More than 200 people attended a dinner and program for the nonprofit at First Baptist Church.
Downtown churches in early 2012 realized they weren't able to properly meet the needs of the families facing poverty in the community. So they developed an ecumenical ministry supported by First Baptist, First United Methodist, First Christian, First Presbyterian and Grace Episcopal churches and the Central United Church of Christ.
Tina Mollenkamp, executive director of Common Ground Community Building, presented a video highlighting the challenges the organizers faced in getting it off the ground. The video pointed out that the building certainly met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's requirement that it be in a blighted area.
Photos of those first visitors to the building showed dour men with frowns on stern faces, and arms crossed, looking at the former Homer's Restaurant building as if it were going to be their doom.
But they persevered and made repairs.
Mollenkamp reflected on her time at the nonprofit. She arrived just three years ago and felt overwhelmed.
"I was just telling somebody in January how old we were," she said. "I had to say, '10 years.' Wow, it occurred to me that we need to celebrate that."
She said she realized she wanted to celebrate all the people who have gotten so much work done over the past 10 years.
The building addresses needs of its clients in poverty through innovative and relationship-focused approaches. It monitors needs and creates new programs when necessary.
It works with other community agencies that do similar work to help clients move forward.
Over the years, other churches threw support behind the building -- Memorial Baptist and Wesley United Methodist churches and Quinn Chapel.
Information about Common Ground may be found at www.cgcb.org.
Some of the programs it offers are a Benevolence Office, which provides temporary monetary assistance to local families in need, according to the site. Funding is provided by individual supporters, ecumenical partners, and community organizations.
Common Ground partnered with Central Missouri Community Action during the past year to distribute $25,000 in CARES Act funding for first-month's rent and deposits, utility bills, car repairs and more.
During last Christmas, Common Ground partnered with Zimmer radio to help four people with special gifts -- car repairs for two people, a train ticket for an elderly woman and outstanding bills for another family.
In 2021, church partners gave $132,676 to the Benevolence Office and operations.
Assistance it provided included emergency utility (electricity, water and sewer) assistance, rental and/or deposit assistance and gas vouchers or bus passes for critical transportation needs.
Assistance is carefully restricted by the amount of funds available and prior history of assistance given. When unable to give assistance, the building refers clients to to other agencies that may be able to better help them.
The Families Forward program assists working families to transition from homelessness to independent living. Through the program, families are assisted for a year to help them achieve sustainability.
In May 2021, the building began a fund to specifically help people get into public housing. First Christian Church kicked off the fund with a $10,000 donation, but was soon followed by a $10,000 from the United Way of Central Missouri and $17,500 in other donations. By the end of the year, the fund helped 45 families.
Mollenkamp said she knew the former director, Kristen Hilty, and learned about the organization over the years, but was still unaware of the scope of its work when she was asked to take over three years ago.
"It is a gift from God in my life to part of it," Mollenkamp said.
Common Ground will again this year play a significant role in Project Homeless Connect, an annual effort on Capitol Street church campuses designed to eliminate barriers that keep people homeless or in a state of near-homelessness. This year's event is Friday.
The event, based on a national service model, began three years ago, when a group of concerned church and community members came together to address what they saw as an important need in our community -- the lack of access to services for those living in homelessness, or on the brink of homelessness.
More than 150 people gathered to celebrate 10 years of Common Ground Community Building Friday night.
Tina Mollenkamp, executive director of Common Ground Community Building, recognizes volunteers who helped get the nonprofit off the ground. She also recognized the current crop of volunteers who sustain its work.