#HowIGive: Jerry Levine, Front Desk Volunteer

Volunteer Jerry Levine says working at the front desk of Urban Ministry Center for the past 3+ years makes him feel lighter and being here helps him tap into himself in a unique way. He cares more, is humbled, and believes it helps him regain perspective about what truly hurts him and what he’s grateful for in his own day …

Eagle Scout Improvements at Urban Ministry Center

As summer officially comes to a close this week, we wanted to recognize a few scouts who made 2016 the summer of campus improvements at 945 N College Street! Troop 16 at First Presbyterian Church has become very familiar with Urban Ministry Center as three scouts, Michael Quartapella, Nick Quartapella, and Rich Pope each completed their Eagle Scout Projects with …

Hot Soup and Hospitality

The foundation of our organization, the Soup Kitchen, embodies our mission like no other. It truly brings the community together to serve our homeless neighbors and it provides an environment of trust and relationship building to end homelessness. No Barriers A primary tenet of Urban Ministry Center is to offer programs with very low or no barriers to service. Literally …

Sharing Blessings with the Honor Card

Many nonprofits have holiday honor cards like Urban Ministry Center, but we think we may have one of the oldest traditions of production. We began offering them as a beautiful way to acknowledge honor gifts in 1999, when artist Ingrid Amol’s sketched our beloved Train Depot. As a volunteer, Ingrid helped create the ArtWorks 945 program, and in 2002 we …

Morgan Ferone: Young Woman of Distinction in our Eyes Too

We met Morgan Ferone in June when she began her two month internship as a Covenant Presbyterian People in Mission Scholar. She jumped in right away, learning every volunteer job possible and training to be a facilitator for our Walk in My Shoes education program. Morgan was always on the move and when she wasn’t needed in the showers, laundry, …

Moore Place Success Captures National, Local Headlines

When doing the right thing saves millions of dollars, that’s a local story powerful enough to capture the attention of the national media. On March 24, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte released a study of the one-year impact of supportive housing on the lives of chronically homeless people. Focusing on the 85 residents of Urban Ministry’s Moore Place, …

Encouraging Good Health and Creativity in the Kitchen

Spaghetti with fried zucchini, tortilla soup, and pumpkin lasagna are among the favorite dishes made in the monthly Moore Place cooking class, but today it’s a little holiday spirit that’s bringing out the creativity in each participant. I sat in on the December 14 class dedicated to that iconic holiday tradition of decorating cookies, and found an adventurous group dedicated …

Room In The Inn Provides Launching Pad for Family

Room In The Inn (RITI) has just resumed for the 2013-14 season. Founded in 1996, Urban Ministry Center coordinates RITI during the coldest months of each year, providing emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness. The program relies on the time, talent and resources of nearly 5,000 volunteers from 130 houses of faith, YMCA’s, colleges, and other organizations. It’s one of …