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UNITY MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER2008
UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY HOUSE:
THE COMMUNITY’S MELTING POT
The United Methodist Community House (UMCH) could certainly be seen as “the great melting pot” of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where everyone is welcome and anyone can assimilate into the UMCH community. At UMCH, our mission is to increase the ability of children, youth, adults and families to succeed in a diverse community. By fulfilling this mission, UMCH truly demonstrates that promoting and celebrating diversity is a priority, and exemplifies that commitment everyday.
When focusing on diversity, one should acknowledge the many parts that comprise it. Diversity is often viewed as simply a black and white racial issue, when it is actually much more than that. It is important to realize that diversity is not only black and white, but also includes other racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds from all over the world. In addition to this, age, gender, economic and religious backgrounds all contribute to diversity as well.
The UMCH views diversity as a bridge between the reality of people’s lives and the life of an organization. Diversity serves as a framework for interrelationships between people, and more importantly a learning exchange. Each person that steps foot into UMCH brings with them their own values and strengths based on their unique knowledge and experiences. By simply interacting with other staff members, an opportunity is given to learn from others. As a result of this, not only is personal growth gained, but the success of UMCH continues to grow as well.
One thing that UMCH is very proud of is its unique and wonderfully diverse staff. Not only does the staff vary greatly in age, gender and religion, they also come from many different backgrounds and home origins such as the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Island of Dominic, France, and the Ottawa Indian Tribe. Adding to this wonderful mix are our annual volunteer graduate students from Germany, who assist in several areas of service at UMCH.
When looking at our mission statement, “increasing the ability of children, youth, adults and families to succeed in a diverse community”, it is quite evident that celebrating age groups is an area of diversity in which UMCH excels. Since 1902, UMCH has been serving clientele that range from newborn to 100+ years old. It is not uncommon at UMCH to see a group of babies in one room and just around the corner witness a senior citizen celebrating their 100th birthday.
In the evenings, UMCH is host to many diverse programs that benefit the community such as, Proud Fathers Proud Parents, Encouraging Family Foundations, Healthy Marriages/Healthy Relationships, and English as a Second Language (a class designed specifically for the Hispanic community.
In addition to these programs, UMCH also provides several off-site programs located in the Grand Rapids area and surrounding cities. These programs range from PATH exercise classes for senior citizens to re-entry programs offered to fathers in jail who will soon reunite with their families.
Being blessed with diversity has undeniably opened wider the doors of success for this organization. By taking the experience and knowledge of each individual and combining them into one, we can boast a driving force of service, dedication, hard work and persistence that cannot be stopped.
For more information on United Methodist Community House, please feel free to call (616) 452-3226.