Sunnyside Ministry

Sunnyside Ministry was founded in 1978 by the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, as a crisis assistance ministry to the poor and needy living in the southern part of Forsyth County and parts of Northern Davidson County.  The mission of Sunnyside Ministry is to follow Christ by providing hope through service, education and empowerment to those in need within our community.   Following Christ by Empowering Others. Now, 45 years later, that basic mission continues; providing assistance with life’s basic needs to families facing crisis situations. Emergency Assistance is provided to families who live in zip codes 27107 and 27127 of Forsyth County and also in northern Davidson County.  Food and Clothing Assistance is provided to any resident of Forsyth or Davidson Counties.  In recent years, additional empowerment programs have been added to help families break the cycle of crisis-living that is prevalent in the Sunnyside Ministry service area.

Basic Needs Assistance:

In order to create an immediate change in the lives of residents in its service area, Sunnyside Ministry helps clients meet their basic living needs such as food, clothing and lodging.  The Food Pantry and Clothing Center  is open to all residents of Forsyth County and the northern part of Davidson County.

Emergency financial assistance for basic needs such as housing and utilities is provided to qualified clients living in zip code 27107 and 27107 in Forsyth County as well as parts of Northern Davidson County.  

Empowerment Programming:

In order to create intermediate and long-term change in the lives of the residents in its service area, Sunnyside Ministry created a sustainable financial literacy program, Gaining Control in 2013. This twelve week program brings together tools that are effective at creating financial independence and therefore, reducing the amount of assistance each family needs from Sunnyside Ministry and other crisis assistance agencies. Over 250 students have completed the program and only four graduates of the program have needed additional financial assistance from Sunnyside Ministry, which results in a 98.1% success rate.  While preference is given to the residents of Sunnyside Ministry’s service area, the program is open to all residents of Forsyth County.

Sunnyside Scholarship Program:

Countless sources attribute education as the key to the true reduction of poverty.  Appropriately, Sunnyside Ministry operates a scholarship program for students who live in its service area or attend a High School located in its service area.  Through this Scholarship program, more than 100 young people have graduated from college.  Each year, 12 to 16 students utilize their four-year scholarship, in the amount of $900.00 each semester, to help them afford and attain their college education.   Internships are also offered for two or three students each summer. When interviewing potential scholars, focus is placed on the student’s academic ability, the family’s financial situation and the evidence of a benevolent spirit. The program has a retention and graduation rate above 95%.