Packing the House to Pack Bags for Health

May 29, 2018 | UA News

It was a packed house at Urban Alliance on Friday, May 18, as more than 150 volunteers from 20 churches and parachurch organizations in the UA network convened to fill more than 11,000 bags with important information about local free and low-cost health and wellness services and resources. The bags will be distributed in a door-to-door effort by these same churches and parachurch organizations on June 9 throughout Hartford as well as through community organizations and schools. The Revitalize Community Health Outreach is an expression of UA’s Revitalize initiative, which helps churches and parachurch organizations reach and serve Hartford residents, to help them improve their nutrition and decrease the prevalence of adverse health conditions related to poor diet, like diabetes and heart disease.
 
To learn more about participating in Revitalize, contact Angela Colantonio, UA’s Director of Implementation, Health & Basic Needs Initiatives.
 
 

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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.

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