Uncommon Grounds Café is celebrating 22 years of "Hub" ministry in Beaver County!
The collapse of the steel industry happened all up and down the Beaver Valley. Aliquippa was especially hard hit. Population dropped by 240% between 1970 and 2010 (from 22,277 to 9,437) crushing its economy and shattering its community.
In the midst of this upheaval, those who could get out of town, did, and those who couldn't were trapped in poverty, unemployment, crime and addictions. With many lives going nowhere, Aliquippa had become a place without hope and without a future.
God had other plans! In 2000, the Church Army, a 100+ year old international ministry and outreach to the least, last and the lost, planted its presence in downtown Aliquippa.
Recognizing what Aliquippa really needed - a refuge where those devastated by economic, family and personal circumstances could rise above despair, find hope and reclaim their future - Uncommon Grounds Café was birthed on Franklin Avenue.
Now, twenty years later, under the leadership of the Rev. Herb Bailey, the Café has grown to be THE HUB for moving people from despair to hope, opportunities, and new life. Weekly, the Café and its ministries serve nearly 500 people throughout the Beaver Valley.
The Uncommon Grounds Café, and its unique approach to reaching a despairing community, is a place where:
Through the work of Uncommon Grounds Café, and others coming alongside and joining in, Aliquippa is experiencing renewal. People are investing. Buildings are being renovated and repurposed. Foot traffic is increasing.
Hope is being restored to individuals and the community.
An investment in Uncommon Grounds Café, a proven and established ministry that works, means being part of restoring hope and a future for Aliquippa and the Beaver Valley.
The collapse of the steel industry happened all up and down the Beaver Valley. Aliquippa was especially hard hit. Population dropped by 240% between 1970 and 2010 (from 22,277 to 9,437) crushing its economy and shattering its community.
In the midst of this upheaval, those who could get out of town, did, and those who couldn't were trapped in poverty, unemployment, crime and addictions. With many lives going nowhere, Aliquippa had become a place without hope and without a future.
God had other plans! In 2000, the Church Army, a 100+ year old international ministry and outreach to the least, last and the lost, planted its presence in downtown Aliquippa.
Recognizing what Aliquippa really needed - a refuge where those devastated by economic, family and personal circumstances could rise above despair, find hope and reclaim their future - Uncommon Grounds Café was birthed on Franklin Avenue.
Now, twenty years later, under the leadership of the Rev. Herb Bailey, the Café has grown to be THE HUB for moving people from despair to hope, opportunities, and new life. Weekly, the Café and its ministries serve nearly 500 people throughout the Beaver Valley.
The Uncommon Grounds Café, and its unique approach to reaching a despairing community, is a place where:
- People find a safe community, food, and encouraging fellowship.
- Those with addictions get involved in sobriety and recovery programs.
- Temporary shelter is available for those who are homeless.
- Ministry is offered to those incarcerated at the Beaver County Jail.
- Urban green spaces with gardens and greenhouses pop-up in burned-out vacant lots.
- Textile ministry helps women develop skills to produce saleable goods and to earn income.
- Congregations throughout Western Pennsylvania practice hands-on "on the street" ministry.
- Hundreds of volunteers help to make the Café a reality for the most vulnerable and those in greatest need.
Through the work of Uncommon Grounds Café, and others coming alongside and joining in, Aliquippa is experiencing renewal. People are investing. Buildings are being renovated and repurposed. Foot traffic is increasing.
Hope is being restored to individuals and the community.
An investment in Uncommon Grounds Café, a proven and established ministry that works, means being part of restoring hope and a future for Aliquippa and the Beaver Valley.