God has called us to embody the good news of Jesus in Winston Salem. We do so by partnering with a number of local agencies that are serving our community (see our list of local partners below). In addition, we are featuring Engage Winston-Salem, an all-church initiative in which we will focus each quarter on a specific need in our community such as equitable education or homelessness.
Engage Winston-Salem features opportunities to learn about our community and the challenges that many face, as well as hands-on ways (both short and long-term) we can join in God's work of healing.
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS
Amani Children's Foundation
Associates in Christian Counseling
City With Dwellings
City With Dwellings works to end the crisis of homelessness in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, providing a unique platform for volunteers across the community to connect and build relationships with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. First Presbyterian has a rich history of partnering with City with Dwellings in hosting an emergency overflow shelter each winter.
For seven years, City with Dwellings has provided winter shelter to many of our city’s most vulnerable neighbors. First Pres has been a vital part of Shelter by providing housing for up to twenty-six men in our Fellowship Hall from January – March. Due to COVID, City with Dwellings has restructured and will not be using churches for overflow this winter. While some things look different this year, the needs of our homeless neighbors remain.
Some of the needs include meal provision, laundry hosting, transportation, and much more. To view the different opportunities to assist City with Dwellings this season, please visit their website: https://www.citywithdwellings.org/wintershelter or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/citywithdwellings.
Cook Literacy Model School
Cook Literacy Model School is a Title 1 Elementary School in downtown Winston-Salem. First Presbyterian has been partnering with Cook for over eleven years, and there are many opportunities to get involved.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Reading or Math Buddy: Tutor the same student, 45 minutes, 1 day/week.
- Classroom Helper: Assist a teacher in the same classroom, 1-2 hours, 1 day/week.
- Lunch Buddy: Eat lunch with the same student, encourage and mentor, 40 minutes 1 day/week.
- Teacher Appreciation: Provide snacks for quarterly meetings.
- One-time Volunteers: Help with tasks such as greeting families at Open House, serving spaghetti at STEM night, handing out apple cider at Christmas, etc.
- Food Pantry: donate non-perishable food items to stock the school pantry.
Please contact Margaret Wray or Jane Aves for more information about joining God’s good work at Cook!
Crisis Control
Crisis Control assists people in crisis to meet essential life needs and to become self-sufficient. They engage hundreds of volunteers to interview potential clients, serve families shopping in their food pantry, help fill prescriptions in their pharmacy, and more.
El Buen Pastor
El Buen Pastor is a Spanish-speaking New Church Development and long-standing partner of First Presbyterian Church. Under the leadership of their pastor Jorge Vasquez, El Buen Pastor seeks to live on mission to show and share Jesus in the Spanish-speaking neighborhoods of Winston-Salem.
Forsyth Jail And Prison Ministries
Forsyth Jail and Prison uses Christ’s love and forgiveness to transform lives and break the cycle of crime and punishment. It has helped thousands of incarcerated men and women discover the true meaning of Christianity, and what it means to live as a Christian.
Hawley House
Hawley House is a Women’s Substance Abuse Recovery Facility that houses women for a period of 9-12 months and offers 6 months of aftercare for women ages 18 and older diagnosed with the disease of addiction. They are the only state-licensed residential substance abuse program for women in Forsyth County.
Love Out Loud
Love Out Loud has built strong relationships to form a collective of Christ-centered churches (over 80), groups & individuals living out Christ’s call to love our neighbor. Together, they partner with other local community organizations (200+ non-profits and scores of market place and civic leaders) for the flourishing of our city.
Samaritan Ministries
Samaritan Ministries was formed in 1981 in partnership with First Presbyterian Church. They are an interdenominational, volunteer-based Christian ministry that serves Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Their Soup Kitchen and Samaritan Inn Shelter are open 365 days and nights a year to serve people in need.
We recently discovered that Samaritan is short on vital volunteers that help provide lunch and dinner to guests. They currently need:
Lunch volunteers (7-8 each day): 9:00am-1:30pm, Monday- Saturday; 10:00am-2:00pm on Sundays. Participants must be at least 13 years old (13-16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult)
Dinner volunteers (2-3 each day): Flexible starting time.
Second Harvest Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Bank serves 18 Northwest North Carolina counties as a vital source of food and support services for 460+ local food assistance programs. Through on-the-ground partners, they distribute nearly 34 million meals for food-insecure families.
Winston Salem Fellows
Winston Salem Freedom Schools
Winston Salem Street School
Winston Salem Street School is a private alternative high school serving the at-risk youth of the Greater Winston Salem area of North Carolina. It is designed to meet the needs of students who struggled in traditional schools due to academic or behavioral obstacles, many of whom were expelled or dropped out. The WSSS was specifically created to target these students and offers them the chance to earn a diploma recognized by the State of North Carolina.
World Relief Triad
Young Life & Younglives
Young Life introduces adolescents to Jesus Christ and helps them grow in their faith. It starts, not with a program, but with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship.
Since Young Life began in Forsyth county in 1957, we’ve grown to now offer:
Young Life (high school), WyldLife (middle school), Young Life College (college), Capernaum (special needs) and YoungLives (teen moms).
There are MANY ways to get involved: volunteer leader or mentor, YL committee, ministry support team, specific roles (driver, childcare worker, provide a meal), planning teams (BQT or Golf), etc. For more information, contact younglifefc@bellsouth.net or 336-725-1750.