Seeing Farther, Hearing Better, Doing More!

The Housing Ministry Collaborative (HMC) unites the resources of ten area churches to help local residents who are facing housing challenges. Last year almost 100 families were served through this program avoiding shut-offs, evictions and potential homelessness.    

Dorothy Raha who serves at St Mary’s Church in Spring Lake remembers the origins of her church’s partnership with Love in Action. “In the beginning a few churches combined resources to create a pantry to address food insecurity in the Tri-Cities,” she recalls. “We eventually partnered with Love in Action, which helped expand our resources. What began as a collective effort to feed people developed into the ability to assess the needs of individuals and connect them with other resources available to them, including housing assistance.” Dorothy has been serving local families and individuals since 1966 and was one of the original churches to see the need for the Housing Ministry Collaborative.

Dorothy recalls a young woman who burst into tears in her office after she had already visited three churches to seek help with her rent. “There has to be a better way to serve,” she thought. Today the HMC program, based at Love in Action, meets with as many as 30 families each month and helps provide a coordinated response by the ten participating churches. 

One church, one individual, or one organization cannot address every need or reach every person who has a need. But when caring becomes part of our culture, our eyes, ears, and hands expand to see farther, hear better, and do more.

*If you’d like to give to this need, donations may be sent to Love in Action with HMC on the memo line. Each gift will be used exclusively to help with housing costs.