Urban Ministries of Durham

UMD is the primary public homeless shelter for individuals and the backup shelter for families, with an overall capacity to serve 149. As a low-barrier, Housing-First emergency shelter, we seek to meet people "where they are" while providing case management to stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness and move them into permanent housing as quickly as possible.As a response to COVID-19, UMD's campus capacity has been reduced to 83 beds (36 of which are in nine family rooms) to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus. We now operate a satellite location at the Carolina-Duke Inn, which has allotted 38 rooms to shelter medically fragile individuals at high risk for COVID-related complications. All residents are admitted via referral from Durham County Coordinated Entry.

Mission Society - The Food Pantry and Clothing Closet provide food, clothing and hygiene items to low-resource community members, shelter residents and homeless persons living on the street - serving over 500 households each month. Due to the pandemic, we had to suspend both operations in March 2020 but resumed food distributions in mid- August. UMD is providing a combination of fresh and shelf stable items sourced from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Sankofa Farms and out own food pantry. Contactless distribution takes place weekly in a neighboring parking lot, serving up to 150 households. We are working on how best to resume clothing distributions, but will find a way to adapt.

Community outreach - Workforce development services are integrated into our case management program. UMD clients in need of income from a job can receive assistance from our workforce team to create resumes, search for and apply for jobs and obtain referrals to our partner agencies for workforce training and other needs. Our staff provides regular support to clients balancing work or the need to secure employment with overcoming homelessness. When the pandemic hit, many current and former UMD clients either lost their jobs, had their hours cut, or suddenly found themselves grappling with the immense pressure (and opportunities) of being an essential worker. Workforce helped clients navigate the backlogged unemployment system, assisted qualifying workers to track and obtain their stimulus checks, write and re-submit resumes, and coordinate transportation

The Fresh Start program and the Journey Programs