Mission

We are a unique ministry of the Midlands community created to serve as an instrument of God’s love by providing a coordinated charitable response to assist those in need.  

How We Do It

We seek to improve the quality of life for those we help by providing direct assistance, counseling, prayer, and guidance to other available community resources. We are enabled to do this through the support of  congregations, businesses, individuals, foundations and grants.

Why We Do It

We desire to honor God by reflecting Divine Compassion for those less fortunate as we lift the Midlands’ working poor out of crisis and poverty.

There’s been a layoff.
There’s been an accident.
There’s been a fight at home.

Among us all, there is a fine line between stability and despair. At any moment, for any number of reasons, a person’s world can be stripped to the core. Sometimes it’s an emergency that comes out of nowhere. Or perhaps it’s the latest episode in a problem that has been building for what seemed line an eternity.

 

 

HELP THE WINTER SHELTER

The winter shelter is currently in need of the following items:

FOOD

 

• Sandwiches
• breakfast bars
• fruit cups
• individually wrapped packages of cookies or crackers
• cans of ground coffee
• cans of powdered lemonade

 

SUPPLIES

 

• 8oz hot/cold cups
• napkins
• plastic spoons
• travel size hygiene items
• board games and playing cards
• magazines

 

All items can be delivered to The Cooperative Ministry--3821 W. Beltline Blvd

 

Who Are The Working Poor?

August 12, 2008

The Columbia metropolitan area had the fifth-highest increase in the nation in its working poor population in recent years.

The Brookings Institution points out that if the needs of the working poor are not addressed problems with things such as:

• Homelessness
• Cost of living
• Private-sector investment
• Education
• Crime rates
• Health issues
• Affordable housing
• Upward mobility, and
• Local government cost will increase.