Forty years ago, a group of volunteers embarked on a mission to serve their neighbors in need. Since that moment, Urban Ministries of Wake County has continued to evolve, expanding our services to mitigate the impact of food insecurity, unequal access to healthcare and homelessness.
Now, as we look back on the past 40 years and forward to the next, we celebrate the countless volunteers, staff and partners who responded to the needs of our community with compassion, dignity and care.
Hunger and Nutrition Program Milestones
In 1981, our food pantry served 3,496 people. In our 40th year, we provided a week’s worth of meals to 42,219 individuals.
2020-21 milestones:
- We provided 7,000 lbs of produce from our garden for the food pantry
- We added four new refrigerators (allowing us to supply milk and eggs to every family)
- We planted gardens at the women’s shelter to provide fresh produce for the women
“During the pandemic, I started to come to Urban Ministries to pick up food for people in my neighborhood who were compromised or had no way to get food. I’m doing this because no one should worry where the next meal is coming from and no child should go hungry.”
Donna, a social worker in Wake County
Open Door Clinic and Pharmacy milestones
What began with medical and prescription assistance became the Open Door Clinic in 1985. Today we are a medical home for uninsured adults in our community. In addition to primary care appointments, we offer curbside prescription pick-up, diabetes education, mental health counseling and vaccinations. Here are some of our 2020-21 highlights.
monthly prescriptions
vaccines
(579 flu, 726 COVID-19 and 240 other)
medical devices for self-monitoring
total patient visits
“I make enough money to pay the bills, but that’s about it. I don’t have enough to cover health insurance. Without the Open Door Clinic, I would probably be dead from a heart attack or stroke. I am currently taking seven medications for my heart condition. There is no way I could have afforded these prescriptions without the clinic.”
Larry, Clinic Patient
Helen Wright Center for Women milestones
The need for emergency shelter was the catalyst for the start of The Ark Shelter in 1984, which later on became the Helen Wright Center for Women. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have remained a safe haven for women experiencing homelessness in Wake County. In addition to shelter, we offer case management, healthcare referrals and a workforce development program.
In 2020-21:
- 45 women graduated from the workforce development program
- 90 volunteer groups and individuals provided 9,840 meals to shelter guests
- 10,142 nights of shelter were available to women in need of a safe place to stay
“UMWC helped me out a lot. I would have spent my last dime on Lyfts and Ubers to get to and from work. I would be sleeping on somebody’s porch, not having anywhere to wash myself before work. UMWC did everything they could to help me move forward.”
Courtney, a 28-year-old mom of two and former guest at HWCW
Helen Wright Center for Women milestones
The need for emergency shelter was the catalyst for the start of The Ark Shelter in 1984, which later on became the Helen Wright Center for Women. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have remained a safe haven for women experiencing homelessness in Wake County. In addition to shelter, we offer case management, healthcare referrals and a workforce development program.
In 2020-21:
- 45 women graduated from the workforce development program
- 90 volunteer groups and individuals provided 9,840 meals to shelter guests
- A projector, sound system and 25 computers took the shelter’s classroom to the next level!
“UMWC helped me out a lot. I would have spent my last dime on Lyfts and Ubers to get to and from work. I would be sleeping on somebody’s porch, not having anywhere to wash myself before work. UMWC did everything they could to help me move forward.”
Courtney, a 28-year-old mom of two and former guest at HWCW
Your Impact
Our work at Urban Ministries of Wake County would not be possible without our incredible community of donors, partners and volunteers. During our first two weeks in 1981, we began with just 35 volunteers. Today, we operate with 1,177 volunteers.
Our First Year
35
volunteers in the first two weeks
open
10am – 1pm, one day a week
Our 40th year
volunteer hours completed at a value of $952,694
total volunteers
average volunteer hours per week
clinic interns
Thank You for Growing with Us
Without the support of people who gave of their time, talent and treasure, we would not have experienced the incredible growth we’ve seen over the last four decades. An increased need requires increased support – and time and time again, our supporters have stepped up to the plate.
From all of us at Urban Ministries of Wake County, we say thank you. And, we invite you to be a part of our next 40 years!
1981
4,468 people served with a budget of $27,440
2021
43,763 people served with a budget of $3,210,978
Thank You for Growing with Us
1981
4,468 people served with a budget of $27,440
2021
43,763 people served with a budget of $3,210,978
Without the support of people who gave of their time, talent and treasure, we would not have experienced the incredible growth we’ve seen over the last four decades. An increased need requires increased support – and time and time again, our supporters have stepped up to the plate.
From all of us at Urban Ministries of Wake County, we say thank you. And, we invite you to be a part of our next 40 years!