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Greensboro Urban Ministry has been in existence for nearly 40 years. We have come a very long way! We were serving soup, one bowl at a time, heated on a hot plate. We were sleeping homeless people on the floor of the fellowship hall of St. James Baptist Church. We were only open for the winter months. We received a donation from Mr. & Mrs. Herman Weaver of property on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, and our Night Shelter for Single Adults, our Food Bank, and Project Independence were born. Here are some of the other milestones accomplished, thanks to your generous hearts:We remodeled the old YWCA on East Lee Street, and opened the Pathways Family Shelter, and started the Potter's House Community Kitchen. On the first night we prepared a meal, Christmas Eve, 1982, we served 44 people. In May 1993, we moved into our new Greensboro Urban Ministry building at 305 West Lee Street. Our fundraising consultant said we could only raise $1.2 million, but we knew we needed $2.6. So what did the caring Greensboro community do? We raised $3.6 and built the HealthServe Medical Center building in addition to our original plans! Following a Future's Conference at First Lutheran Church, the dream of Partnership Village became a reality after another successful capital campaign, which raised over $3 million! Today, we have a new Pathways housing 16 homeless families; the Madeline McElveen Child Development Center serving 160 children; and Partnership Village apartments serving 24 families and 32 individuals with transitional housing and supportive services. In the spring of 2007, we will add 12 two-bedroom family apartments. Forty years ago we could only heat up a can of soup and offer a mat on the floor in the wintertime. Today, Urban Ministry not only offers the basics of food and shelter, but we offer support services through social workers, case managers, chaplains, and Stephen Ministers. If an individual or family wants to work their way out of homelessness and poverty, we can meet them more than half-way thanks to your generous support! We can give them a hand up, not just a hand out! Please remember: overcoming poverty is a religious value and our challenge. God bless you for caring.