United Ministries

Welcome back to school, and welcome home families in United Ministries Housing program!

Over the summer 11 families with children in our Housing program moved into safe, stable, and welcoming spaces. Thanks to over 150 volunteers, generous Housing partners, and dedicated staff, the children in these homes started the school year with a loving place to call home.

This summer United Ministries intern Karis has been hard at work scanning all of our photos into digital format so we are able to share and reflect on our storied past! In the vault of photos, we were reminded of the time Place of Hope held a beautiful wedding ceremony, complete with vows, dancing, cake, and lots of love.

We are just as proud today as we have always been to get to celebrate these special moments of connection, joy, and hope. Enjoy these blast-from-the-past photos, and be on the lookout for more in the future.

A moment of radical hope, a sense of belonging, an act of kindness...these profound moments of connection are part of everyday life in our Emergency Assistance Program. In EA, staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide food and financial assistance for neighbors in our community who are experiencing moments of crisis.

We are seeing a record high in the number of families and individuals coming to United Ministries for assistance. If you want to be part of creating moments of hope for these community members, we are always gratefully accepting donations of canned goods, pantry items, and grocery staples.

Thank you for supporting neighbors in our Greenville community, and contributing to our collective hope.

Summer is always a busy and energized season at United Ministries, and recent volunteer groups have made a world of difference supporting program participants in many impactful ways! The work of United Ministries is founded on the generosity of our Greenville neighbors, and we are so grateful to highlight many of the recent groups here.

Photo 1: Annette and Violet purchased all of these items to donate with money raised from their lemonade stand! Thank you, Annette and Violet, these goods will support many families and individuals in our community!

Photo 2: Summer has been a busy moving month, with loaded vans and lots of helping hands! Thank you to community volunteers from United Community Bank and Aldersgate UMC Greenville SC and UM Staff for jumping in to help.

Photo 3: Elementary students from Christ Church Episcopal School Summer Camp helped get toys sorted and ready for families and participants in our programs to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and life accomplishments!

Photo 4: Volunteer groups have helped to transform our donation intake system, making donated goods more accessible for participants to get what they need. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this change!

Photo 5: Christ Church Episcopal Mission Week visited with local students and experienced the joy and privilege of helping a participant family move into a new home where the kids will have more space to play and learn.

Thank you to all our volunteers and supporting community, we appreciate you!!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming five new members onto our Board of Directors! We are thrilled that each of these individuals are willing to give their time, expertise, and wisdom to help further our mission and serve individuals and families in Greenville. Please join us in extending a warm United Ministries welcome to Dr. Matteel Knowles, Rob Tiro, Marion Crawford, Lydia Dunn, and Laura Beth Medley!

Today is a Thankful Thursday! We are sharing our deep gratitude for the generous support that Symmes Foundation, AFL, Sisk Foundation, John I. Smith Charities, and Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina have given us through grants. This funding will support all of our programs, enabling us to continue to serve and empower families and individuals experiencing scarcity by providing basic needs for stability and supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency.

Please join us in thanking Symmes Foundation, AFL Telecommunications, Sisk Foundation, John I. Smith Charities, and Sisters of Charity for their support of our mission!

54 years ago, United Ministries was founded to address critical community need, and it is on this foundation and with mixed emotions that we announce the ending of our adult education program at United Ministries as of September, 2024.

This decision was not made lightly and reflects our commitment to strategically impacting the lives of those we serve in the area of greatest need, which in recent years, we have seen a significant growing demand for initiatives that focus on housing stability and economic mobility.

For those who have been part of our Adult Education program over the last 20+ years as a student, tutor, or supporter, please know that we are immensely proud of your achievements and contributions to our greater community. We will work alongside participants to ensure a smooth transition to partner organizations, such as the Greenville Greenville Literacy Association and the Sullivan Center, to ensure that students have the opportunity to continue their journey to the GED exam. Our top priority is to support students, volunteers, and staff through this transition.

As we continue to adapt our programs to best meet the needs of individuals and families in Greenville, we look forward to sharing additional opportunities for you to continue supporting our mission. Your continued support and belief in our mission are what drive us forward, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead to make an even greater impact together.

