What Does the Lord Require – Atlanta Sacred Chorale

He has told you, O Man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, and to love kindness And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 NASB

What is Micah 6 of Austin?  A coalition of 11 Austin congregations collaborating in ministry to the homeless and impoverished in the University of Texas area and surrounding communities  A 501(c)3 nonprofit, incorporated in July 2004  We work to answer the call of Micah 6:8 to  Do justice through education, dialogue and advocacy  Love kindness by compassionately serving those who come to us for assistance  Walk humbly with God by providing opportunities for spiritual growth of those we serve, our congregations, and other community partners

Our Member Congregations All Saint’s Episcopal Church*University Avenue Church of Christ* Congregational Church of Austin, UCC*University Baptist Church* First English Lutheran Church*University Christian Church* Highland Park Baptist ChurchUniversity Presbyterian Church* Hyde Park Presbyterian ChurchUniversity United Methodist Church* St. Austin Catholic Parish* *denotes Founding Congregation

Our neighbors are struggling  A family of 4 making $45,622 is considered low income  36% of Travis County residents are low income  More than 373,000 people may not have enough money to make ends meet  Nearly one fourth of all children in Travis County are food insecure  A third of all food insecure individuals are not eligible for nutrition programs % of Individuals Living Below 200% of the Federal Poverty Threshold Source: Community Action Network 2013 Community Dashboard

Homelessness takes a tremendous toll  Travis County homeless people concentrate along the I-35 corridor, which includes the University of Texas area  Austin’s emergency shelters serve between 2,650 and 2,750 people each week  One of every five people receiving services for the homeless in 2012 was a child  Nearly 2,000 AISD students were homeless in Number of Homeless People, Annual Point in Time Count Source: Community Action Network 2013 Community Dashboard

Micah 6 responds: Food Pantry  Serves households per week  Guests receive about 30 pounds of food each  Each shopper feeds an average of 2.94 people (Capital Area Food Bank estimate)  Volunteers receive, stock and distribute between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds of food each week Households served through Micah

Kids on the street are most vulnerable  There are at least 900 homeless youth in Austin under 25 years old  Homeless youth are concentrated in the University area  40% were in foster care  Two thirds have untreated substance abuse issues  One third have emerging, untreated mental health issues  A quarter are girls, at risk for unwanted pregnancies  90% have experienced abuse – at home, in care, or on the street Source: ECHO census, Street Youth Ministry Street kids find rest where they can fotosearch.com

Micah 6 responds: Street Youth Drop-in Center  Well-staffed, friendly, comfortable place for people just to “be” on Sunday afternoons  Snacks and a full nutritious meal, plus coffee and tea  Computers with internet access  Games and art supplies  Comfortable couches and chairs  Referral to other services available from Member churches and the community A favorite spot is the computer corner

Join us at the Food Pantry!  Location:  University Presbyterian Church 2203 San Antonio Street  Hours of Operation:  Thursdays 6-7 pm  Saturdays 10:30-11:30 am  Volunteers can  Shop for produce and bread  Unload the delivery truck  Stock pantry shelves  Assist shoppers with registration, food selection, packing  Clean up!  Visit to find out more The Early Bird Team unloads trucks at 6:30 AM each Thursday morning

Join us at the Drop-in Center!  Location:  University Baptist Church Atrium 2130 Guadalupe Street  Hours of Operation:  Sundays 2-6 pm  Volunteers needed from 1:40-6:15  Volunteers can  Prepare for Center opening  Set up the kennels  Greet the kids as they enter  Assist with computer rotation  Clean up!  We also need groups to prepare and serve a complete meal, with enough for seconds  Visit to find out more Pets owned by street youth are welcome at the Drop-in Center

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