August 2019
Gillian Hunter
A Firm Foundation of
Love and Support
Fifteen years ago, Gillian Hunter’s life looked very different. Faced with a number of personal challenges while raising her children, she searched for somewhere to find connection. Little did she know that when she walked through the doors of Victory Church she’d be taking a small step that would impact every area of her life. 

“I started going to Victory back in 2004. It took me a while to not be shy but once I started doing more groups and started talking to people, actually getting to know them and finding out their stories, I began finding who I was as well,” she shared.

Victory Church, whose humble roots began with three people meeting in a living room, is now the church home in Middlefield, Connecticut for nearly a thousand.

“Relationships are the most important part of what we do,” explained Mel Tavares, Pastoral Assistant at Victory.

Tavares works closely with Charles Mitchell, Director of Outreach Ministries at Victory, to oversee the church’s offering of a broad range of resources and help to anyone who needs it.

“It’s not that they need help, it’s that we all need help,” Tavares explained. “I don’t know that there’s one of us that hasn’t needed something at some point in time. We’ve all had something happen where we’ve needed care or physical resources or something.”

Mitchell added, “Personal relationships are so important. If you don’t have a relationship, most of the time people hold back because of the shame they feel for not having what they need. At Victory, we foster compassion and generosity and kindness. When people sense that, they’re more apt to open up and tell you more of their personal needs. And then, we go and fulfill those needs as best as we can.”

Over the years, Hunter has relied on these very relationships to get her through some of the toughest chapters of her life.

“I’ve been through DivorceCare, because I got divorced a few years ago,” she shared. “It helped me in knowing that I could be by myself and not worry.”

She added, “For a while I was out of work. I live with my mom now and we’re on Section 8. I’ve only recently within the past month gotten a job as a...
featured news
Episode 2: Tackling Community Health Needs  

We sat down with Urban Alliance team member  Angela Colantonio  to talk more about our community's health needs and some of the ways that we are working with programs to address them.

In case you missed it:
We sat down with Mat to learn more about a series of Urban Alliance-supported workshops that he's holding for parents and adults in his community to help young people deal with the anxiety that comes with living in the 21st century and the Technology Age.
UA Welcomes New Team Member
We are excited to share that  Bill Kracke has joined the Urban Alliance team as Digital Communications Associate!
 
Bill provides critical digital communications support for Urban Alliance. He joined the UA team in 2019, bringing 25 years experience working with churches and non-profits in various roles. His skills span the digital communications gamut between web development, social media and digital marketing. Bill attended the University of Connecticut and holds a Bachelor of Science in...
network news
Gathering and Training Recaps
We recently held Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Coaching and Case Management Basics trainings, where 26 people from 16 churches and organizations in the Urban Alliance network were equipped with practical strength-based strategies to help the people they serve become more motivated to change their behaviors and invest their energy in making better choices, and how to help them set goals and navigate and connect to local community resources.
UA Network Prayer Gathering Scheduled for September
Join us for a prayer gathering for program and senior leaders in the UA network on September 19 from 9:30-11:00am at Urban Alliance .

The gathering will provide leaders with an opportunity to pray for one another, their programs and the community.

Mark your calendars and RSVP by clicking the button below!
donor news
Thank You for Getting Stuffed
for Good!
Proceeds from your meals will help strengthen basic needs programs in Greater Hartford that help  thousands  of people who are lacking food, clothing or housing meet their basic needs and gain greater stability in their lives.

A special thank you to Blue Plate Kitchen for hosting and to Robert Baek for capturing the evening in photos .

Congrats to our raffle winners Michelle Fica, Leah Wade, Nancy Greene, Mark Hatch, Caroline Oesch, Shawnee Baldwin and Omorose Farmer! Please pick up your prizes at Urban Alliance by 9/6/19.

What next?

Join us for a 30-minute  UA Vantage Point on October 2 —an opportunity to get up close and personal with the work being done to meet critical needs in our community.
An Art-Filled Evening to Provide Help and Hope for Many
Grab a friend and get ready for a very special—and art-filled—evening at MUSE Paintbar !

40% of all sales from this event will support Urban Alliance's mission to create opportunities for people to experience lasting change in their lives.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
7:00-9:00pm (food available at 6:30pm)
MUSE Paintbar
140 Glastonbury Boulevard
Glastonbury, CT 06033


"There are so many organizations in our community that are doing great work. I love how UA builds capacity with these organizations and helps them impact the lives of the people they serve.”

—Julie DeLucca-Collins
volunteer news
UAServe Volunteers From North Dakota Help Dream Come to Life
When this group of 76 volunteers from North Dakota reached out to us in February, we put the call out to UAServe host sites in the Urban Alliance network, hoping for a great match!

We are so glad to have helped  Coram Deo see their dream of a city cleanup day come to life and support  Hartford City Mission  in holding their end-of-summer community party after many months of coordinating and preparing for this amazing group to serve while here in Connecticut.

Thank you, UAServe volunteers from  Sharon Lutheran Church , United Lutheran Church and  Calvary Lutheran in Grand Forks, N orth Dakota , for your generous service!
Urgent Need: After-School Program Volunteers
UA supports churches and organizations in our network through our five initiatives, with convening, training, toolkits, consultation, grants, supplies and volunteers to build stronger programs in the community.

Currently, there is an urgent need for: