How help from churches, mosques and temples works in AtlantaA short guide: who to call first and what to expect.
You do not have to belong or believe to get help. Congregations run a large share of the food pantries, clothing closets and bill funds in Atlanta, and they serve anyone in their area. If a place ties its help to attending a service, you can go somewhere else.
Call before you go. Volunteers run most of this on set days. A pantry may open two Saturdays a month, and requests for money may be decided once a week. The office is usually open on weekday mornings. Ask what help they give, on which days, and what to bring.
For help with rent or a bill, ask whether the congregation has a benevolence fund, which is money set aside for neighbors in need. St. Vincent de Paul Georgia works through Catholic parishes across the metro area, and the Salvation Army helps people of any faith or none.
Larger faith-based groups serve everyone.Jewish Family & Career Services offers counseling, job help and a dental clinic. ICNA Relief in Decatur has a food pantry with halal food and a free clinic. Catholic Charities Atlanta offers counseling, English classes and immigration legal help. IMAN Atlanta works with people coming home from prison.
For a free meal, Sikh gurdwaras serve a vegetarian meal to anyone who walks in, and many churches serve breakfast or dinner on set days.
For prayer, grief or someone to talk to, most congregations will meet with you whether or not you are a member.
If a congregation can't help, ask which one nearby can. They know each other.
All Saints' is an Episcopal church in Midtown Atlanta. It holds worship on Sundays and welcomes LGBTQ+ people. It also runs service ministries: the Midtown Assistance Center (food bank, men's clothing closet, help with rent, utilities and rides), Refugee Ministries, the Threads clothing ministry, and Covenant Community, a residential program for men recovering from substance abuse.
Church of the Common Ground is a church with no building. It meets outside in downtown Atlanta, and everyone is welcome. It holds Sunday worship in Woodruff Park, morning prayer, Bible study, and a weekly foot clinic for people living on the streets. Volunteers and visiting groups can join in.
Butler Street CME Church is a historic Atlanta congregation started in 1882. For now, it holds in-person Sunday worship at a borrowed church building on Hamilton E. Holmes Drive while it looks for a new home. Its Wednesday Zoom Bible study is paused right now.
Calvary United Methodist Church is a church in Atlanta's Westview neighborhood. It holds Sunday worship and a midweek Bible study, and it works to meet needs in the community, including food. Neighbors can also take free food from a self-serve food cabinet in front of the church.
Victory Church is a church with campuses in Norcross, Midtown, Hamilton Mill, Dacula and North Cobb, plus an online campus. People can come to weekend worship, join a small group, and use programs for kids. The church also shares prayer help, counseling referrals and lists of places that give food and other help.
Ebenezer Baptist Church is a historic church in Atlanta., in person and online. It also offers a Wednesday evening discussion group, a children and youth chapel, and classes for new members.
Cascade United Methodist Church is a church with two Atlanta locations, one in Southwest Atlanta and one in Midtown. Its Community Fund can pay up to $1,000 toward past-due rent or mortgage and up to $350 toward a past-due utility bill for people in Fulton or DeKalb County. It is not emergency help. The church also holds worship services, takes prayer requests, and offers a GriefShare group for adults who have lost a loved one.
St. Philip AME is an African Methodist Episcopal church at 240 Candler Rd. SE in Atlanta. It holds Sunday worship at 9:30 AM and has a youth program for children and teens. New visitors and people who want to join the church are welcome.
Concord Baptist Church is a small church family on Boulder Park Drive in southwest Atlanta. Inell's Food Pantry gives out groceries to families in need on Saturdays. The church also has Sunday School, Sunday worship, a Wednesday Bible study, rides to Sunday worship, and a prayer line that is open day and night.
Salem Bible Church is a church with two campuses, one in Atlanta and one in Stonecrest. It holds Sunday worship. Its care team helps with counseling, prayer, weddings, funerals, and child dedications, and it has a ministry for adults 65 and older.
Spirit and Truth Sanctuary is an inclusive church in Decatur. It says it welcomes people of every background, including LGBTQ+ people and people of other faiths. It holds worship on Sundays, a teaching time on Tuesdays, and a study class on Wednesdays, with most of them in person and online.
The Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing is an Episcopal ministry in Atlanta. It trains church leaders and community groups to face racism and work for justice. It offers online racial healing classes, a youth and children's curriculum, shared-meal gatherings, and pilgrimages.
Paradise is a Baptist church on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway in Atlanta. It holds Sunday School and a Sunday service, and it has small groups, prayer requests and ways to serve. The church says its mission includes feeding and clothing people in its neighborhood.
Divine Exchange Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit that started in 1996 and serves the Washington, DC area. It is now setting up services in Metro Atlanta. It offers free community programs such as prayer gatherings, women's groups, spiritual wellness recovery support, youth prevention classes, and referrals.
Columbia Drive United Methodist Church, called "The Drive," is a church in Decatur. It holds Sunday worship, Bible studies, and programs for children and teens. It also gives out food from its food pantry on Thursdays from 11 am to 1 pm.
Rainbow Park Baptist Church is a church in Decatur. It holds Sunday School and Sunday worship, and you can watch worship online. You can also call or email the church office to ask for prayer, or to ask about visiting.
Trinity Presbyterian is a church in northwest Atlanta that welcomes people from all backgrounds. It holds Sunday worship at 9 and 11 AM, also shown online, with childcare for children 4 and younger. It also offers activities for kids and youth, a class for newcomers, and works with Atlanta groups on hunger, education and fairness.
UUCA is a Unitarian Universalist congregation on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta. It holds Sunday worship in person and online, and has classes for all ages. It also works on racial justice, queer-affirming community and climate action.
Spirit & Truth Sanctuary is a church in Decatur that welcomes people of every background, including LGBTQ+ people and people of many faiths. It holds worship on Sundays, a teaching time on Tuesdays, and a study class online on Wednesdays. Most services can be attended in person or watched online.
Providence Baptist Church is a Baptist church at 1773 Hawthorne Avenue in College Park. It holds Sunday worship and a Wednesday Bible study, and you can watch on Facebook Live. It also has a youth ministry, discipleship classes, and community-style events like a movie night and Trunk or Treat.
