“A Place of God”: How Local Churches’ Vision Became a Force for Prayer and Community Change
“A Place of God”: How Local Churches’ Vision Became a Force for Prayer and Community Change
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) has established itself as a haven of safety and support for families facing crises since 1988. What began through a church partnership in a small basement has grown into a flourishing outreach serving in Dekalb and Gwinnett Counties.
Six years ago, Jenny Ortega Calderon chose to become an NCM volunteer, and the more she learned about the organization, the more she wanted to become a bigger part of it. Today, she serves as NCM’s Director of Community Outreach.
“I started getting involved in the nonprofit world when I was in college,” Jenny explained. “It was an eye-opening situation for me, realizing how much struggle is out there.”
“I am originally from El Salvador, and I moved to the United States when I was 14. I knew what poverty was. I knew what a lack of education was. I knew what hunger was. But it was hard for me to see those same issues here in the United States — the ‘land of opportunities.'”
NCM meets a wide range of needs for families across Gwinnett County, from connecting them with health clinics to offering job training to providing emergency relief.
“Our mission is to provide emergency assistance with dignity and hope,” Jenny said. “We help families with food, rent and utilities, and we also help families with hotel stays if they are experiencing homelessness. We have empowerment programs for job placements and money management and educational programs like ESL. We also have a health ministry where we refer clients to clinics for a general check-up or dental assistance.”
Tough situations and decisions present themselves regularly at NCM as staff and volunteers walk alongside struggling families — and NCM knows they can’t navigate each situation alone. That’s why prayer is at the core of NCM’s mission.
“[Prayer] reminds us that we are not in this alone and grants us more compassion and truth,” she said. “We rely on God’s guidance for everything we do: from all the financials to the way we communicate with clients to the way we make decisions about certain families.”
Recently, Jenny’s prayer has focused on the Hispanic community NCM serves.
“With a lot of the chaos and craziness going on in the world, as an organization, we were concerned how that was going to affect our [Hispanic] clients. Were they going to be afraid of coming to us?” Jenny explained. “I think it’s been the opposite. Clients are realizing that this is a safe place for them to come, and they’re getting more involved in our programs.”
Jenny has also seen God move through NCM’s committed volunteers. She specifically remembers a call this spring from another organization and the volunteers’ response.
“A family had lost everything in a house fire. They had no food, no clothes, nothing. Another organization was able to place them in a hotel, but they still needed all the basic needs.”
Though this call came late in the day, NCM’s volunteers sprung into action.
“Most of our volunteers had already left. There were a couple left who were wrapping up and ready to go. They had been here all day,” she said.
“When I got the call, I shared with the volunteers who were left, and they immediately stepped up. Some went to the food pantry and started packing food orders for [the family]. Another group of volunteers went to our clothes closet and began putting together bags of clothes, shoes and other essentials for each member of the family.”
Just as volunteers are vital to NCM’s work, nonprofit partnerships and connections are an important part of helping NCM serve the community. The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia has played an important role in spreading awareness about tools to expand NCM’s outreach and connect with other organizations.
“It’s helping us grow, but it’s also helping our families grow because they’re getting resources we might not have but another organization does,” Jenny explained.
The way the Gwinnett County community surrounds families in crisis is an encouragement to Jenny as she walks alongside those in need.
“It just reminds me how powerful kindness and love is,” she said.
To support Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries, click here to donate to their fund!
“A Place of God”: How Local Churches’ Vision Became a Force for Prayer and Community Change
“A Place of God”: How Local Churches’ Vision Became a Force for Prayer and Community Change
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) has established itself as a haven of safety and support for families facing crises since 1988. What began through a church partnership in a small basement has grown into a flourishing outreach serving in Dekalb and Gwinnett Counties.
Six years ago, Jenny Ortega Calderon chose to become an NCM volunteer, and the more she learned about the organization, the more she wanted to become a bigger part of it. Today, she serves as NCM’s Director of Community Outreach.
“I started getting involved in the nonprofit world when I was in college,” Jenny explained. “It was an eye-opening situation for me, realizing how much struggle is out there.”
“I am originally from El Salvador, and I moved to the United States when I was 14. I knew what poverty was. I knew what a lack of education was. I knew what hunger was. But it was hard for me to see those same issues here in the United States — the ‘land of opportunities.'”
NCM meets a wide range of needs for families across Gwinnett County, from connecting them with health clinics to offering job training to providing emergency relief.
“Our mission is to provide emergency assistance with dignity and hope,” Jenny said. “We help families with food, rent and utilities, and we also help families with hotel stays if they are experiencing homelessness. We have empowerment programs for job placements and money management and educational programs like ESL. We also have a health ministry where we refer clients to clinics for a general check-up or dental assistance.”
Tough situations and decisions present themselves regularly at NCM as staff and volunteers walk alongside struggling families — and NCM knows they can’t navigate each situation alone. That’s why prayer is at the core of NCM’s mission.
“[Prayer] reminds us that we are not in this alone and grants us more compassion and truth,” she said. “We rely on God’s guidance for everything we do: from all the financials to the way we communicate with clients to the way we make decisions about certain families.”
Recently, Jenny’s prayer has focused on the Hispanic community NCM serves.
“With a lot of the chaos and craziness going on in the world, as an organization, we were concerned how that was going to affect our [Hispanic] clients. Were they going to be afraid of coming to us?” Jenny explained. “I think it’s been the opposite. Clients are realizing that this is a safe place for them to come, and they’re getting more involved in our programs.”
Jenny has also seen God move through NCM’s committed volunteers. She specifically remembers a call this spring from another organization and the volunteers’ response.
“A family had lost everything in a house fire. They had no food, no clothes, nothing. Another organization was able to place them in a hotel, but they still needed all the basic needs.”
Though this call came late in the day, NCM’s volunteers sprung into action.
“Most of our volunteers had already left. There were a couple left who were wrapping up and ready to go. They had been here all day,” she said.
“When I got the call, I shared with the volunteers who were left, and they immediately stepped up. Some went to the food pantry and started packing food orders for [the family]. Another group of volunteers went to our clothes closet and began putting together bags of clothes, shoes and other essentials for each member of the family.”
Just as volunteers are vital to NCM’s work, nonprofit partnerships and connections are an important part of helping NCM serve the community. The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia has played an important role in spreading awareness about tools to expand NCM’s outreach and connect with other organizations.
“It’s helping us grow, but it’s also helping our families grow because they’re getting resources we might not have but another organization does,” Jenny explained.
The way the Gwinnett County community surrounds families in crisis is an encouragement to Jenny as she walks alongside those in need.
“It just reminds me how powerful kindness and love is,” she said.
To support Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries, click here to donate to their fund!
