CityView Magazine

CityAngel a T ruly I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me. - Matthew 25:40 Operation Inasmuch has been best known for repairing countless houses in low- and moderate-income neighbor- new operation By Frances Hasty hoods throughout the city, thanks to hundreds of church volunteers. Now, it is adding a new ministry that will focus on the needs of the home- less and others facing hard times in the community, providing not only a hot breakfast and a place to shower but also a chance to learn a skill that could lead to employment. By the beginning of next year, the Above | Wick Smith works at the new Operation Inasmuch Ministry Center on Hillsboro Street. Long known for home repairs, Operation Inasmuch is adding a new ministry: feeding the hungry and helping the homeless. Top | Workers are busy transforming the building on Hillsboro into a place where folks can find a hot breakfast and a listening ear. 60 | Food & Wine • 2008 Operation Inasmuch Ministry Center will open at 521 Hillsboro St., in a build- ing donated by St. Luke AME Church, which is located across the street from the center. Now being completely reno- vated, the 7,000-square-foot building had been vacant for 10 years and was “a mess,” said Sue Byrd, OIAM executive director. Using plans donated by architect Thomas Goetz, volunteers are rolling up their sleeves and doing much of the labor at the center, first cleaning out de- bris that filled 11 dumpsters, Byrd said. Contractors, some of whom donated their services, were called in for plumb- ing, electrical and other areas that re- quired specialists. There were obstacles along the way, Byrd acknowledged. For example, there was the costly problem of removing asbestos from the building. Out of the blue, she said, a person certified in as- bestos removal came along, removed it and hauled it away for free. “Every day something like that hap- pens,” she said. “When you see things like that happen, you know God’s hands are in it.” Byrd stressed that the center is not a shelter. It will be open only during the day with some evening classes. The breakfast program is not limited to the homeless. Anyone needing a meal,

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