Urban Ministries of Durham

UMD Board Announces New Executive Director

DURHAM – Durham’s emergency homeless shelter and free meal provider has hired a new executive director with more than 20 years of experience leading human services agencies, the board announced Wednesday. The Urban Ministries of Durham board unanimously selected Sheldon Mitchell, previously at Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. He will take charge March 14. Board Chair David Sotolongo said the seasoned nonprofit executive stood out among the dozens of qualified candidates attracted by the national search. Mitchell succeeds outgoing Executive Director Patrice Nelson, who last summer announced that she would be ending her nearly 7-year tenure leading the nonprofit. UMD helps 6,000 homeless and poor residents of Durham each year using a cash and in-kind budget of $3 million. Mitchell said that UMD’s core values of respect, accountability and collaboration speak to his own deep belief in treating everyone [...]

Collaboration for greater impact

The old adage "many hands make light work" is just as valuable today as in the 1500s when this phrase was coined by English writer John Heywood. Although he did not work for a nonprofit, he understood the benefit of people joining together to meet a shared challenge and achieve a common goal. Homelessness Simulation at the United Way of the Greater Triangle By pooling resources for staffing, funding, development, communications, volunteers and/or database management, nonprofit and social services agencies with a similar goal and client base can have a huge collective impact. This is the model that one of our recent clients, the United Way of the Greater Triangle (UWGT), has been moving toward: a new strategic direction which reflects the nationwide efforts and successes of collaborative agencies meeting an area's most pressing needs. Homelessness Simulation at United [...]