A.R.M. in the Star

Greg Miller of the Elizabethton Star had a busy week. He wrote another article about Assistance and Resource Ministry (A.R.M.) of Carter County. A.R.M. is seeking to purchase its current building. This is a critically important ministry for our area. Here is the letter from Tim Ross I posted yesterday.

We now have an on-line presence, Assistance and Resource Ministries. Here is Greg's article in today's Star:

Assistance and Resource Ministries (ARM), a local organization that reaches out to needy members of the community with food, clothing, backpacks and Thanksgiving baskets, needs a permanent home. Last Spring, according to ARM Directory Libby Harvey, the organization’s board of directors set up a building fund. ARM is asking for donations from the community to help purchase the building they are now renting.

Since ARM’s beginning, the organization has rented space. Late last year, according to Harvey, the organization’s board of directors asked the landlord about the possibility of purchasing the building.

Mr. Tim Ross, the minister of Hopwood Memorial Christian Church, writes that ARM’s board believes

that the time is right for the ministry to have a permanent home. “Not buying would mean another move, and we’re doubtful we could find comparable space, location and facilities at a reasonable cost,” he wrote.

“We want to give ARM a permanent, stable base of ministry.” The letter asks for financial help to help purchase the building.

“We want to raise as much money as we can for a sizable down payment in order to make our monthly payments more manageable,” Ross wrote. He continued, “This nonprofit ministry has always been a joint effort of area churches and individuals, and we need you to help make this happen.”

Churches and organizations are being asked for a one-time gift for ARM’s Building Fund. “We hope some churches will take up special offerings or Easter offerings,” wrote Ross, who also serves as a member of ARM’s executive board of directors. “We hope individuals, clubs and groups will make one-time donations.

All gifts are tax-exempt and will go 100 percent against the principal to lower our monthly payments.”

In ARM’s January newsletter, Harvey wrote, “ARM has been very blessed with our physical building. It has a wonderful location, parking space and much space to grow. We are only a rental month-by-month status, and the owner would like to sell the building to ARM.”

Harvey wrote that purchasing the building “will not be an impossible effort, with the continuing prayers and support of the community. We do have a ‘building fund’ that will be added for a good down payment. Of course, the more donated toward this could leave us a more workable monthly mortgage payment. This would leave us room to expand projects for the future...such as a children’s summer lunch and serving site and storage areas for sharing furniture donations, etc.”

ARM moved to its current location, 714 W. C Street, after renting a building on Broad Street.

Counting repeat visits by clients, last year, ARM served 9,463 individuals and 3,876 families.

For more information, call 542-0919.