All in the Family | WORLD Magazine

What started with care for foster children has branched into more than a dozen programs ministering to people in each phase of family life | by Allie Cook

[Encouraging story of "ordinary people" accomplishing great things by caring for foster children and their families as a natural outflow of faith in Christ Jesus.]

Neighborhood Christian Center has been meeting the material and spiritual needs of Memphis' poor for over 30 years. Founders Monroe and JoeAnn Ballard began caring for the poor in 1968 by taking foster children into their own South Memphis home. From there, the family branched into other areas of ministry and in 1978 opened the NCC, which today has 15 programs based on the Ballards' original work.

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Their foster care wasn't government-supported or initially even donor-supported. The Ballards merely saw a need and rose to meet it by taking in kids whose parents were unable to support them. The nonprofit center still receives no government funds because that would limit their Christian initiatives in ministry. With private and corporate support, the Ballards have personally been able to care for a total of 75 children—79 if you count their own four.

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