Burke United Christian Ministries is about $400 from its $5 million financial campaign goal

Moving from West Union Street to East Fleming Drive was costly for Burke United Christian Ministries (BUCM), but the organization has reached $4.6 million of its $5 million financial campaign that was created to fund the move.

BUCM Executive Director Alice Horton shared the update at Morganton Rotary Club’s noon lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 4, while also introducing the organization’s new logo and some annual statistics.

The updated logo features four side-by-side hexagons above the organization’s name. Each hexagon represents a different aspect of BUCM, such as its Christian alignment, crisis assistance services, the food pantry and soup kitchen, and its clothing closet and thrift store.

Horton said the logo was changed to better represent BUCM.

The financial campaign, launched in 2024, now has $4,613,000 in committed funds, Horton said.

Horton spoke on every type of outreach BUCM offers, including partnerships with the housing authority and Partners Health Management to assist people with transitioning into a home.

“People who are trying to make that transition, especially if they’ve been outdoors for a long, long time, that’s kind of tricky,” Horton said. “Because it’s a big deal to go from, ‘I was in a tent’ to going to, ‘I’m going to live somewhere full-time and have to take responsibility.’”

Horton recalled a man who a different rotary club was trying to help, who continually pushed back because he wanted to live in his hometown.

“You would think if somebody was laying out the red carpet for you that you would just want to move right into this apartment,” Horton said, adding that this went on for a year. “I finally went up to the guy, I said, ‘Look, what you want is not going to happen. So, what is the compromise? … Because otherwise, lots of people are going to stop being interested.’”

Horton said the man asked her what he needed to do. Within three days, he had a job. Within a week, he was in an apartment.

BUCM sorts through almost 1.5 million pounds of food annually. It serves 43,805 meals a year. Horton said that number does not represent people served, but plates distributed, as some may get more than one plate. The organization serves about 200 families a week, Horton said.