By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
In a little less than two hours, the Park Avenue Project, a community initiative between Rowan Helping Ministries and Park Avenue United Methodist Church, became New Tomorrows.
A group of community leaders came together Friday morning for a brainstorming session to discuss the cooperative project that aims to assist the neighborhood and the clients of Rowan Helping Ministries.
The meeting took place at Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 500 Park Ave.
Volunteers renamed the project New Tomorrows. They hope it will eventually spread to other neighborhoods, but for now, meetings will take place at the church in what is being called the New Tomorrows at Park Avenue United Methodist Church campus.
About a dozen volunteers will make up the Partners for New Tomorrows, a task force that will help get the project up and running.
“This is something that has needed to happen for a long time,” said church pastor Annalee Allen.
The needs of people have changed at Rowan Helping Ministries.
“We are seeing a greater need to meet crisis in a different way,” said Dianne Scott, executive director of Rowan Helping Ministries.
Scott said the people who stay at the shelter are staying longer.
“Thirty to 45 days is not enough,” she added.
The number of families receiving help from Rowan Helping Ministries has increased from 30 to 90.
One of the ideas was to have life skills training that would teach people about nutrition or how to grocery shop.
All participants would have to go through Rowan Helping Ministries.
Rowan Helping Ministries’ building, at 226 N. Long St., sits on the southwest corner of the Park Avenue neighborhood.
Organizers agreed there would need to be a screening or some sort of registration process for those who want to be helped.
Community volunteers seemed eager to move the neighborhood forward. They said it has gotten a bad rap in the past.
“We are ready to share our hearts and this building with the community,” said one volunteer.
The church will be where participants will take classes and, for now, hold meetings.
Volunteers want to be able to help participants with a range of things, from job coaching to counseling.
Volunteers are careful to avoid replicating programs already in place, but they want this to be a place where people can turn.
Organizers hope they can work with other programs such as career counselors with Rowan County JobLink Careeer Center.
Volunteers want to continue to bring new life to the Park Avenue neighborhood.
“The perception is that the local people have written off the neighborhood,” said one volunteer, a transplant from out of state.
“It’s a beautiful neighborhood. We love it,” the volunteer said.
Tippie Miller, a board member with Rowan Helping Ministries, said she would like to see some of the shelter clients on the task force since they know what type of help they need.
Organizers hope that once the program is up and running, it could become a model for other similar community programs.
The next meeting will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Park Avenue United Methodist Church.
For more information about the project, contact Dianne Scott at 704-637-6839 or dscott@rhmmail.org or Annalee Allen at 704-433-2773 or pastorannalee@gmail.com.