What is it?
N.O.A.H stands for Networking, Organizing and Advocacy for Health and it’s a collaboration of more than 65 metro-Detroit churches teaming with Family Service, Inc. to provide food, shelter, basic needs, health services and more for the “chronically homeless” of Detroit. It is a project of the Alliance for Urban Ministry and local churches team up to provide sack lunches and other meals for the ministry — to the tune of more than 25,000 meals served in 2009. N.O.A.H. is funded primarily through foundations that support them, as well as federal and state grants.
How did it start?
In 1999 N.O.A.H. coordinator John Barnett helped transform the Bag Lunch Program into something much broader through his work with Family Services, Inc. He said he realized there was a great need to assist people who suffered from mental illnesses, substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, etc. and Central UMC and Family Services decided to form an alliance. Barnett said N.O.A.H. continues to evolve as community needs change and there is always room for more help and improvement.
“We change according to the staff we bring in and we also change based on the needs of the population we deal with,” he said.
What type of progress has been made?
N.O.A.H. has four full-time employees, two part-time staff members and 15-20 volunteers who help out on a weekly basis.
Barnett said they help all ages, but 70-80 percent of the project’s clients are 50-60 years old.
“Most of the individuals we work with aren’t transient homeless — they’re not like somebody who just lost a job last week — we’re working with people who have been on the street 10 or 15 years and we’re trying to change behaviors and attitudes to help them get off the street,” he said.
Some N.O.A.H. clients actually volunteer and assist N.O.A.H. workers as they learn to gain trust and build relationships.
Amy Brown has worked with N.O.A.H. for six years, and her Master’s Degree in social work prepared her to help N.O.A.H. make the most of its resources.
She said what inspires her most is seeing friendships blossom.
“Once they start being in (healthy) relationships for a while they start trusting others and growing and you realize the small things they have, they are willing to share with others,” she said. “And to me that’s really living out the message of the Gospel — like the five loaves and two fish story, things multiply themselves around here and people are willing to share with each other.”
What churches/people can do to help?
Although state and federal grants help the project’s cause, they have lost some funding in recent years, Brown said.
They have a goal of $60,000 in donations from its Ministry Jubilee listing (# MJ 1162) each year and that money goes directly to funding a US-2 missionary for the project, as well as bagged lunch supplies and things like bus tickets and IDs.
Brown said over 40 local UMCs help make bagged lunches, but there is always a need for more. Churches can also donate supplies for hygiene kits and clothes, especially with fall and winter just around the corner.
“As winter approaches we’re always in need of socks, gloves and hats. Socks and gloves are the number one and number two preventers of frostbite, which people on the street are constantly concerned about getting,” she said. “We also need a lot of men’s underwear to help people survive.”
Churches or individuals can donate directly through the Ministry Jubilee outreach or reach Brown or Barnett by calling 313-965-5422 or e-mailing them at yourpalamybrown@yahoo.com or johnbarnett13@hotmail.com.
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