Seen Around Church: Week of July 7, 2024
July 9, 2024
Church Family Moment for Sunday, July 21, 2024
July 15, 2024
Enjoy getting to know Bob Williamson in this week’s Faces of Faith!
Name: Bob Williamson
Family: Wife, Donna Podgorny, and three adult children (who live in far away states) and four grandkids.
Years at SMPC: We first came to SMPC in 2004 when we arrived in Charlotte and became members in 2008.
What brought you to SMPC? I drove past the church and then went back that Sunday. In Matt’s sermon he mentioned reasons for people to come to SMPC and said, “and some people just drive past and stop in,” so I knew he was talking to me!! A few months later our daughter, who was in high school at the time, joined me and became an active member of the youth group. We were hooked!
How have you found connection at SMPC? We attended an evening couples’ event early on and have found great friendships since then through Bible studies, social events, volunteer opportunities and coffee hours.
You help organize the Center of Hope Breakfast each month. What got you started in this ministry and how can we get involved? Donna attended a Center of Hope breakfast event and shamed me into getting up early the next Saturday, then when the previous coordinator moved away I stepped in to continue the program, now more than 20 years old. You know it is a valued service by the community at Center of Hope and it helps connect us to a different segment of the community. It’s a small effort for a large impact.
We need 5 to 7 on site volunteers each third Saturday morning, and anyone can donate food items or make a cash donation. We have a great group of servers, volunteers and food providers but there is always a need for more volunteers! Get up early on the third Saturday and help make a difference!!
Sign up to donate or volunteer.
About Center of Hope:
When women and children have nowhere else to go, they can count on The Salvation Army Center of Hope. Located two miles north of Uptown Charlotte, the Center of Hope sleeps an average of 275 women and children every night. An active member of the Homeless Services Network, The Salvation Army is a leader in providing families with a successful way out of homelessness. Each program is graduated to step clients from the point of crisis to the point of resolution. These programs include emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and shelter diversion.
There is no single portrait of homelessness. Sometimes families lose their homes because of money; women grab their children and run from abusive husbands; an illness strips a person of work; a layoff comes unannounced. In addition to basic needs, clients receive case management, intervention programs, health care, child care for young children, and guidance for school-age children and teens. Shelters are only a temporary solution. Homeless families need help getting back on their feet.
