Urban Ministries, Inc

Urban Ministry’s mission is to serve persons in Birmingham, Alabama with programs of Compassion and Wholeness. We recognize that people who are suffering need both. Our Compassion ministries are designed to put an immediate end to their suffering; while our Wholeness ministries seek to offer life sustaining educational opportunities. Your church can be involved by painting houses, reading to children, holding a food drive, working in our community garden, or building a wheel chair ramp. OR we can be creative together and find ways for your group no matter the age or group size.

Men's Firehouse Shelter

Church volunteers can assist in meal preparation, service, as well as overnight stay and general hospitality needs.

M-POWER

M-POWER operates as an independent, faith-based, nonprofit ministry funded by an interdenominational coalition of churches, organizations, and individuals. Although our work is centered in Avondale and Woodlawn, the ministries and programs are not limited to the residents of these communities. M-POWER partners with schools, churches, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations to meet the needs of families and communities and to provide opportunities for change and growth. While the work of M-POWER has continued to grow beyond the vision of its founders, our calling is unchanged: to minister the love, hope, and transforming power of Christ to the people of urban Birmingham.

Greater Birmingham Ministries

Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) is an ecumenical and interfaith organization in Birmingham, Alabama, with a forty year history of direct services and community organizing. Begun in 1969, GBM has sought to carry out a faithbased response to poverty by meeting people's emergency needs while also pursuing social and economic justice for all people. Today GBM is sponsored by sixteen Christian denominations as well as by Jewish, Muslim and Unitarian congregations. GBM is supported in different ways by an even larger number of individuals, groups, organizations and denominations. From its very beginning GBM has carried on three basic areas of work and ministry in the community: Direct Services- providing financial help, personal assistance and support for families and individuals in crisis. Systems Change/Economic Justice- seeking to listen to and work alongside low-income neighborhoods as they seek to improve their lives, their neighborhoods and the community. Faith in Community- helping the community to reflect faithfully on and understand current social realities, especially as they affect the poor and vulnerable.

Community Ministries Hospitality Hour

Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Highlands United Methodist welcomes over 100 of the poor and homeless of Birmingham into the church fellowship hall for breakfast, access to rest-rooms, phone and mail service, limited laundry service and access to basic health and toiletry items. Volunteers are needed from 8:15 until 10:15 a.m. to help set up, prepare and serve food, to distribute mail and clothing and to greet our guests. More than serving coffee, we see this as an opportunity to put our faith into action and to respond to the call of the Gospels to follow Jesus to serve people by offering a sense of care, hope, compassion and dignity to all who come to share with us.

Community Ministries Clothing Closet

Highlands United Methodist Church hosts a clothing closet each Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. One outfit of basic “street-friendly” clothing is available to clients every thirty days. Volunteers are needed to help collect, sort, size and distribute clothing every Tuesday and Thursday mornings. In addition, churches or groups may wish to host a clothing drive to help supply our closet. We are happy to furnish a detailed listing of the items that we can use and items that we cannot accept.

Project ID

Project ID is a transformative ministry of Highlands United Methodist Church that helps provide Alabama state-issued identification to those homeless or the working poor of the Birmingham area. Each Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until noon, volunteer counselors see thirty new clients a week referred to our program by fifty social service agencies. Working one on one, our volunteer counselors assist clients in understanding the procedure for obtaining an ID and help clients complete necessary paper work.

Community Enabler

Community Enabler has been operating in Calhoun County for the past 39 years, we provide staple food items in accordance with the number in the family. We seek to ease the pain and hunger for those in need. We also provide clothing, household items, school supplies, Christmas assistance, and financial assistance when funds are available. Sable Learning Center under the umbrella of Community Enabler has been operating in Hobson City, Alabama for the past 13 years with services such as tutoring, conflict management, alcohol/drug prevention and basic life skills. The center is open Monday – Friday and all of our services are free.

