About Micah 6 of Austin
About six years ago two small, casual projects came together. Clergy from nine churches around the University of Texas campus had begun meeting monthly for fellowship and support. They came to realize that their efforts to minister to those in need would be more effective if their resources and efforts could be coordinated. The coalition of ministers and their congregations began supporting one-another's outreach ministries. One of those small, one-church ministries was an effort to feed the hungry at University Baptist Church (UBC). Volunteers turned this effort into an organized, regular effort to provide food and meals to those in need. At the same time, volunteer Charles Locklin introduced the ministers' group to a concept that had just a few years earlier been developed by the National Council of Churches of Christ. It was to bring different faith communities together to reach out to those in need, following the guidance of the scriptures from Micah 6:8 - to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.
The nine campus-area churches formed the Micah 6 Council. The group considered several possible projects but eventually chose expansion of the UBC Food Pantry (then known as Manna) as its first program. Volunteers from the nine churches planned for the expansion of the program and the eventual formation of an independent non-profit corporation. They worked on administrative preparations, physical preparation and expansion of the pantry, designing the operations, and fostering a common bond among the volunteers from so many different denominations.
At the start of 2004, the food pantry expanded its operations to two days per week (Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings). That summer, Micah 6 of Austin was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - shouldering its financial and legal obligations as an independent entity. In addition to volunteers from the nine founding churches, Micah 6 enjoys regular support from other churches, including Mesa Community Church, Hyde Park Presbyterian Church and the University Catholic Center. In 2004, the pantry served 9,600 households and 17,329 individuals. (These numbers count each visit of recipient households and their families. Households meeting the Capital Area Food Bank eligibility requirements may shop at the pantry once per week.) In 2005, the pantry expects to serve over 1,000 households (representing over 2,500 individuals) each month. In recognition of its work, Micah 6 of Austin was selected as a beneficiary of the 2005 CROP WALK (a national program to raise funds to end hunger), and has received the support of other charitable efforts.
