UA

The history of Urban Alliance, like any good history, is made up of multiple strands, which overlap and strengthen one another. Together the different strands form a tapestry and after some time a clear picture emerges.  Looking back at Urban Alliances history, three primary strands run through its fabric: listening, dialoging, and responding. These three strands have been essential at all the phases of Urban Alliances development.  

Urban Alliance began by listening to Christian workers in the Greater Hartford area who were providing direct services at the grassroots level to people in need. The focus was on hearing what these churches and ministry organizations had to say and asking them questions: What kinds of services were they providing? Who were they serving? What were some of the challenges they faced as organizations? What kinds of support could they use?

The next phase was to respond to the feedback from ministers and service providers about how to expand and enhance services to people in need. This response began to take the form of an organization that would support churches and ministries in the Hartford community, and therefore, help them work towards systemic change in the city. As the structure developed, dialogue continued with those serving in the community, as well as, with organizations carrying out similar ventures with success in other urban centers such as: Boston, MA; Danbury, CT; New York, NY. These ventures facilitated resources, volunteer mobilization, community-based research, and worked collaboratively with a variety of organizations and people.

These dialogues were followed by efforts to more finely mold the framework of this emerging organization based on what the wider Christian community was saying. A professional services organization materialized as the most appropriate response. This organization would provide churches and ministry organizations with support services to mobilize Relationships, Resources, and Research; thereby, creating a collaborative network of churches and organizations working together to effectively serve under-resourced people in Hartford. The name, Urban Alliance, was chosen because it best described what this organization would be about; helping meet needs in an Urban environment and doing so in Alliance with others.

Currently, Urban Alliance is continuing to build relationships through dialogue with churches and organizations. UA is also now providing capacity building services and technical assistance in the areas of Relationships, Resources, and Research to churches and organizations for the benefit of under-resourced people in Hartford. These services are expanding as UA mobilizes more organizations, which are ready to serve with their unique sets of gifts. UA hopes to help establish a collaborative network of hundreds of organizations providing services to our neighbors in need that will transform individuals and communities involved.  This is Urban Alliances story, our tapestry thus far, and we look forward to seeing the picture mature and grow as we continue to listen, dialogue, and respond.