Who but God could have imagined…? At the leading of CBFSC Coordinator, Marion Aldridge, and Missions Coordinator, Beverly Greer, 20 years ago CBFSC called Bill Stanfield and Evelyn Oliveira as urban missionaries. CBFSC raised more than $100,000 and helped launch a ministry—Metanoia—that serves and blesses the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood of North Charleston. Since then, Metanoia has shaped hundreds of scholars, neighborhood residents have moved into or repaired hundreds of homes, and local entrepreneurs have launched businesses because CBFSC helped Metanoia build on assets.
Who but God could have imagined…? CBFSC churches have partnered with Metanoia through the years for mission service and learned asset-based approaches to ministry. As CBFSC has added missions partners, most of them have taken an asset-based approach to missions endeavors learned from Bill, Evelyn, and Metanoia. Along with transformations in North Charleston, the bold initiative launched in 2002 has transformed CBFSC and churches as we have learned better ways to talk about, understand, and address under-resourced communities across our state.
Can we join God’s imagining…? Let’s celebrate the faithfulness of Marion and Beverly, Bill and Evelyn, and CBFSC by contributing to the future of Metanoia with another significant monetary gift. Let’s celebrate these people, this ministry, God’s provision, and your generosity at the CBFSC General Assembly on April 1, 2022, in North Charleston. Join us as we are Pushing Forward in Faith!
CBFSC & METANOIA’S HISTORY
In 2002, CBFSC desired to invest in transformative efforts to address childhood poverty within the state. CBFSC’s coalition of churches hired Urban Ministers Evelyn Oliveira and Bill Stanfield to spend a year listening to residents and leaders within South Carolina’s North Charleston neighborhoods with the highest concentration of childhood poverty (per 2000 US Census).
Collectively, CBFSC decided to focus its efforts on Chicora-Cherokee in North Charleston, a small community of under 3,000 people. To Evelyn and Bill, Chicora-Cherokee was, most importantly, a vibrant place, resilient and fundamentally strong. Many residents and families had lived in the neighborhoods for generations and aspired to continue to build the community for future generations.
Metanoia was born out of this year of listening and maintains to this day a deep commitment to listening to neighborhood residents and families, who hold the true expertise about community challenges, aspirations, and solutions.
A core group of local leaders organized to form Metanoia’s Board of Directors and built a partnership with St. Matthew Baptist Church. Metanoia’s first initiative, a small afterschool enrichment program for 1st through 4th-grade students of Chicora Elementary, launched in the Fall of 2003. Since that time, Metanoia’s initiative to “build leaders” has grown into a holistic community development effort that works year-round with students from 1st through 12th-grades.
As Metanoia centered authentic relationships with students and families, the organization discovered the broader range of challenges children and families faced daily. As a result, Metanoia developed partnerships around new initiatives to encourage and sustain community vibrancy through quality housing and economic opportunities.
As Metanoia grows, we continue to place a strong emphasis on doing work “with” residents and not “to” or “for” the neighborhood residents. We see each scholar, family, resident, homeowner, and leader as essential partners in creating a healthy community. Each resident is an essential partner, critical to success. To this day, many of our Board of Directors and employees live in the neighborhoods we work alongside.
Metanoia pursues an asset-based approach that focuses on individuals’, partners’, and communities’ strengths. This approach distinguishes Metanoia’s work among other non-profit organizations in our region.
ABOUT METANOIA
MISSION
Metanoia is a movement of people rooted in faith. We invest in neighborhood assets to build leaders, establish quality housing, and generate economic development. We are pushing forward into new relationships with God and one another to create strong communities.
VISION
We envision a diverse community of people who are inspired and empowered to make the community better for generations to come; where quality housing and livable wage jobs are accessible to all; where there are academically achieving schools; where businesses and faith communities benefit the community; where the quality of life includes green space and recreational opportunities; and where Reynolds Avenue is a hub of economic and social activities. We recognize the people of our community are essential to the accomplishment of this vision.
VALUES
Strengths Focused: Grounded in research-based and award-winning approaches, we invest in the strengths of the people and places of the neighborhoods that we work alongside.
Community Driven: We are committed to active listening and collaboration that partners with children, families, and residents for a positive change. Our neighbors are essential in creating a vibrant community for future generations.
Rooted in Faith: Devoted to providing good ground for people to nurture and grow faith, we believe transformation is possible regardless of circumstance.
INITIATIVES & PROGRAMS
• Build Leaders: We believe that young people ensure that healthy neighborhoods thrive for generations to come. Metanoia Youth Leadership Academy (MYLA) invests in scholars in 1st through 12th-grade in leadership programming that operates year-round.
• Quality Housing: We believe that children and families thrive in neighborhoods with quality housing. We invest in opportunities that provide quality housing, affordable for renters, local homeowners, and future homeowners.
• Economic Development: We believe everyone has the right to meaningful work with a livable wage. We invest to create a community that encourages entrepreneurship, generates employment opportunities, improves residents’ financial power, and enhances quality of life.
• Call to Action: We believe neighborhood residents create and nurture a healthy community. We engage neighborhood children, families, and residents as partners in creating opportunities for community building. We work with the community to advocate around issues that are essential to helping it thrive.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- For 15 consecutive years, Metanoia has achieved a best case “unqualified audit” of our audited financial statements.
- Metanoia has earned our fifth consecutive 4-star rating by Charity Navigator. This highest possible rating demonstrates our strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency, exceeding nonprofit industry standards.
- Metanoia partnered with the North Charleston Police Department, the YWCA, and Coastal Community Foundation to have 350 officers attend racial equity training over a three- year period.
- Since 2006, Metanoia Youth Leadership Academy (MYLA) has facilitated a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School program mitigating the summer learning slide for an average of 110 low-income students annually. 98% of Freedom School students gain or maintain their reading levels over the crucial summer months.
- Metanoia has built 30 residential rental housing units over the last seven years, and land banked 21 lots to stabilize opportunities for quality, affordable housing within the neighborhoods we serve. Currently, Metanoia has 24 residential housing units under construction or in predevelopment in the southern half of North Charleston.
- Since 2007, Metanoia has completed significant repairs on over 150 homes owned by neighborhood residents meeting HUD low-income requirements.
- In partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Urban Electric Company, Metanoia helped to create 52 permanent, full-time new jobs for low- to-moderate income workers.
WAYS TO SUPPORT
CBFSC and Metanoia faithfully appreciate all our supporters. You are part of the metanoia – the positive change – we see happening every day! Metanoia weds strong management and fiscal practice with innovative approaches to community development. You support a movement that champions thriving communities and businesses, enhancing core economic and social sustainability. Whether it be our annual fund, support of specific initiatives, or other investment, we value our relationship with you. We remain grateful for your enthusiasm and consideration of support!
There are options for you to invest in the Pushing Forward in Faith anniversary campaign:
- Make an online gift at www.cbfsc.org/giving.
- Send a check to:CBF of South Carolina
Attn: Pushing Forward in Faith - Give the gift of stock directly to Metanoia. Contact Bryan Adams, Director of Development at Metanoia, by phone at (843) 276-8989 or email bryan@metanoiasc.org.
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- If you would like to give in a different way, please call Jay Kieve at (803) 767-3456 or email jkieve@cbf.net.