The programs offered by the Neighborhood Christian Center in Morgan County, Alabama are designed to help people break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Emergency financial aid and practical support is provided along with educational and employment programs.
There are various ministries at NCC which help families in need. Each assistance program will also include developing a life plan with realistic and tangible goals to prevent future instances of poverty.
Ministries for financial help
The Neighborhood Christian Center offers financial assistance to poverty-stricken households that have some source of income. This assistance can help with rent or utility bills for those who have received a shut-off or eviction notice. To see if a program is available in your area, call for more information.
Receiving a shut-off notice from an electric or water provider is often a sign that the client is in a difficult living situation. The staff at the NCC ministries understands that people may need help with more than just filling out applications for financial assistance. They offer help and support to candidates in a variety of ways. The caseworker asks each person questions to figure out what led to the crisis.
Other types of help are available if you need it, including government grants to help pay bills, referrals, budget counseling, loans, and emotional support. Neighborhood Christian Center uses a comprehensive approach to crisis situations, which reduces the chance of a future situation developing and often prevents homelessness.
Free food boxes are available for Thanksgiving and Christmas as part of Outreach. There may also be coupons given out one weekend in November before Thanksgiving. Applicants need to provide a photo ID and proof that they live in Morgan County. The boxes from Neighborhood Christian Center contain the food needed to make a Thanksgiving dinner for their household. Families will be given a certificate to use at a supermarket or grocery store to help pay for a turkey or ham. In addition to receiving toys, hundreds of families will also receive Holiday help or be paired with other local charities.
The Neighborhood Christian Center Food Pantry provides a box of groceries every month that will last up to 10 days. Emergency bags of food are being given out to low-income residents in Morgan County and Decatur. The programs are available once every 30 days, and can help a family with their monthly budget. In December and during Thanksgiving, volunteers from the NCC assemble and distribute hundreds of Holiday Food boxes as well as toys for children.
The Neighborhood Christian Center tries to make sure that the food it gives out is healthy and has a variety of nutrients. The service will depend on donations from people in Decatur, so the type and amount of food available can vary.
The National Coordinating Center can help connect people in need of shelter with local organizations that can help. Transitional housing is a type of housing that is generally provided for a limited amount of time to people who are experiencing homelessness. This type of housing can provide people with a safe and stable place to live while they are working to find permanent housing. Transitional housing can be an important step in helping people to transition out of homelessness. There are places to stay for people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including veterans, victims of domestic violence, homeless individuals, and families.
There are also churches and charities in Morgan County that can help the homeless. If someone is leaving a recovery center or is homeless, they may be given referrals. These are centers that provide shelter for people during certain periods of the year when it is either very cold or very hot outside. The client will not only have a place to sleep, but will also receive some or all of the following.
Food assistance may include hot meals, breakfast, or lunch. Clothing, blankets, and hygiene items may also be provided. Transportation assistance may be available for a job interview. Employment and education assistance may be provided by case managers. Clients may also be assigned a mentor to work with.
Educational and employment support from Neighborhood Christian Center
The team at NCC Employment Services is dedicated to helping people in Morgan County find work that suits their interests and skills. The non-profit will help the client find a job by connecting them with employers in Decatur and talking to recruiters. This will help employers and employees find the best match for the job.
This program is designed for people who are truly vulnerable. The ministry will offer Life Skills 101 classes and support to those who abuse substances, the youth, and people who are currently in prison or jail. JFL not only helps you find a job, but also provides guidance on keeping it.
Based on this process, Neighborhood Christian Center will help clients by providing recruiter-ready resume writing workshops, job skills training, career counseling, interviewing as well as skills-building, and more. The team at NCC will not be able to guarantee anyone a job, but they will work hard to match the client’s level of commitment to becoming self-sufficient. You don’t need to make a reservation.
If you need help getting identification, there is also assistance available. This could include things like birth certificates, advice on how to dress for an interview, free work clothing, state ID cards from Alabama, and so on. There is a service called CAPS that provides support for college students. NCC’s Employment Ministry is very involved in helping people find jobs.
The ministries offered at Neighborhood Christian Center are many and varied. The goal is to help and show compassion to those who are less fortunate. The address is 619 Bank Street, Decatur, Alabama 35601. Please call the number 256-351-7633.