Spotlight on Our Partners: Cathedral of Faith Community Church

Connie Booker, program director, co-pastor, and first lady of Cathedral of Faith Community Church.

More than ever, our work in the community hinges upon solid partnerships that can help us mobilize resources and support to KSC families as they recover from economic hardships due to the pandemic. We depend on our partner organizations to listen to resident needs, treat each person with dignity, and act quickly to connect them to what’s needed. Nestled in the heart of the KSC community, Cathedral of Faith Community Church helps us achieve that ideal every day.

This month, we spoke to Connie Booker, program director, co-pastor, and first lady of Cathedral of Faith Community Church, who told explained why our combined effort was so critical:

“We’ve been doing this work with the Department of Children Services, Klondike Smokey City CDC, and others for more than 15 years. And when WCS first came to the community and began building this neighborhood collaboration three years ago, we were there as a voice of the community,” she says. “We knew that the most at-risk or vulnerable families coming to the Department were facing many of the same barriers [unemployment, and food or housing insecurity] when it came to their child’s education.”

Working together, Booker says, gave both organizations a better shot at stabilizing families in need and getting resources in the homes of as many residents as possible -- especially since the center, with its in-house food bank and donation closet,  is located within the community. 

Due to the pandemic, proximity to the community along with the familiarity and trust COF has built over time have become essential benefits to both organizations. Last year, Whole Child Strategy’s family preservation efforts in KSC may have reached around 40 families; with households struggling under the pressures of the pandemic, the partnership has already served half that number since combining forces on July 1. 

“We’re seeing a much greater demand for help now,” she says. “There’s a greater need for food, for example, because the normal weekly food budget for families with kids might have just been dinner and breakfast and lunch on the weekends -- the school provided those other meals. But now with children at home all day every day, that’s changed dramatically.” In addition, the center is seeing a rise in people needing rental and utility assistance as the MLGW moratorium lifts and more households are facing eviction due to unemployment. 

With schools opening up, Booker says she expects the number of families served to rise even higher. “Many families come to us through referrals from our community schools. The teachers and counselors are seeing families now after not seeing them since last spring, so they’re hearing more about the emergency issues that families have going on, especially homelessness.” 

However, with help from the WCS outreach team, Booker says she felt like the partners would be able to meet the growing call for support from residents.  

“Lots of agencies have different programs and things, but you don’t really see an outreach team that has ‘boots on the ground’ the way that the Whole Child team does,” she says. “They knock on doors, call people, and follow up like no one else does. They’re hands-on, they’re accessible, and you just don’t see that anymore.”

“Because of this partnership, we’ve been able to increase our capacity to serve. We have been able to assist everyone who has come to our attention. That’s a huge win for our community.”

To learn more about Cathedral of Faith Community Church, visit http://cofccministries.org.