How We Started

History captures my attention. I can look at an old office building and imagine the people in the 1900s working there, using their ledgers and pens and pencils, or a group of women assembling clothes. The relationships, the dreams and hopes every person had. The struggles and prayers, too.

The founding of NETWorks evokes the same emotions. Back in 2004, a group of pastors and church members had been gathering regularly, a ministerial association called North East Ministers Organization (NEMO). In sharing about their ministries, they learned that many of the churches were being approached by people needing food or financial assistance. In order to help their neighbors the best, they formed NETWorks Cooperative Ministry, a separate nonprofit organization to work directly with the neighbors needing help.

A dozen churches were the founding partners; our partners are now over 20 churches. But we have so many more partners than that! Individuals, businesses, civic groups, and so many more people help their neighbors through NETWorks.

I have had the privilege of meeting some of the individuals involved in forming NETWorks and guiding it in our early days. I get that same sense from them as I do looking at an historic building. Feeling their faith, seeing their effort to fulfil the commandment to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, admiring their desire to help their neighbors not only survive but thrive.

That same mission that founded us remains today. NETWorks responds with the hospitality of Christ to the food and financial needs of our neighbors and partners with them to find long term solutions to poverty. It’s a noble goal. An elusive goal, at times. But with the support of our partner churches, our community members, and a faith that God will provide and lead us, we work on to live up to the goal set by our founders.