Text Box: Durham Congregations in Action   2:215

"If you give your bread to the hungry, and relief of the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness and your shadows become like noon." -- Jewish, Bible, Isaiah 58:10

 

 

Text Box: "...When I was hungry you gave me food; when thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was a stranger you took me into your home; when naked you clothed me; when I was ill you came to help." -- Christian, Bible, Matthew 25:35-37 "Whatever you bestow in charity must go to parents and to kinsfolk, to the orphans and to the destitute and to the traveler in need." -- Islam, Quran, The Cow 2:215 "If you give your bread to the hungry, and relief of the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness and your shadows become like noon." -- Jewish, Bible, Isaiah 58:10    

Text Box: URBAN MINISTRIES OF DURHAM UMD was formed by combining the Community Shelter for HOPE, the St. Philip’s Community Kitchen, and the United Methodist Community Pantry and Closet into Urban Ministries of Durham . The shelter can provide overnight lodging for 150 or more. The Community Kitchen provides meals 3 times a day seven days a week.  About 500 meals a day. The Community Pantry and Closet provides food, clothing, hygiene supplies for those in need. Executive Director Lloyd Schmeidler 410 Liberty St., Durham, NC 27701Phone: (919) 682-0538 x27. Email  lschmeidler@umdurham.org     INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK IHN provides emergency housing, meals and assistance to homeless families. Parents and children stay overnight at local congregations for a week at a time on a rotating basis. More than 25 congregations participate in the network. Congregation members have a hands-on, person-to-person opportunity to engage in this ministry. Homeless families move toward residential stability and local congregations are transformed through service. Laura Benson, executive director. Phone 682-2846. Fax 682-2846. EMail Laura@dihn.org   GENESIS HOME Genesis Home supports homeless children and their families as they re-establish safe, stable households through transitional housing and childcare. Currently, the transitional housing program, Family Matters, can house 12 families. Kidspace, the on-site childcare center is open to all children from the Durham community up to the age of 5.  Stan Holt, executive director. Phone 683-5878. Fax 682-2509. EMail fm@genesishome.org   HOUSING FOR NEW HOPE This organization assists homeless people and other persons with special housing needs to move to independent living in the community. All four programs are maintained as alcohol and drug-free settings with an emphasis on case management and participation in 12-step recovery-based activities. Programs include Phoenix House, transitional housing for single homeless men;  Dove house, transitional housing for single homeless women; Sherwood Park Efficiency Apartments, permanent, supportive and affordable housing for single men and women; and the New Leaf Center, a therapeutic setting for women and their children where the mother has had a history of chronic substance abuse. Terry Allebaugh, director. Phone 220-3777. Fax 220-3778. EMail teebaugh4@aol.com   TRIANGLE AIDS INTERFAITH NETWORK TRAIN focuses on providing practical, emotional and spiritual support to persons living with HIV/AIDs and respite care for their family and loved ones Care is provided through congregation-based AIDS care teams and other AIDS ministries. Debra Long. Phone 596‑9898. Fax 598‑1782.    CONFERENCES AND DISCUSSION GROUPS TO IMPROVE RACE RELATIONS DCIA has coordinated and facilitated ongoing diverse race relations discussion groups and conferences since 1997. These efforts to improve race relations in Durham continues with the support of a grant from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham Founded in 1992, the mission of the Religious Coalition is to bear witness to the sanctity of life and to act to prevent and rectify the injustice of violence.   PRAYER VIGILS AFTER HOMICIDES Since 1996 DCIA has coordinated Prayer Vigils after each homicide in Durham. These Vigils are designed to:  1.         Publicly recognize the inherent value of the victim. 2.         Bring comfort to the bereaved family and friends. 3.         Create a positive force for healing in the neighborhood where the  violence occurred. 4.         Give the opportunity to those in pain in the neighborhood to share their feelings and publicly voice them at the Prayer Vigil.    Text Box:   DURHAM CROPWALK This annual, 25-year-old Hunger Walk is sponsored nationally by Church World Service and locally by DCIA. CROP provides free educational programs, audiovisuals and curricula to congregations, businesses and schools. International in its focus, this ecumenical agency channels 25 percent of Walk funds (more than $300,000 since 1975) to Durham’s hunger-fighting efforts and helps the hungry in more than 80 countries. Joe Moran. Phone 688-3843. Fax 688-2239. Email josephm@churchworldservice.org   MEALS ON WHEELS Each weekday Meals on Wheels provides a hot, nutritious meal to about 266 homebound county residents who are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. All income levels and age groups are eligible. Recipients qualify for meals because of illness, handicap or advanced age. Volunteers needed to serve the 25 routes in Durham. Linda Bass. Phone 220-4400. Fax 220-6668. Volunteer 220-2128.   HOST HOMES In cooperation with Duke Pastoral Services, DCIA families provide lodging for relatives of patients at Duke Medical Center and limited housing for out-patients. Visits last from one night to several weeks. Volunteers help staff the Host Homes desk in the hospital lobby from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Duke Pastoral Services provides a part-time coordinator. Volunteers needed.  In 1998, there were 690 guests. Christine Stocks. Phone 684-5351.   Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham ONE WORLD MARKET  An interfaith, non‑profit retail store operated with the help of 60 volunteers, One World Market offers quality handcrafts from more than 35 countries around the world. Suppliers are alternative or "fair trade" organiza­tions which assure fair prices for crafts. This enables­ Artisans to meet basic needs for food, shelter, medicine and education. One World Market also initiated Candles of Hope, a Durham‑based cooperative which enables local women to learn a job skill, earn a fair wage and support their families. Debbie Durham. Phone 286‑2457. FAX 286-4942   FAMILIES FIRST  Families First was created in 1998 by DCIA in collaboration with Durham's Department of Social Services [DSS] and North Carolina Council of Churches. This Ministry assists families moving off welfare by recruiting and training congregational teams who then provide needed services to the family such as transportation, child care, tutoring, and guidance on employment and money management. DCIA has hired Reverend Pebbles Lindsay‑Lucas to serve as faith coordinator, under a grant provided by DSS. There are currently 20 congregations involved in various stages of the program.   PARTNERSHIP CONGREGATIONS  DCIA has formed and fostered several Partnership Congregations, which match predominantly Black and predominantly White congregations which then participate in various activities on an ongoing basis. These 14 partnerships involve 31 congregations, and include associations:   1.        Within the same faith: Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ.   2.        Between different sects: AME Zion‑Methodist, Baptist‑Episcopal, Baptist‑Presbyterian, Episcopal‑Lutheran, Presbyterian‑United Holiness.   3.        Between different faiths: Jewish‑Muslim, Lutheran‑Unitarian Universalist.   EMERGENCY ENERGY This is a multi‑agency group that provides financial help to clients with utility cutoff notices or with too little money to buy fuel. DCIA funds an administrator for this committee. The program helps hundreds of households pay their heating bills. Chris Ivey. Phone 560‑8612.