How does the Charitas Network work? Without the Charitas Model, folks in need search and search to find help among churches and nonprofits. Even if they can help, churches are often unsure about who to help.
What is the Charitas Network? Charitas is the Latin word for love; the word “charity” is derived from it. With the spirit of charity in mind, the Charitas Network to be a cooperative effort of faith communities in Western Union County and Southeast Mecklenburg County to live out God’s command to love our neighbors, especially those who experience poverty, disability, homelessness, unemployment, and crisis. This network will be stewarded by Common Heart as a part of Common Heart CONNECTS Resource network.
How does the Charitas network concept benefit the local community? The Charitas Network will be a one-stop resource to access services from the faith community for those in need. As part of the broader Common Heart CONNECTS Network, it will centralize all local church and agency services / programs. Common Heart will act as a clearinghouse of available resources to quickly and efficiently meet very specific needs. By taking the guesswork out of tracking down the proper resources it will save time meeting needs, and reduce the stress placed upon those who are desperate for assistance.
With Charitas Network, CONNECTS becomes a middle ground, a clearinghouse, identifying needs, qualifying families, and pointing them directly to the church or nonprofit that can assist them. Our goal is to make relational connections with caring people and churches, encouraging transformative friendships while meeting needs.
How does participation in the Charitas Network benefit the ministry of your church? Common Heart has a staff member dedicated to the implementation of the Charitas Network. Our CONNECTS Manager will serve as the primary point of contact for the allocation of assistance. The Manager will receive referrals, process applications, and interview and qualify prospective recipients of services on behalf of the church organizations and other partner agencies, ensuring that the available resources are being properly distributed in accordance to specific needs. Common Heart brings the following makes the following resources available to your church: Access to Common Cupboard food distribution program, which provides your church a ministry opportunity to directly serve families in need. Training seminars at your location from Serving U, Common Heart’s university of kindness. A new program (still under development) to identify servants in your church willing to meet specific needs to increase your church’s outreach and inreach. Many new opportunities to serve families in need and develop relationships through your already- existing ministries.
How does a church participate? What is expected? Ultimately, we’d love for members of the faith community to participate in this network by: Providing a detailed list of services and programs available to assist those in need outside their own communities. These may include benevolence programs, clothing/food initiatives, educational & support group programs, and any other ministries that benefit families and individuals struggling with poverty, disability & crisis. Committing a percentage of their local mission budget to help provide financial support Common Heart and the Charitas Network. Sending representatives from their organization to attend periodic advisory so that they might share insights and collaborate with other members of the faith community and Common Heart to strategically ensure a successful partnership and program. Attending a voluntary monthly prayer and fellowship lunch meeting with other members of the Charitas Network.
We are interested in participating. What do we need to do? Schedule a meeting to collaborate with members of the Common Heart staff, to familiarize our team with your organization’s available resources, programs, and ministries. Then, when you receive a call from a member of the community requesting assistance, simply refer the individual in need directly to Common Heart. We will handle the rest of the process from that point, coordinating interviews and allocating resources as needed.
Tell me more about Common Heart. Common Heart, Inc is a grassroots 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 2006 that fosters volunteer community action to address hunger and poverty in Union County, NC and surrounding areas. “Bridging the Gap. Transforming Lives.” is a summation of the mission. We do this through mobilizing volunteers, creating resources, advocacy, networking and creating awareness.
What is the Charitas Network?
Common Heart began when four friends embarked on a journey to create ways to bridge the gap for families in need. The desire that motivated them was to be personally active in addressing practical needs. What started as four friends delivering groceries to a few hungry neighbors has become a local grassroots movement of several hundred volunteers. One of the hallmarks of this movement is showing love by meeting practical needs, listening, caring, praying and just being friends with our neighbors in need. Ten years later Common Heart operates two Cupboards that feed over 25,000 people each year. Common Things Thrift Store provides a variety of goods at below-retail prices. CONNECTS is our resource and networking outreach seeking to connect families in need with services to help and administers Duke Energy’s Share the Warmth program in our community. Common Heart Free Tax Service prepares and e-files federal and state taxes at no cost for low and moderate income families. Serving U, a university of kindness, is our education arm providing seminars and workshops for the community and training for our volunteers in how to “encourage a small revolution of kindness” in our lives, the families we serve, and our community at large.
Local Churches Mobilized to Serve families In need
Common Heart www.CommonHeart.org
[email protected] 704-218-9060