Bread of Life Ministries

Fort Payne, AL, meeting at the Masonic Lodge, every Tuesday and Saturday from 11.30-1 pm This is a community ministry which evolved as an effort to feed the poor and hungry. Meals are supplied by volunteer churches every Tuesday and Saturday from 11:30-1:00. Presently they are meeting at the Masonic Lodge in Fort Payne. While their aim is to meet their physical hunger, the gospel is also presented in an effort to meet their spiritual hunger.

Upper Sand Mountain Parish

Upper Sand Mountain Parish is a cooperative ministry of eight small membership, rural United Methodist Churches serving near 1000 square miles of Southern Appalachian Alabama. The cooperative seeks to strengthen member congregations that they may better serve their members and to provide local and global opportunities for them and others to become involved in service and community development ministries.

CASA (Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound)

Founded 30 years ago, CASA of Madison County’s mission is “to provide needed services to aging and homebound individuals that allow them to remain at home and age in place.” The unique offerings of CASA’s services are that they are based solely on need and are free of charge to our clients. CASA receives no reimbursement from government entitlement programs or insurance providers, and depends on the support of the community to keep our services at no cost. With the assistance of local volunteers and donations, CASA provides a variety of services to Madison County citizens age 60+, or any aged person who is homebound.

HAP (Huntsville Assistance Program)

The Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP) a cooperative of over 50 Christian congregations (including Latham, Huntsville First, Huntsville Trinity, Asbury, Aldersgate, and other UMCs) working together to respond to the needs of the poor. HAP congregations pool benevolence funds and other resources (volunteer time answering phones, conducting client interviews, entering data for record keeping; food clothing; occasional transportation needs) to respond to requests for assistance usually in the form of utility bills, rent/mortgage bills, prescription medicines, ID cards from the County License Director, food from our food pantry, clothing from our clothes closet.

NACH (North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless)

North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (NACH) is a Continuum of Care covering Madison, Morgan and Limestone Counties that works to eradicate homelessness by linking the efforts of all homeless service providing agencies in the area. Opportunities for direct service for volunteers who wish to join outreach teams in taking clean water; batteries; warm hats; gloves, coats, etc. to individuals in the camps. There is also a consortium off congregations (including Latham UMC) who use church vans to transport homeless clients from shelters to the local free clinic. Numerous other opportunities abound.

IMS (Huntsville Interfaith Mission Service)

The Huntsville Interfaith Mission Service (IMS) unites congregations and communities of many beliefs and traditions including Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Unitaritan, Church of Religious Science, and New Thought in a cooperative organization based on the following belief that Working together, people of faith can meet community needs that individual congregations could not adequately address. IMS is a coalition of over 40 congregations (including Latham UMC) that seeks to advance religious, racial and cultural harmony; relieve human suffering; and facilitate communications throughout the community. Volunteers are needed to arrange community forums, structure direct service events and programs, assist with office work, etc.

Community Church Without Walls

Every Wednesday night at 6PM, Community Church without Walls welcomes 40-50 youth from the West End neighborhood of Birmingham for dinner and Bible study. We encourage churches to sponsor a youth night be bringing dinner. We have other opportunities as well, visit us at http://www.communitychurchwithoutwalls.org/

Carpenter’s Hands

The ‘Carpenter’s Hands’ is an Outreach Ministry of Canterbury United Methodist Church, providing much-needed repairs to low-income housing in the Birmingham area. Most of the homeowners served by Carpenter’s Hands are senior citizens or disabled—very low-income families who have experienced damage to their homes over a period of years. Through improvements made by Carpenter’s Hands, many families are able to continue living in their homes with a restored sense of hope.

Birmingham Hospitality Network

Network of churches which provides weeklong shelter for homeless families at the church every 12 -13 weeks. A variety of opportunities are available including organizing food, cooking, set up/clean up, morning and evening hosting, laundering linens, and overnight stay.

Church of the Reconciler

This inner city UMC shares assistance and love with the downtown homeless population. Volunteers provide brunch every Thursday, work in the clothes closet, and do on-going building maintenance. We can find a way for you to serve!

Crops for Christ

Harpersville UMC for several years has conducted Crops for Christ. They plant a garden, ages 3 -93, and then give all that they grow to local kids ranches.

