The sixth of seven in a series about the recipients of this year's
Seeds of Hope Grants to develop and expand social justice ministries in
Southern Virginia. Learn more about Seeds of Hope grants here.
St. John's, Suffolk, has been awarded a Seeds of Hope Grant to help
fund the Coalition Against Poverty in Suffolk (CAPS). Begun in 2010,
CAPS is a collaborative effort to address poverty on two levels: the
crisis of an immediate need and the underlying causes of these needs.
Currently 24 churches and organizations are participating members. CAPS
provides a collaborative and coordinated system to meet the financial,
physical, mental and spiritual needs of the community.
The CAPS model for
addressing poverty is to create a central intake center for Suffolk at
which a Services Coordinator will handle requests for assistance that
usually go to churches. Rather than each church handling requests
individually, churches will direct requests for assistance to CAPS. The
coordinator is based at the Salvation Army office in Suffolk. The
program provides a one-stop center for a variety of types of assistance.
CAPS' vision is
that Suffolk churches and organizations are united and empowered to
accomplish Christ's commission. That individuals and families live with
dignity as they participate in CAPS ministries and experience the
holistic Gospel transformation.
You can learn more about CAPS at www.capsuffolk.com or like them on Facebook (CAPSuffolk).
