CityTeam Ministries

CityTeam Ministries is a non-profit organization serving the poor and homeless in San Jose, California, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia and partnerships in 30 other countries around the world. Since 1957, CityTeam has provided life-saving food, shelter, clothing, recovery programs, youth outreach, discipleship and other essential care. CityTeam is supported by individuals and partners around the world – they accept no government funds and are accountable to the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).

CityTeam offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of women, men, youth and families including:

Rescue Missions Providing hot meals, a safe place to sleep and a clean change of clothes, the missions serve the community by providing temporary emergency care for the homeless.

Men's Recovery Programs Because alcoholism and drug addiction are a serious problem among the poor and homeless, CityTeam operates a comprehensive, long-term residential recovery program. Since its inception in 1983, this innovative program has helped hundreds of men confront the bondage of chemical dependency.

Family Programs Poverty often causes basic necessities to become unaffordable luxuries. So CityTeam gives away quality used clothing, furniture, and secondhand appliances to needy families. This family ministry also distributes holiday food boxes at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and passes out school supplies to needy children each September.

Women's Programs Heritage Home has a place for abused, abandoned or addicted women who are pregnant and provides a safe home, meals, and counseling in an atmosphere of compassionate care and unconditional love. Started in 1984, the home has provided for the safe arrival for thousands of babies.

Until recently, homeless or addicted women with children could get help but almost always had to give up their children.^{[citation needed]} House of Grace is designed to keep the family unit together while Mom receives counseling, assistance with continued education and life-skills training.

CityTeam Ministries was started in 1957 by Lester and Pauline Meyers as a feeding program for homeless men in downtown San Jose. Four years later, the ministry - then known as the San Jose Rescue Mission - moved to a larger facility where it began providing shelter as well as meals to the homeless. In 1964, Pauline opened the New Hope Home for Women and Children.

San Jose Rescue Mission changed its name to CityTeam in 1983, a name which more accurately represented its expanding urban focus. In 1987, Philadelphia churches called upon CityTeam to start their national expansion to the East Coast by serving people in need located throughout the greater Delaware Valley. During this time period, CityTeam started a full long-term recovery program for men.

Each year, the rate of women and children living in poverty situations was rapidly increasing. In order to help those women suffering from addiction, abuse, abandonment, crisis pregnancy and homelessness, CityTeam started three new programs: House of Grace and Heritage Home in San Jose and the Well Baby Program in Philadelphia. These programs became life changing for both the children and their mothers.

In 1997, CityTeam broadened its scope by launching CityTeam International. In 2007, its name was changed to NewGenerations International, a division of CityTeam, to emphasize the centrality of disciples making disciples. This division focuses on training, equipping and coaching national leaders in 38 countries around the world. NewGenerations International partners care for hurting people with compassionate services by providing food, purified water, medical services, education and other essential care as the first link in developing relationships that serve as the basis for reproductive church planting.

Today CityTeam serves the US cities of San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland and Philadelphia with life-saving food, safe shelter, clothing, recovery programs, family and youth outreach programs, adult education and career services, discipleship and other essential care.

References

External links

• Official website