Church volunteers 'adopt a block' to spread their message: "We're here for you"
MILWAUKEE -- A local church is helping to clean up the community one block at a time. It's something they do once a month.
'Adopt a block'
At the corner of 24th and Center, you can find a small group of church goers taking their faith to the streets.
"If you sit back and you look at the news with all that's going on in the city of Milwaukee in the inner city it can be overwhelming even to the point of sometimes feeling hopeless that you can't do anything about it because crime is on the increase," said Bruce Hunter, New Testament Central City Church.
Volunteers are hoping to prove otherwise. Every month, on the second Saturday, they go out and "adopt a block."
"We want to reach one block, one household and even maybe one person at a time," said Hunter.
They're volunteers from the New Testament Central City Church, just up the street.
New Testament Central City Church
"By us being in the inner city we have the ability to come back and reach out to them and to say what do you need we're here for you," said Dierdre Mingo, volunteer "adopt a block."
The teams pick up trash and also go door to door to talk with residents, pray with them and even dole out the occasional hug. They often come with treats as well.
'Adopt a block'
"We're looking to help them and to change their heart we believe if the heart changes then activities and actions will change as well," said Hunter.
They've been doing the imitative about a year now, and say the church's neighbors are starting to know them well.
'Adopt a block'
"We see the response from the people so that's excited us and given us courage to continue to do what we're doing and we do see the people changing, we do. In fact we've had them come we've had people come to visit our church as a result from the area itself, we believe there is change happening," said Hunter.
The group says they got the idea to "adopt a block" from another Milwaukee area ministry. They're hoping other churches and businesses will join the effort by starting their own initiatives in the city's other neighborhoods.