Together We
Build a Peaceful Community Juntos, Construimos una
Comunidad de Paz
Vision
A peaceful community in
which tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation allow people of diverse racial
and economic backgrounds to live together as neighbors.
Mission
The mission--to assist
individuals, families and groups in their struggle to survive economic, social,
health and emotional crises and to support growth toward self-sufficiency
Core Goals
To integrate social, health,
youth and group programs to provide holistic services. To support neighbors
through home visits. To break down barriers created by poverty, isolation, fear
and prejudice. To recognize and promote the dignity of each person in the
community. To be hopeful and witness God's love for all people.
Midtown is an unique place—
»
where everyone is welcome
and everyone belongs » where services and support come together »
where families and
children come first » where the community gathers for sharing, work, to pray
& play.
THOSE WE
SERVE
With the lingering effects of the "Great
Recession" it is important to understand what poverty looks like. Last year,
91.8% of the families served at Midtown had total incomes under $11,800. This
is a little more than $980 per month for rent, food, utilities, clothing,
transportation and household necessities. Imagine juggling these costs every
month and hoping never to have a crisis. (The federal government has determined
for 2012, a family of four needs $23,050 to survive.)
In a recent
PEOPLE 1st job readiness class at Midtown, participants were discussing their
long-term goals for a comfortable income. The group decided $30,000 would be
enough to pay their bills and maybe even buy a car or think about a starter
home. One member of the group said they knew of someone who had an income of
$180,000. Another member quickly calculated that income was SIX, $30,000 jobs!
It was quite a shock to everyone when put in these terms.
The vision, mission and core goals serve as guiding
statements: The vision depicts a
respectful and tolerant future that is achievable, shared and
motivating. The
mission succinctly describes Midtown's
overarching purpose. The core
goals describe Midtown's guiding principles and
beliefs and the manner in which it will carry out its vision and mission.
