Summit Church’s modest outreach effort has grown into a vital community hub

A collaboration between Summit Community Church and the Morganton Housing Authority is breathing new life into the Andrade Center, offering enhanced family programming while preparing for significant upgrades to the facility.

Located at the Morganton Housing Authority’s Providence Place II at 300 Wrighton St., the center serves as a refuge for children and families. It was renamed in honor of 7-year-old Steven Andrade, one of the victims of a 1998 double homicide in the complex. The center is a direct partnership between Morganton Public Safety, the Morganton Housing Authority, and Summit Community Church.

Summit began its partnership with the Andrade Center in 2017 to bring consistency to the outreach in the area. Sarah Smith, a Morganton native and one of the Summit’s ministry coordinators, has been involved in the mission for three years.

“When Summit first started, it was a time on Wednesday nights for kids to come, do homework, play games, and have a meal,” Smith said.

After the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on programming, the center refocused its efforts to support entire families. “Many of the residents don’t have the traditional nuclear family,” Smith explained. “We serve single-parent households, grandparents raising grandchildren, foster families, and elderly residents.”

Each Wednesday, the Andrade Center offers meals and activities for both children and the adults who care for them. Smith noted that these gatherings build relationships and trust within the community.

“There is life brought back to the community center,” Smith said. “We just develop healthy relationships and connections, and that develops trust.”

Summit Community Church also organizes larger events to encourage residents to engage with the broader community. These include school supply drives, food distributions, and even a free Christmas tree farm supplied by Freedom High School’s FFA club. A clothing drive transformed the center into a makeshift department store for a day, providing children who had never been to a department store with full wardrobes.

“One of the best things we do is getting to bring bits and pieces of Morganton together to show that it doesn’t take a lot to love on people,” Smith said.

In addition to Summit’s efforts, Morganton Public Safety supports the center by maintaining a healthy police presence to keep the area safe and to build connections with residents.

Morganton Housing Authority Director Victoria Smith added that the Authority is working on a plan for long-term improvements for Providence Place II, including a pavilion for events, a small basketball court, a small playground, and increased parking.

“Ever since I took the position as the director, I have wanted to do something in that area,” Smith said. “We want to create a safer area at the Providence Place location for kids to play and organizations to program.”

The Housing Authority has also been awarded the 2024 Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) grant. This funding will allow the Authority to hire a service coordinator to assess residents’ needs and connect them with professional, educational, and health services, helping them work toward self-sufficiency.

“We want to change the stigma of being seen as rule-setters and bridge the gap, so residents know we’re here to empower them,” Smith stated.

Renovations at the Andrade Center are expected to begin in January, pending final approvals.

Sarah Smith emphasized Summit Community Church needs more volunteers to help at the Andrade Center.

“In Acts Chapter 2, it says go make disciples of all nations. But it doesn’t say start globally; it says start in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth,” she continued.

“Our community is craving for more people to say yes to serving in their backyard, and we have the perfect opportunity to start here in Morganton,” she said.

For more information about the Andrade Center or to get involved, contact Sarah Smith via email at sts051609@gmail.com.