We focus on one inner city Atlanta neighborhood at a time, and we only go where we are invited. We have served over the years in Grant Park, Ormewood Park, Summerhill and East Lake. Our current target community is the historic South Atlanta Neighborhood located in NPU-Y just a mile south of Turner Field.
Check out South Atlanta today.
A short history of South Atlanta.
The South Atlanta community, originally called Brownsville, is a historic African-American neighborhood. The neighborhood was created and designed by Clark University (now Clark Atlanta University) and Gammon Theological Seminary. The former college, now a beautiful campus for the main high school, was at one time the mecca of the African American community in Atlanta. During the 1940s, these two historic black educational institutions were forced to relocate to keep their doors open. The eventual exit of a GM Plant was the final straw, and the majority of the homeowners and leaders left. The community center, once a movie theater, became a liquor store and hub for drug distribution.
A group of seniors in the neighborhood prayed for years for their community. When they heard about the work of FCS Urban Ministries in East Lake, the seniors asked FCS to purchase and rehab the community center, now called the Gateway Building. The community also invited Charis Community Housing to serve into the overall transformation of South Atlanta. We’re committing ourselves to listen to the voices of local residents, dreaming about what can be in this beautiful urban neighborhood called South Atlanta.
Many of our staff live where we serve
Many of our staff live in South Atlanta, the current neighborhood in which we serve. Whether we’re building homes, managing property or praying with a neighbor, our staff desires to honor God as we integrate ministry with business for justice sake.