East Alabama Food Bank

Volunteers assist the food bank in stocking shelves, sorting food drive donations, packing senior boxes, boxing fresh produce and re-boxing products. Summer months mean College students are home and not available to assist the food bank with labor intensive projects that staff do not have time to do.

Jacob’s Ladder Creative Learning Center

Jacob's Ladder Creative Learning Center is a ministry aimed toward 3 and 4 year old children in our community. We offer a full year program from 6:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The curriculum offers weekly music, library, computer and chapel services. Children have many opportunities to learn about their world, their community and their family and friends through a variety of experiences.

Bethany UMC Food Pantry

Bethany UMC runs a food pantry for local residents.

Care House

Care House serves local residents in Sylacauga by receiving donations of food and clothing, and distributing them to local residents.

Pastors Special Fund

Helps persons in community with groceries, utility bills, gasoline, etc.

Langdale UMC Soup Kitchen/Clothes Closet

Gives clothes and food to local residents.

Lowell UMC Feeding Ministry

Lowell has been feeding 100 persons twice a month. The church hand delivers food to shut-ins or those without transportation.

Brown Bag Program

Red Ridge has a Brown Bag Program in collaboration with the East Alabama Food Bank in Auburn. The program provides food to the elderly on low income. You are welcome to participate in the actual unloading and delivery of the food....just show up on the third Friday of any month at 8:30 PM.

Lighthouse Soup Kitchen

Roanoke First has been purchasing and distributing food from the United Way Food Bank in Birmingham and distributing in the Randolph County area. Now the church is in the process of starting the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry to feed on Tuesdays and Thursdays of campus.

Heart to Heart

Accepts donated hygiene items and financial support to those in need.

Handy Hands

Handy Hands is a group of volunteers able to do minor repairs, including ramps to make homes handicap accessible.

Good Neighbor Home Repairs

Good Neighbor Home Repairs helps people who are living in substandard housing, or homes which are in need of repair. They have a number of projects on their website mainstreetministries.org, just click on Good Neighbor Home Repairs to see the projects. Construction materials needed.

East Tuscaloosa Soup Bowl

Volunteers assist in preparing meals and hospitality to those less fortunate in Tuscaloosa.

The Mission

On Thursday evenings we serve a hot meal to between 70 and 90 children, youth, and adults at 6:00. Beginning at 6:45 we have techno, rap, and praise and worship music, followed by a preaching service for teens and adults, and a Crossroads KIDZ service for children through 6th grade. Over 35 children, youth, and adults have received Jesus Christ into their hearts since our first service in March of 2007. We have established an incredible relationship and partnership with Mountain Chapel UMC. Through this partnership, school supplies and christmas gifts have been distributed for the past three years to a total of 285 children and families. Mountain Chapel has also provided The Mission with a computer lab, a storage building, a covered meeting area, sound equipment, tables, chairs, and operating funds. We are so grateful for this partnership. On a monthly basis The Mission provides groceries, clothing, utility payments, and prescription assistance to many needy families. After school tutoring one afternoon each week, and GED classes two nights a week are presently serving 14 children and adults. Life coaching is our newest ministry.. The Mission holds a Sunday morning contemporary worship service at 11:00 that averages 25 in attendance. It also provides a youth ministry program called "Sunday Brite Lights," which meets for lunch and a service every Sunday afternoon.

Royal Family Kids Camp- Asbury UMC

Royal Family Kids' Camp Inc (www.rfkc.org) , helps children from social services and receives volunteers and funding from their lead churches and their communities.

Nauvoo UMC Christian's Place Mission

Here at Nauvoo UMC we saw a great need in our community to reach out to those less fortunate. Every 3rd Saturday of each month we distribute food, clothing, and spiritual guidance to as many as we can. We accept volunteers, and more importantly, prayers at any time. Come and join us! -Carole Newman, Director (205) 410-7029 Blue7Angel1@gmail.com

Meals on Wheels

Volunteers deliver hot meals to homebound senior citizens, Monday through Friday between the hours of 11:00- 1:00. It does require that you have your own transportation. Most of our individual volunteers work 2-3 times a month. Contact Alma Moore for more details.