(excerpted from Community Teamwork Inc.’s (CTI) Program Guide from their 13th Annual Evening with Local Heroes where Christ Church United in Lowell was recognized as a Local Hero in Greater Lowell, 10/26/06.)
“If there were 5 more groups like Christ Church United in Lowell, homelessness would be eliminated in Greater Lowell!”.
Local Hero
Christ Church United, Lowell, MA
Christ Church United (CCU) stands at the forefront of the fight against homelessness in Greater Lowell. Through its close collaboration with the SHIFT (Stabilized Housing for Families in Transition) Coalition and Community Teamwork, CCU has helped stabilize the lives of our most impoverished community members.
The Church was one of the founding “visionaries” of the SHIFT Coalition, which has become a model, cost-effective approach in helping people avoid or overcome homelessness. It does this by combining the resources of the faith, government, business, education and human service sectors to create solutions to prevent and end homelessness.
Over the past several years, Christ Church United has been steady and generous in its efforts to eradicate homelessness and help people become self sufficient:
• In 2006, over 30 Coalition partners shared a variety of resources – financial aid, case management, and information and referral to other resources – to help over 40 local families avoid or overcome homelessness. Christ Church United was a leader throughout this demanding year.
• The Church donated $10,000 to help a dozen families with back rent or mortgage payments and the start-up costs of a new apartment.
• Christ Church was an integral partner in helping CTI and the Department of Transitional Assistance move approximately 40 families from local motels and shelters into permanent affordable housing by donating household goods and supplies.
In addition to its work through SHIFT, the Christ Church United has helped minority groups including the Hispanic and Laotian communities conduct services at the Church. It also supports a variety of organizations whose mission is to end hunger and homelessness including the Greater Lowell Open Food Pantry, Mobile Food Pantry, City of Lowell Hunger Homeless Commission, the Walk for Hunger, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), Julie House Outreach Center for HIV and the City of Lowell Summer Pool Program.
