The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center
The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center
“Be the hand that lifts others up”
– Booker T. Washington
Dorcas Ministries: Helping Their Neighbors Thrive
What happens when someone believes in you?
It encourages and motivates you. Most importantly, it makes you believe in yourself.
For almost 57 years, the staff and volunteers at Dorcas Ministries have believed in their neighbors and provided services to lift up those in need.
According to Chief Executive Officer André Anthony: “We are a unique social services agency. We provide more than assistance. Through wraparound services, we help our neighbors find a pathway forward on their journey to success.”
Dorcas Ministries, in partnership with Wake Technical Community College, provides job training, certifications and coaching. Along the way, Dorcas Ministries covers basic needs, such as groceries, gas money and childcare, so clients can focus on achieving their goals.
On April 17, 2025, seven Dorcas Ministries clients graduated with certificates from the BioWork program. Two graduates have already secured professional jobs at Biogen, a local biotechnology company.
“I give all credit to God for finding Dorcas. I just happened to get the email about the BioWork cohort, and God opened the door for me. The workshops and information were really helpful, and all the staff were a blessing, especially the recruiter that I was connected with. The experience was excellent.” – Beti
Dorcas Ministries is supported by donors big and small, but the real powerhouse is…their thrift store. The Dorcas Thrift Shop is one of North Carolina’s most popular thrifting destinations. It’s so well known that customers begin lining up an hour or more before the store opens. Every day is Black Friday!
Shelley Hobbs, senior director of marketing & communication, points out: “Every time a customer scores an amazing item at the Dorcas Thrift Store, their purchase serves a higher purpose — empowering us to change lives in our community.”
To learn more about Dorcas Ministries, visit: https://dorcasnc.org/
Want to be featured as our next Nonprofit of the Week? Reach out to Trudy Smith, Trudy@thevolunteercenter.org
This week, as our Triangle Nonprofit of the week, we celebrate Urban Ministries of Durham.
For over 40 years Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD) has provided food, shelter and a future to our neighbors and families in need. Thanks to the generosity of thousands of loyal supporters, Urban Ministries can continue to serve more than 600 hot and nourishing meals every day, provide warm beds every night as the temperatures drop, and so much more. Donations fund essential resources and services that help strengthen the lives of individuals and families in our community.
UMD is the primary public emergency homeless shelter in Durham. Its mission is to connect with the community to end homelessness and fight poverty by offering food, shelter, and a future to neighbors and families in need. It provides immediate relief to those experiencing chronic or temporary homelessness and work with clients to end their homelessness as quickly and responsibly as possible. By serving as an access point, Urban Ministries connects shelter residents and families to basic needs and life resources to live stably and successfully in our community.
On average, Urban Ministries of Durham houses nearly 600 men, women, and children per year. Its welcoming environment and commitment to best practices are designed to promote social equity and foster positive outcomes for the families it serves. Using donations from the community, UMD also distributes groceries and gently-used clothing to over 6,000 homeless or low-resource families each year. Despite challenging times, UMD makes a positive impact on our neighbors in need:
Contributions to Urban Ministries are making a significant impact by helping to fight poverty, end homelessness, and save lives. Urban Ministries truly appreciates the vital role volunteers and donors play for those they serve. So, this week, as our Triangle Nonprofit of the week, we celebrate Urban Ministries of Durham.
This week we pay tribute to Swim For Charlie as our Nonprofit of the Week.
Swim for Charlie provides high-quality water safety instruction to second-grade North Carolina students so they can receive vital life-saving water safety skills. Depending on their initial swimming level, children progress through blowing bubbles and putting their faces in the water, kicking, floating on their back, doing elementary backstroke, jumping into the water safely, and more advanced skills.
Swim For Charlie is free to second-grade students in Orange and Durham Counties; it leverages partnerships among students, parents, schools, pool facilities, and donor groups. Students love coming in; on the days of the program, teachers report that attendance is up. It is important to note that it has benefits beyond the pool. As Dr. Kimberly Ferrell, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools in Durham, has commented:
The Swim for Charlie program has built confidence, tenacity, and courage in our second-grade students. We have seen an increase in academic performance in our classrooms from our students who have attended the Swim for Charlie program. This partnership created a progressive trusting relationship through the success stories that our students share with their families and school community.
The program began the year before COVID when it served 200 students; over the past three years, the program has grown to serve almost 800, then 1200, and, this year, 1800 students. Over the past few years, Swim for Charlie’s active community has involved 150 volunteer instructors, 300+ school personnel, 300+ individual donors and members of sponsoring organizations, 75 pool personnel, 25 board and committee members, 4400+ parents and guardians, and 350 who have helped to pass the word.
Swim For Charlie was founded in memory of Dr. van der Horst. In his actions as a social justice activist, caring clinician, internationally known infectious disease medical researcher, Public Health crusader, and philanthropist, Charlie was involved in many activities benefiting vulnerable populations.
You could consider donating to this program by going to https://www.SwimForCharlie.org. If you think you might like to help the program grow further as a swim instructor, go to https://www.handsontriangle.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=150348. You don’t need to win races; many instructors help kids learn to blow bubbles and learn to float and be themselves.
We celebrate Swim For Charlie as the Triangle Nonprofit of the Week.
We are delighted to recognize Keep Durham Beautiful (KDB) as the Triangle Nonprofit of the Week! KDB’s dedication to improving the environment and fostering community engagement is truly inspiring. From planting trees and creating community gardens to organizing litter cleanups and empowering schools, KDB’s impact on Durham is a testament to the power of collective action.
The numbers speak volumes:
Being certified as a Service Enterprise organization in 2023 by the Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center further highlights KDB’s commitment to leveraging volunteer skills effectively. The heartfelt testimonials from volunteers, teachers, and community members demonstrate how much KDB’s work resonates with the people they serve. One volunteer said “Every volunteer event I’ve participated in has been well organized and fun! I always feel appreciated, and I meet nice people. I plan to keep volunteering regularly”. Another commented, “I follow Keep Durham Beautiful … and am just so impressed by your organization’s mission and work!”
There are so many ways you can chip in:
If you’d like to support their mission financially, consider:
Congratulations again to Keep Durham Beautiful for their outstanding work in making Durham a cleaner, greener, and more connected Durham community. 🌳💚
