry servicemen were feted at Veterans Day parades and ceremonies last week, national and local Veterans Affairs officials refused to respond to the Post and Courier's latest questions.

Cook and Bobby Knight, the president of the shelter's board of directors, did not return e-mails or messages left with their office and personal phones throughout the week.

On Thursday, Veterans Day, a reporter attempted to contact Cook for comment at her East Montague Avenue office. Addressing the reporter through drawn blinds, Cook shouted her only comment for the story: "Go away."

Don Gibson, a lawyer for the Good Neighbor Center who was once listed as a board member, also refused to answer questions when reached by phone Thursday.

"I will not discuss my client's legal issues," he said before hanging up abruptly.

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DSS investigating Good Neighbor Center