URBAN MINISTRY INC

Urban Ministry was founded in 1976 as the inner-city ministry of the United Methodist Church. Our mission is to serve poor and low-income persons in the Birmingham area with compassion (meeting immediate needs) and wholeness (meeting long-term needs).

We are located in the West End Community of Birmingham, in the neighborhood with one of the lowest median income levels in Alabama. The needs in this community are great, and we seek to meet them with both short- and long-term solutions. While we maintain our historic identity as a religious institution, all programs are offered on a non-sectarian basis.

COMPASSION: We help to provide for basic needs including food, shelter and transportation through our Community Kitchen, food pantry, case management, and utility and rent assistance programs.

Two staff social workers aid Beeson Senior Services and Homelessness Prevention clients long-term to achieve stability and independence. Our Transportation Ministry helps our clients get to important appointments including doctors' visits, grocery shopping, and other important errands.

WHOLENESS:

Urban Kids is a holistic after-school and summer learning program for students in third through eighth grade. Students receive academic and arts enrichment, field trips, homework help and tutoring, supplemental nutrition, health education, summer camp experiences, and a summer learning program to prevent summer learning loss.

The Joe Rush Center in Midfield houses work groups who come to Birmingham to paint houses for low-income disabled and elderly homeowners in Jefferson County. It is vital work to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of housing in our community. This often means that families can maintain homeowner's insurance, preventing homelessness.

Our Volunteer Program hosts hundreds of volunteers and work groups each year in meaningful service opportunities. Summer youth camp attendees participate in service-learning reflection on poverty and inequality related to their community service projects.

WE Community Gardens was founded in 2008 in partnership with the Church Without Walls to create a source of fresh, natural produce in the West End Community and supplement food security. We employ 3 youth interns in the garden and hope to use it to expand employment opportunities and job training for young people in our community. We also sell affordable produce at community markets and give away hundreds of pounds of produce each year.

Our Prison Ministry supports two Kairos weekends per year (an intentional weekend retreat similar to the Walk to Emmaus) for inmates at Donaldson Correctional Facility.

Please view our Annual Report for a complete list of all of our programs, numbers, and the assistance we were able to provide in 2011.

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