About Urban Ministries of Wake County
In 1981, Urban Ministries of Wake County was founded when congregations of diverse faiths and denominations realized their community members lacked the basic necessities of food, medicine, and shelter. Their mission is to serve and advocate for those in poverty by providing these needs and more. In the 40 years since its founding, it has grown immensely, providing food to more than 30,000 people a year! In 2017, Urban Ministries was named the largest Food Pantry in Wake County to allow families to choose their food instead of being given pre-bagged food. Their Open Door Clinic also allows 1,500 uninsured adults to receive the care they need. In addition, they have a shelter dedicated to helping homeless single women. If you want to learn more about Urban Ministries, watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWrz5SnnYMs Helen Wright Center for Women In 2000, The Ark Shelter, which was the emergency shelter that Urban Ministries provided, became focused on homeless single women. A year later, the shelter was renamed the Helen Wright Center for Women after the agency’s first director, Sister Helen Wright. In June 2020, a new 73-bed Helen Wright Center for Women opened, with the growth enabling service to more women in need. What makes this shelter special is that it is not just a place to sleep - it also actively prepares the women for the world. The shelter offers counseling services, workforce development, job readiness, and life skills classes. The shelter includes an initial 14-day stay and if a woman needs additional help, she can request to enter a program bed. After their initial stay, the Helen Wright Center for Women offers a program where the women can begin to save money toward a lease of their own. This center is amazing because it not only saves the women, but it helps build them back up. Volunteer Urban Ministries feels blessed to have over 1,600 volunteers each year, and you could be one of them! Volunteer opportunities range from volunteering at the Food Pantry, at the Helen Wright Center, at the Open Door Clinic, or greeting at the front desk. There are differing age limits for each volunteer opportunity, but you could start as young as 13 at the Food Pantry! Volunteering at Urban Ministries is an amazing way to give back to your community and help those who are in a time of need. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please click this link: https://urbanmin.org/get-involved/volunteer/
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AuthorsJordan Hannan and Jordan Lappin Archives
January 2023
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