The Center for Urban Missions

THE PROBLEM

Did you know that the lack of technological knowledge and computer accessibility keeps many low-income households at an economic disadvantage? Among all Birmingham households, a full 32% are low-income households and 19% are very-low income households.

Did you know that nationally nearly 5 million children go home after school each week while their parents work because most communities lack adequate after-school programs? Studies show that not only are these children more likely to engage in a host of risky behaviors that threaten their future, but also that the violent crime rate peaks during the hours these children are left unsupervised: between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Did you know that many Americans others face barriers that make access to basic health care services a struggle? Health and Health Care disparities are pervasive, but improvement is possible and gaps in information exist, especially for poor and underserved populations within racial and ethnic groups.

Did you know that the number of African American families living in poverty increased from 46.5 % to 48% and Hispanic families living below poverty who were employed increased from 50.7% to 65.1%. Also, white female–headed household poverty levels decreased from 42.9% to 31.1%. The unemployment rate among black residents is two and half times greater than that of the whites and the unemployment rate among black women is still rising.

Did you know paying jobs in the 21^st Century will demand high skill levels, particularly in the areas of reading, writing, math, critical reasoning and computing, according to many recent studies? Yet inner-city and other underserved communities are not keeping pace with these realities, leaving their youths at an economic disadvantage that could last a lifetime. This lack of direction and purpose may lead to lives that are less productive and prone to crime.

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THE PROCESS

TCUM’s faith-based model of community transformation starts with our Community Based Ministry Programs, designed to instill character, hope, and success in an atmosphere of love and high expectations. Our programs are incentive-based, created to spur individuals and families to pull themselves up to the economic, social and educational levels God created them to reach.

Through STARS TECHgether, TCUM and its community partners bring our programs into 8 underserved communities in the Birmingham-Jefferson County area via a state-of-the-art computer technology delivery system. Our aim is to Engage, Educate, Enrich, and Encourage individuals and families who are looking for a hand up, using technology. By offering them computer-based job training and educational modules in their own communities, we open up to underserved populations all of the opportunities and possibilities that the world of technology can afford them.

With this new technological model, we will overcome the challenges that many communities have by affording them accessible information which can be a “way” for economically disadvantaged families to be better prepared for the 21st Century and beyond!

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THE PROMISE

The problems our communities face are real and prolific. Yet we have a process that is productive and for 21 years we have created progressive programs that offer real help to those who seek to improve their lives by:

· Reaching for Education Enrichment

· Embracing the opportunities for Health Enlightenment

· Taking the steps to become Economically Empowered

Our programs have become a stabilizing force within the city of Birmingham and have been nationally recognized for bringing together public and private entities within our city. In our 20 years since we were founded we have transformed many shattered lives through our faith-based approach to some of the problems that plague our city.
As we move rapidly into the 21st Century, The Center for Urban Missions is committed to Equipping, Networking and Empowering individuals and organizations, both public and private, with practical skills in the three strategic areas of Educational Enrichment, Health Enlightenment and Economic Empowerment.

And we are doing it through a technological system that drives our efforts in these three strategic programming areas.

Help Us Continue our Work

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