Welcome to FOCUS Churches! For more than 50 years, FOCUS has created a community called to be a collective voice - and a helping hand - for those in need.
FOCUS serves hungry bodies and souls through its feeding programs. The Breakfast Club provides more than 18,000 meals year round and helps connect guests with much-needed services such as housing. The Interfaith Food Pantry located at Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Food Pantry at First Church in Albany offer emergency food supplies to families and individuals. And with each meal FOCUS serves a helping of hospitality. FOCUS also gives voice to critical issues of hunger and homelessness and joins with other organizations to raise awareness of the impacts and needs of those living in poverty.
Our Mission: FOCUS IS SIX COVENANT CHURCHES, FOUR FAITH AFFILIATES, AND TWO FAITH PARTNERS, DOING TOGETHER WHAT WE CANNOT DO ALONE. UNITED IN A COMMON CALLING TO RESPOND TO OUR NEIGHBOR'S NEEDS IN THE CITY OF ALBANY AND BEYOND, AS GOD'S SERVANT PEOPLE IN A BROKEN AND HURTING WORLD.
FOCUS serves hungry bodies and souls through its feeding programs. The Breakfast Club provides more than 18,000 meals year round and helps connect guests with much-needed services such as housing. The Interfaith Food Pantry located at Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Food Pantry at First Church in Albany offer emergency food supplies to families and individuals. And with each meal FOCUS serves a helping of hospitality. FOCUS also gives voice to critical issues of hunger and homelessness and joins with other organizations to raise awareness of the impacts and needs of those living in poverty.
Our Mission: FOCUS IS SIX COVENANT CHURCHES, FOUR FAITH AFFILIATES, AND TWO FAITH PARTNERS, DOING TOGETHER WHAT WE CANNOT DO ALONE. UNITED IN A COMMON CALLING TO RESPOND TO OUR NEIGHBOR'S NEEDS IN THE CITY OF ALBANY AND BEYOND, AS GOD'S SERVANT PEOPLE IN A BROKEN AND HURTING WORLD.
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Bowling For Beds is a Cornerstone Campus Ministry (the University at Albany Interfaith Group) Event. Please consider supporting the FOCUS Fresh team.
Individual cost is $25/pp, which includes 2 games, shoes, pizza and soda. We had a great time last year and hope to increase participation this year. Even if you cannot bowl, please consider raising money. Contact Rev. Renee for sponsorship details: revrenee@focuschurches.net Thank you! |
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From giving children access to free books to working with the homeless, five Massry Community Service Fellows spent the summer working to better the community:
Three of this year's Massry Fellows — from left, Chanchilo Ezung (FOCUS Churches of Albany), Grace Schlembach and Jeffrey Lorber — pose in the places they interned over the summer. (Photos and video by Paul Miller) |
University at Albany Massry Fellowships
Help Students Give Back to the Community Chanchilo Ezung, MBA ’18, is a doctoral student from Kohima, Nagaland in India, whose research interest is in smart cities and information management. Ezung interned with FOCUS Churches of Albany. “I wanted to work for the organization but I did need some support for the summer. So the fellowship helped me choose to work for the non-profit. I actually turned down a job because I wanted to work for the organization,” she said. More than 800 people reported being homeless in Albany County in January, 2017, an increase of 7 percent from 2016. Ezung helped FOCUS Churches of Albany build their outreach through social media. “I build relationships with the homeless by socializing with them during the breakfast program,” she said last month. “They have been very gracious and kind. I took the “Humans of New York” approach for collecting their stories and taking pictures.” https://www.albany.edu/news/92277.php |