By Kaitlin Candelaria
Having someone to walk alongside you during the darkest times of life can make all the difference. That’s the premise behind the Urban Purpose’s mission.
“It started out as a homeless outreach ministry and it’s grown into more,” Rachel Coleman, staff member, said. “We want to walk with people where they are, whether that’s struggling with a drug addiction, homelessness, being a single parent – whatever their life looks like, and we want to help them become self-sufficient. We also want to point them towards the Gospel in any way we can during the process because we feel like that’s what Jesus did for us.”
Urban Purpose began about six years ago. Jim McFarland and Mark Jenkins, founders, saw a huge need for “caring for the poor and broken in Birmingham” and began serving meals to homeless men in downtown Birmingham. Coleman was hired later on as the organization expanded and began serving more people.
“None of us have specific roles in the organization, but I kind of take the lead on the women’s side of things,” Coleman said. “There’s only three of us and we’re close enough as a team that we all can work on a little bit of everything. We all go to meetings and are all very involved with our clients. It’s good to have three sets of ears, three minds and three hearts listening.”
That closeness between the three of them as well as with their clients is what sets Urban Purpose apart, she said.
“I love that we do everything as a team and we really get to know the people we work with,” she said. “We know the ins and outs of their stories. Everyone has ups and downs and we try our best to continue walking with people through their mistakes instead of cutting off their progress. We want them to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The fact that the three of us have the same mindset is amazing and it’s wonderful to see how God has formed us.”
The triumvirate still hosts meals each Sunday downtown. Many volunteers and groups assist with the meal, and Coleman says that’s where relationships begin to form.
“We never end up serving a meal alone,” she said. “Typically, if a volunteer meets someone there and begins to build a relationship, they’ll introduce them to us and we’ll get the ball rolling from there. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers.”
Another way to get involved with the Urban Purpose is coming up Aug. 29. The third annual Urban Purpose 5K will take place at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Vestavia Hills. However, this year, the staff has added a unique twist to the event.
“We were thinking of ways to make it different from other 5Ks,” she said. “All three of us are involved in gyms and working out is a big part of our life and we know there’s a big following, so we wanted to tap into that.”
Their solution? In addition to the 5K, they have added a separate obstacle course. The Team WOD (or workout of the day) event is modeled after a CrossFit-style competition, but is for a wide range of competitors, Coleman said.
“There’s all sorts of random things to compete in – three point shooting, a tire pull – we had over 20 obstacles to begin with, but we had to be realistic.”
Instead, teams of four will complete in eight different challenges, which also include a wall ball challenge, a rowing challenge and even a mystery WOD.
“It’s definitely not just for the person who can lift the most weight,” Coleman said.
There will also be a Kid’s MessFest, which includes water games, inflatables and other child-friendly activities. For $10, athletes can leave their children in the care of the Shades Mountain Baptist Church Kid’s Kamp staff at this event while they compete.
“It’ll be a really fun way to end the summer,” Coleman said. “We definitely want the whole family to come out and support the organization.”
For more information or to register for the Urban Purpose Challenge, visit www.urbanpurpose.org.
