What is Must Ministries?
MUST Ministries, founded in 1971, is the most significant safety net for those living in poverty in north metro Atlanta.
MUST helps more than 33,000 individuals each year by covering their basic needs for food, shelter, and work, as well as giving them the resources and training they need to find a job and achieve long-term self-sufficiency.
MUST aim to “serve our neighbors in need, improving lives and communities,” since it was founded in the Christian tradition.
MUST brings together individuals of all religions to answer God’s call to minister to others with compassion and love, regardless of the beliefs, backgrounds, or circumstances of those who serve or are served.
What Must Ministries Do?
MUST Ministries is a vital resource for more than 33,000 of the poorest people in north metro Atlanta. MUST’s clientele is two-thirds youngsters, with 90 percent residing in Cobb and Cherokee counties.
Individuals and families who are homeless, jobless, working poor, veterans, disabled, or enduring other problems are MUST’s target clientele.
MUST Ministries provides foods to 15,000+ food pantry clients in 34 sites annually. Approximately 80,000 warm dinners are served.
Prepares and delivers over 250,000 sandwiches to over 7,000 children who would otherwise go hungry without a school lunch over the summer.
The MUST Elizabeth Inn Emergency Shelter houses almost 900 people.
Across all MUST housing initiatives moreover, 84,000 people have had a safe night’s sleep. At least 600 people are helped to obtain work, support their families, and stay in secure housing while contributing $11 million to the local economy.
A small professional team and an army of 11,000 volunteers are responsible for these initiatives. MUST Ministries is available to help those experiencing difficulties and require temporary support to meet our objective of “helping our neighbors in need…transforming lives and communities.”
WAYS WE CAN HELP
1- FOOD
In response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, MUST is distributing Family Food Boxes. You can get food once a month.
For a list of distribution venues, click here. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., sack lunches are provided at the Elizabeth Inn Campus gate.
2- HOUSING
There are various housing choices for men, women, and children, including the Elizabeth Inn Homeless Shelter, TBRA (Tenant-Based Rental Assistance), Rapid Rehousing, Hotel Vouchers, and a Cold Weather Shelter. Please read our Housing page for further details.
3- JOBS
Employment Services provides individual job coaching and group-centered learning activities to improve marketable skills and link people to jobs.
For additional information about job fairs and the program, go to our Workforce Development website.
4-CLOTHING
The four MUST Ministries clothing closets address a vital fundamental requirement, whether it’s clothing for an interview or apparel for a youngster to go to school. For further information and locations, go to the Clothing page.
5- HEALTHCARE
The Mercy Care Clinic in Marietta and the Bethesda Mobile Medical Unit, which comes to our Canton facility on the first Friday of every month, provide healthcare.
For additional information, please see our Healthcare page.
Also Read: HELP of Southern Nevada
All Programs
1- Elizabeth Inn Emergency Shelter
The Elizabeth Inn Emergency Shelter provides a secure haven to relax for homeless persons. The 72-bed Elizabeth Inn serves men, women, families, and children.
It offers a wide range of support services, including case management, education and employment, a computer lab, recovery groups, referrals, and evaluations.
The Permanent Supportive Housing Program helps people who have been homeless for a long time and have physical or mental problems.
2- Supportive Housing Programs
MUST provides three supportive housing programs in Cobb, one of which is solely for veterans, according to funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The program provides a stable living environment and case managers to assist clients in achieving more independence and stability.
3- Tenant-Based Assistance Programs and Rapid Rehousing Programs
The Rapid Rehousing Program and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance programs help homeless families find permanent housing and pay security deposits.
Individuals and families are moved off the streets and out of emergency shelters into their apartments, and case management is provided to assist them in retaining permanent, unsubsidized housing.
4- Client Service Centers
MUST Ministries has Client Service Centers in Marietta and Smyrna where people may get clothing, food, hygiene kits, socks, underwear, diapers, and other necessities.
An employment expert works with clients at each of our Client Services Centers to assess their talents, build a focused résumé, conduct mock interviews, and aid them in their job hunt.
Each site also has a professional case manager who may assist clients with any difficulties they may be having and refer them to convenient services in the area for further support.
Programs of Outreach
MUST also offer other community services, such as a Christmas Toy Shop with two sites in Cobb and a Summer Lunch program with 17 delivery routes throughout Cobb.
1- Summer Lunch Program
In the Summer, Assisting in the Provision of Nutritious Meals While summer is frequently associated with sleeping in or planning your next vacation, many of your neighbors are concerned about how they will feed their children for lunch today.
A free lunch meal is not part of the family’s limited budget during the school day. That’s when MUST Ministries’ Summer Lunch Program comes to the rescue, bringing the entire community together to aid those in need.
MUST offers a nutritious lunch to thousands of youngsters in seven counties each summer weekday because of the efforts of numerous kind volunteers.
Because MUST can’t do it alone, our communities’ generosity makes it possible. On August 14th, the summer meal program will come to an end.
2- Rental Assistance
- Residents of Cobb County who are behind on their rent payments can apply for this program.
- Individuals and families are eligible for up to $4,800 in financial aid.
- Proof of income for the previous two months is necessary.
- COVID has to have had an effect.
- Income requirements must be met.
- A lease agreement with the landlord is essential.
- Multiple agencies are unable to service them.
- There will be a need for further paperwork.
Basic needs from MUST Ministries
There are a few possibilities. These rely on community donations, such as from churches and volunteers. The following are some of the goods that may be accessible.
The School Supply Program is open to students from low-income families. Students and teens who meet the criteria will get clothing, a backpack loaded with materials, or any uniforms their instructor may demand.
Several more resources are available, depending on funding. MUST will make every effort to assist whenever feasible. If it isn’t possible, then referrals are made.
The following are some of them:
- MUST Ministries’ pantry can distribute free food and goods bags.
- Cobb County’s regional meals on wheels service will deliver hot, low-cost meals to senior adults and the disabled.
- Christmas aid is available for free, ranging from hot meals to little gifts for youngsters.
MUST volunteers provide Thanksgiving dinners in Cherokee and Cobb counties?
Residents can call MUST Ministries to give to these basic needs programs. More volunteers are constantly needed to sort shipments, work in the pantry, or work in the soup kitchen.
The programs are a fantastic opportunity to give back to the community.