To read more about the adult education program decision, please visit the In The News or Adult Education portion of our website at united-ministries.org, or check out the news coverage in the GVLToday newsletter or on WYFF4

Today we are excited to give a HUGE thank you to Woodforest Charitable Foundation for their incredibly generous gift! Woodforest Charitable went above and beyond and we were so grateful to be on the receiving end of their generosity. Their support will ensure individuals and families in Greenville have access to opportunities and the resources needed to thrive. Thank you again, Woodforest Charitable Foundation! Woodforest National Bank

Happy Independence Day! United Ministries is closed today, July 4th in observance of this holiday.

Summer is heating up, and so is our Summer Lovin’ Donation Drive! We are collecting the most-requested items for participant families and individuals during the summer months.

To get involved, consider hosting a collection drive at your church, organization, workplace, or neighborhood, and bring donations to our admin building at 606 Pendleton St., Greenville, SC 29605 throughout the month of July. We are so grateful for your support and spreading the love to families and individuals in our community!

To stay up to date on donation requests and current program needs visit the Get Involved tab on united-ministries.org

We are loving having Karis and Lailah here at United Ministries as our summer interns!

Karis is a sophomore at Brevard College studying Art and Communications, and Lailah graduated this year from Greenville High School! Karis and Lailah have already been hard at work for the past 2 weeks at United Ministries. They're engaging in all five of our program areas and are enthusiastic, hard-working young ladies.

We're so fortunate to have them and are grateful to UMC Greenville for connecting us to Karis, and Lailah for seeking out this opportunity for herself. Please join us in giving them a warm United Ministries welcome!

We are so excited to announce that Leigh Barton, Associate Director of Data, Evaluation and Strategic Impact, was nominated and selected to serve on the Member Advisory Council with Economic Mobility Pathways EMPath !

During this 18-month role, Leigh will have the opportunity to share United Ministries’ collective expertise and experiences in our community, and provide the relevant knowledge, critical thinking, and analysis to help EMPath make more informed decisions.

We are so proud to be a partner with EMPath, providing families and individuals with the resources and skills to achieve upward economic mobility through supportive relationships and service networks. Thank you to EMPath, and please join us in congratulating Leigh on this amazing opportunity!

We are so grateful to The Leon Levine Foundation for their generous multi-year grant to United Ministries! This funding will support all of our programs, enabling us to continue to serve and empower families and individuals experiencing scarcity by providing basic needs for stability and supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency.

Please join us in thanking The Leon Levine Foundation for their support!

Self-Select Food Pantry: Why It Matters to Us

The Emergency Assistance Food Pantry program at United Ministries allows for participant-led selection of requested food and pantry items, based on current availability. Why is a self-selection system important to us?

1) Prioritizes Inclusion: we recognize that participants in our community come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and each come with preferences, dietary needs, and physical differences. Self-selection allows participants to have the food and pantry goods that best fit their unique needs.

2) Reduces Food Waste: providing participants with the goods they select reduces waste and ensures that families are receiving only what they will use, which increases the chance that another family will get what they need.

3) Supports Stability: we are committed to providing opportunities for participants to increase self-sufficiency and stability, and giving participants the space to select their own food and pantry items needs promotes just that!

To learn more about United Ministries and our Emergency Assistance Food Pantry, visit united-ministries.org

Today is moving day for two more families in our Housing program, and with thanks to New Hope Outreach Center the families are able to move into fully furnished, beautiful, and welcoming homes!

New Hope Outreach Center graciously furnished multiple homes for United Ministries, creating spaces that are equipped with all the necessary elements for families to find stability in their homes. We are beyond grateful for the generosity, care, intention, and love that New Hope Outreach Center has shown to the families with children in our United Ministries Housing Program!

A day of celebration, recognition, and restoration. Juneteenth commemorates one of the most important days in American history, the end of slavery. Today we celebrate freedom for all.

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads on our staff, and in our community! We are so appreciative of the love, commitment, and strength you give every day. Comment THANKS to join in celebrating all the amazing fathers in Greenville!

Take peek inside the Striving to Thrive Program at one of our most-loved resources--this is the Bridge Assessment!

