Outreach Groups Stuff 7,500 Bags With Health Resources for Hartford Residents

May 30, 2017 | UA News

Article and photos by Urban Alliance staff.

Urban Alliance’s Revitalize initiative helps churches and ministry organizations reach and serve people who are struggling to care for their physical health needs so that they are able to experience and maintain a lifestyle of wellness.

One expression of this is the Revitalize Community Health Outreach, a concentrated effort to get information about free and low-cost health services and incentives into the hands of tens of thousands of Hartford residents each year.

Hundreds of volunteers from local churches and ministry organizations distribute Revitalize health resource bags in a collaborative, one-day, door-to-door effort, with the goal of helping Hartford residents improve their nutrition and decrease the prevalence of adverse health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

The resource bags help direct residents to www.RevitalizeHartford.com, which is updated by Urban Alliance throughout the year with information about additional resources and services in the city.
 
This year, the Revitalize Community Health Outreach Day will take place on Saturday, June 10, and in preparation for the big day, nearly 80 volunteers from 15 churches and ministry organizations packed 7,500 resource bags on Friday, May 12. The packing party also provided an opportunity for outreach participants to connect with one another.
 
 
Click here to see more pictures from the Packing Party! 
 

Like what you see? 

The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

Make a Difference With UA

Discover what hundreds of volunteers, partners, churches and ministries already know: we can make a difference when we work together!