Vital Signs Volume 10, Issue 1 | Page 4

. 40059 40025 40241 40242 40212 40203 40202 40211 WLCM 40210 40208 40245 40222 40206 40243 40205 HCM 40217 40223 ST.MAM UCHM 40204 CLCM EACM 40242 40207 SISTER V 40220 SEAM 40216 SAM 40215 40209 40218 40225 SLCM 40258 40023 40213 JAM 40299 40214 40219 MUSCL 40228 FHUM 40291 SWCM 40118 FACM 40229 40272 40047 40047 40047 40109 Copyright 2011, Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Louisville Water Company (LWC). All Rights Reserved. 40177 0 2.5 5 10 Miles Community Services and Revitalization Al F. Humphries III April 17, 2014 COMPASSION AT WORK W hether by loss of work, natural disaster or medical emergency, there is a constant influx of Louisville residents in need of a helping hand. For 27 years, Shively Area Ministries (SAM) has been providing that much needed support in southwestern Jefferson County. zip code by being a centerpiece of collaboration for numerous charitable organizations as well as the 26 participating churches in the area. There are 15 zip code districts across Jefferson County, each with their own unique ministry and needs. However, hunger and poverty will exist regardless of location. In a residential district home to approximately 42,000 Louisvillians, more than 11,000 relied on SAM for some form of assistance in the last fiscal year alone. The recent economic downturn has hit this area of Louisville particularly hard. The average income of clients who visit the organization is just $800 per month and the amount of residents below the poverty line increased from 11 to 18 percent between the 2000 and 2010 census. “One program all 15 Jefferson County ministries have in common is our emergency assistance program,” said Louisville Ministries President and Fern Creek/Highview Ministries Exec. Director Reverend Ron Loughry. “Emergency assistance is our basic common denominator. We’re all involved in some degree in emergency food and financial assistance to prevent homelessness, hunger and loss of utilities.” “Part of the reason for that increase was due to the demolition of public housing in Louisville’s west end as well as the financial crisis of 2008. On top of those hurdles, we have an aging population often raising their grandchildren,” said SAM Executive Director Roxanna Trivitt, who believes the key to continued service lies along multiple roads. Ideally, individual churches are meant to act as a security net for their congregation, but what happens when the problem gets too big? When the Shively Pastor’s Association initially committed to the idea for a community food pantry, it was simply a matter of supply and demand. The churches couldn’t handle the needs of the community by acting individually so they came together for everyone’s benefit. Those roads have included continued collaboration with the Louisville metro government and non-profit groups such as Dare to Care which help provide food and services for local families, continued education of residents and strengthening the food pantry, which has been the organization’s centerpiece since its inception 27 years ago. As part of Louisville Ministries, SAM offers assistance to the 40216 4 “These churches were seeing the same people return, they couldn’t keep the pantries stocked and were having trouble finding volunteers to help staff each facility,” said Trivitt. “So they thought ‘What if we brought this together and created a ministry to not only feed those in need but spend time figuring out why they’re coming?’ ” VITAL SIGNS Volume 10 • Issue 1