Diversity, community, and storytelling have become common buzzwords as of late. Flying around, circling in, out, and through our conversations. And for good reason. The power that comes through putting these words into action can create lasting change. On March 2nd, at Urban Ministry Center, these three words came to life through the power of art. Local artist Edwin Gil, …
Cleo is a 60-year-old, petite woman, with dark skin, eyes that sparkle and a smile that can’t help but make you do the same. Her vivacious personality, although it gets her into trouble at times, is magnetic. She is a force. When she enters a room it is impossible to not give her your undivided attention. Her voice can bring …
It’s hard to believe, but we’re half way through the Room In The Inn season! The numbers are in and the hard work of volunteers at over 100 host sites have made them possible.
A typical day in the life of Eveco probably sounds familiar to most of us: Getting up, going to work, coming home, tending to household tasks, and unwinding for a little while. I visited Eveco at her workplace not long ago to see first-hand the work she’s engaged in at Secure in Motion, a local wood packaging company that designs …
What is community? What does it mean to be a member of a community? What does it take to bring communities together? As a newcomer to Charlotte, I’ve struggled with these questions as I’ve searched for my place in my new city. I realized quickly upon moving to Charlotte, that it was easy to isolate myself, to become so comfortable …
Everyone’s experienced something ‘going around’ at work or school before—suddenly it feels like half your staff is out sick. That happens here at the Urban Ministry Center College Street campus sometimes, but what almost always happens simultaneously is that we see sick neighbors too. And while we usually have over-the-counter medications to help them–pain relievers, cold and flu medicine, cough …
The Street Outreach Team and volunteers hit the streets of Uptown once a month starting at 9:00 PM to get a pulse on how many people are sleeping in Uptown, and who they are. It’s a chance to talk to people before they’re asleep, but after they’ve settled in for the night. While the neighbors are always surprised to see …
Imagine seeing your own artwork framed up on Tryon Street for all to see! ArtWorks 945 artist Kevin had just that pleasure recently when the McColl Center for Art + Innovation included a print of his painting on their signs. Kevin created the piece with McColl Center artist-in-residence, Marion Wilson. She talks about the collaboration in the McColl Center blog, …
No one would ever describe volunteering for Urban Ministry Center as a ‘day at the beach,’ but that’s exactly what our coordinators hoped to treat our most valued partners to at the annual volunteer appreciation dinner, April 22. The annual event gives volunteers a chance to be served and loved on by our staff, enjoy time with their UMC volunteer …
“I won’t have to worry about watching my clothes, watching my medication; to make sure my medication isn’t getting stolen.” That was Kevin’s number one relief in receiving housing—having a safe place for his medication. In fact, stolen meds led to Kevin’s elevated blood pressure and eventually a spinal stroke, heart attack, and a wheel-chair. All while receiving dialysis three …
You can see from the smiles that October’s Wellness Challenge Picnic is a much anticipated event for many Moore Place tenants! From June to September, tenants collect badges by participating in one of the 7-8 wellness opportunities offered each week—art, yoga, cooking, walking, etc. Collect four badges for the month and they are invited to a Wellness Reception with a …
We seldom receive phone calls from London here at the Urban Ministry Center, but that’s what happened one day a few weeks ago. She said her name was Sayo Ayodele and she was with Leaders’ Quest, an international leadership development organization based in London, New York and Singapore. She said she had been reading about us and wanted to visit …
For many families, this past weekend marked “moving in” day for their college students. My family spent a steamy Saturday afternoon hauling items up many flights of stairs (and on the elevator when we could get it!) into my daughter’s new dorm room. Throughout the move, I kept saying to myself, “Wow, where is she going to put all of …
While the winter holidays bring enough donations to overflow the shelves, the summer months can be challenging. The weather is better, people are focused on taking a break from work or school and leaving town on vacations. Share Charlotte recognized this challenge faced by nonprofits and created SummerShare to help promote the idea of giving NEED a vacation. July 10-21 …
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 …
Urban Ministry Center’s Room in the Inn program is entering its final month of the season. The Room in the Inn (RITI) program began in 1996 with a goal of providing a warm, safe, and dry place for Mecklenburg County’s homeless population during Charlotte’s coldest months – December through March. Over 130 area churches and colleges throughout the Charlotte area …
As a VISTA Volunteer, I work on events for the development team at the Urban Ministry Center, and I am usually tucked away in an office with spreadsheets and press releases. But every morning during check in, I get the chance to be with our neighbors, and to be reminded of the purpose of all the fundraising we do in …
I saw him sitting on the stairs of the Epicenter, uncontrollably shaking and holding a cup out for money. I had never seen him before. As my Point in Time count team approached, he barely glanced up. “Good morning, my name is Allison and I work for Urban Ministry Center’s outreach team. We’re out checking on people who may have …
A break from our traditional format and instead we’d like to share this recently video produced by Mic about our StreetSoccer 945 Program.
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 …
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of coaching the Street Soccer U.S.A. national team at the Homeless World Cup in Glasgow, Scotland. It is always an amazing experience being at the Homeless World Cup, but this year was a little more special. For the first time, the U.S.A. team was able to implement a curriculum called the B.A.L.L program. …