The Bridge Assessment is a tool that helps participants identify goals and objectives that they want for their life. Working with a Economic Mobility Partner, participants evaluate where they are at currently in various categories and define where they would like to be, allowing action steps to emerge that build a bridge for participants to achieve those goals.

To learn more about Striving to Thrive and participant-led programming, visit www.united-ministries.org today!

Spread the love this summer, join in our Summer Lovin' Donation Drive!

With school out for the summer and the South Carolina heat coming on strong, many families, children, and adult participants at United Ministries need your help to stay fed and safe. Our programs rely on generous donations from the community to provide participants with the resources they need, join us in spreading the love!

We are most in need of shelf-stable food items, disposable razors, sunscreen, bug spray, and bath products.

For a complete list of donation requests, visit united-ministries.org

Thank you for supporting participants of United Ministries through donated goods!

We are so excited to welcome a family in our Housing program home into their own space!

June is a busy month for moving here at United Ministries, and thanks to generous donations of goods and financial support from our community, families in our Housing Program are able to move into safe, furnished, stable homes.

Thank you to New Hope Outreach Center who furnished multiple homes for families. We are so grateful for the generous way you supported these families!

We know that supporting families and individuals experiencing scarcity means addressing a diverse range of needs, and we are proud that Integrated Services allows us to build a network of support for our participants.

This means that when a participant joins one program, such as the Housing Program, they also gain access to a support network of our other resources, including: Emergency Assistance, the Food Pantry, Matched Savings, Mental Health Counseling, and more!

If you want to help more families and individuals receive this type of wraparound support visit the Get Involved section of our website today at united-ministries.org

United Ministries was abuzz this May with many exciting moments! Read about all the exciting opportunities and corresponding photos below.

1: Economic Mobility Partner Isabel at Hispanic Alliance Resource Fair
2: Greer Walker volunteer group gave generously with time and energy!
3: Guest Speaker Angela Huntley spoke to the Striving to Thrive team about Certified Nursing Assistant Training, and the Employment Bridge Program. Thank you Angela!
4: Junior League joined for Graduation and served up ice cream and smiles!
5: Adult Education Graduation was a huge success, check out the amazing photos from LHS Visions on our website!

Everyone belongs. As an agency, United Ministries will continue to work diligently to create more spaces of representation and intentionality in all that we do. We are committed to continued growth and learning, and strive to intentionally honor the humanity of every person who enters our doors - and communicate safety, inclusivity, and celebration of diversity more clearly. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ community and agree that love is love.

This week we honored three outgoing United Ministries Board of Directors Members, all of whom are completing six years serving on the Board!

Pictured here (first photo) are LaTonya Phillips (left), Jim Akerhielm (center) who served as Board Chair for 2020-2021, and Myra Morant (right) who served as Board Chair for 2022-2023.

In the second photo, Dixon Harrill, current Board Chair, and Executive Director, Lizzie Bebber, bid a grateful farewell to Myra Morant.

Thank you for the time, energy, and passion you each poured into United Ministries over many years of serving, we are beyond appreciative!

Have you ever wondered what exactly Place of Hope does each day? Through Place of Hope, we go beyond providing basic services to those experiencing homelessness. We're on a mission to forge deeper connections and address the root causes of homelessness, such as unemployment, health challenges, substance abuse, mental illness, and education barriers.

Walk-ins are welcome for immediate access to essentials like showers, restrooms, laundry services, lockers, and telephone. For those ready to take the next step, our advanced intensive case management offers personalized support, from obtaining identification documents to securing treatment, finding long-term housing, and accessing legal services.

Today we honor and remember all those who have served. United Ministries’ offices are closed today, May 27th, in observance of this holiday.

Last Friday the Executive Team at United Ministries celebrated Homes of Hope at their beautiful Spring Gala! The event was full of joy, emotion, and hope for the future of Homes of Hope and the Greenville community. Homes of Hope we are so grateful for your impactful work, commitment to mission, and our incredible partnership!

We are so excited to share that three more Stories of Hope have been added to our website for all to view! This time in the form of letters, participants from a range of United Ministries programs share their experiences with struggles, belonging, barriers, and hope.

You can read the letters by visiting the Stories of Radical Hope page on our website at https://united-ministries.org/how-you-can-help/stories-of-hope