
We believe that God has called us to bring the good news to those who work, live, and go to school in Winston-Salem. Join us as we seek to be people who do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God in this city and beyond. To learn more about opportunities to get involved with the local partnerships below, contact Teresa Bobo.

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 nearby elementary-aged school pursuing a unique model of education aimed at transforming the students and community surrounding. First Pres partners with the school by serving as lunch buddies, supporting a teacher/classroom, volunteering at the Fall Festival, and more. Please contact Margaret Wray or Janes Aves to get involved!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Young Lives
Every day YoungLives carries hope into the lives of thousands of teen moms and their children. The need for YoungLives is great, and the potential is even greater! Together we can transform generations.
Our workers are minimal right now and we desperately need God to raise up a strong team of mentors who will do the relational work with these teen moms AND a crew of women (& men) who will be on the support team to help with meals, childcare, driving, logistics, events, etc. We are praying specifically for:
10-12 new mentors of differing life stages and ethnicities
10 new women on the support team
30 active teen moms
Thank you for praying big with us. If you have questions or might be interested in one of these roles, please contact: Jess Barnhill (Assoc Area Director Forsyth Co. Young Life) 336-414-5534 or yl.jessb@gmail.com