Atlanta Urban Ministries

http://info@atlantaurbanministries.org/history.html

458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30308

History

Atlanta Urban Ministry is part of Action Ministries, Inc. (formerly Urban Action) a faith-based non-profit charitable organization related to the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Atlanta Urban Ministry's record of serving people in need goes back more than 20 years. The Emergency Aid Ministry has served the downtown/midtown neighborhoods of Atlanta since the 1970's, but it found a new focus in the 1990's providing a food pantry for people with HIV/AIDS while continuing to help other needy persons in the community.

Ministries to help homeless persons began in 1982 when the numbers of homeless individuals and families began to grow. As the numbers of homeless women and families with children increased, Atlanta Urban Ministry responded, beginning the Women's Community Kitchen in 1987, the Children's Ministry programs for homeless children in 1988, and transitional housing for homeless families in 1990.

Causes of Homelessness:

In the early 1980's the numbers of homeless persons began to increase. Homelessness is usually caused by a combination of systemic and personal causes.

Systemic causes of homelessness are those factors caused by government policy and sociological trends. These include de-institutionalization of mentally ill persons beginning in the 1970's, cutbacks of government aid programs, loss of low-income housing through gentrification and new development, and instability in the job market.

Personal causes include addiction, domestic abuse, lack of life skills, and poor individual choices.

The fastest growing group among homeless persons has been families with children. These children are the innocent victims of factors beyond their control, and Atlanta Urban Ministry has been devoted to giving homeless children the chance for a better life.

Atlanta Urban Ministry provides help and hope for people in need of all cultures and beliefs, and provides environments for positive and permanent life changes.

Atlanta Urban Ministry serves poor and homeless individuals through four main ministry programs:

Women's Community Kitchen
This program for homeless women and children provides lunch each weekday for about 75 persons. Groups of volunteers from the metro area prepare and serve the food.

Children's Ministry
The summer program provides camping opportunities for homeless children. The after-school program provides tutoring and enrichment activities for children whose families are living at the Atlanta City Mission on Milton Avenue. The Saturday Program offers children from the Atlanta City Mission shelter special activities and field trips. The S.T.A.R.S. program works with homeless teens.

Atlanta Emergency Aid Ministry
This ministry provides emergency assistance to people who need help with rent, utilities, food, transportation to jobs, counseling and referrals.