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About

Open Table Ministry is hosting Glasses for the Homeless for a free vision screening and glasses giveaway for individuals experiencing homelessness in Durham. Vision problems can make it harder to read paperwork, fill out job applications, or get around safely. This event provides a screening and a pair of glasses at no cost, no appointment needed.

📣🏠 ANNOUNCEMENT: Neighbor Move In!!! 🏠📣 Last week, Thomas moved into a home of their own. It took persistence, patience, and a lot of paperwork, but Thomas stuck with it, and today he's unpacking in a place that’s theirs. We’re grateful we got to walk alongside them, and grateful to Housing for New Hope for helping make this possible. ✨🏠 Welcome home, Thomas! 🏠✨ _______________________ Participating in fundraising events like our upcoming Walk in Their Shoes helps us continue to provide the life-changing support for individuals like Thomas, who now has a place to call home! If you'd like to be part of helping our unsheltered neighbors navigate getting the support they need, jog on over and get registered today! 📆 November 7 | 10 am 📍100 3rd Fork Rd., Durham, NC 27707 💻 Registration link in bio #opentableministry #endhomelessness #housingfornewhope #walkintheirshoes

Move-In Monday When we celebrate someone moving into a place of their own, we’re reminded that we are one part of their housing story. No one gets there alone, and neither do we. It takes outreach and engagement to build trust. It takes housing providers and case managers offering wraparound support. It takes a backbone agency coordinating the work, health care workers meeting people where they are, and a whole community showing up along the way. This week, we’re thrilled to share that two of our friends have moved into a place of their own with @housing4newhope. We’re grateful to every partner who had a hand in this, and we’re cheering on our neighbors as they settle in. Welcome home, friends!

This summer, we had the joy of partnering with the Duke University School of Nursing's Community Health course. For 10 weeks, nursing students volunteered alongside us, getting to know our unsheltered neighbors - sitting with them, listening to their stories, and offering care with real thoughtfulness. We're so grateful for the compassion these students brought to our community. And we're thrilled knowing what they learned here won't stay here - it'll travel with them into every clinical setting they enter next.

🏠 MYTH vs. FACT: Homelessness in Durham 🏠 ******************************************************** MYTH: “If someone is homeless, there’s nothing I can do.” FACT: Small acts of support matter. A meal. A pair of shoes. A shower. Help replacing an ID. A connection to healthcare. A kind conversation. A safe place to access resources. These things may seem small—but when someone is navigating life without stable housing, they can be incredibly meaningful. Join Open Table Ministry as we support our neighbors experiencing homelessness in these ways and more! 🩵

👟♥️ WALK WITH PURPOSE. LOOK GOOD DOING IT. ♥️👕 Have you seen this year’s Walk in Their Shoes shirts?! 👀 We think they’re the perfect way to show your support for our unsheltered neighbors here in Durham! Join Open Table Ministry for our 17th Annual Walk in Their Shoes 5K & Walk and be part of a community taking meaningful steps toward ending homelessness. ✨ THE BEST PART? IT’S FREE TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE! ✨ Want to snag one of our event T-shirts and a swag bag? Here’s how! 👇 👟 Register with a $50 donation and you’ll receive a Walk in Their Shoes T-shirt AND a swag bag! Your donation also helps support Open Table Ministry’s work connecting our neighbors with essential resources, clothing, and the relationships they need to move toward long-term health and wholeness. ♥️ 📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026 ⏰ 10:00 AM 📍 Southern Boundaries Park | 100 3rd Fork Rd., Durham, NC 27707 💻 Registration link in bio 🎉 Come for the walk. Stay for the community. Leave knowing you’ve helped make a difference! 👉 REGISTER TODAY, grab your shirt, and invite a friend to walk alongside you! Can’t make a donation? No problem — come out and participate for FREE! Let’s fill the park with people who care. Every step matters, and we’d love to see YOU there! 👟♥️ #WalkInTheirShoes #OpenTableMinistry #DurhamNC #EndHomelessness #EveryStepMatters

This past Tuesday, we had the joy of welcoming Project BRI(DDGE) to the Free Store! Project BRI(DDGE) is a pre-orientation service week for incoming students at Duke Divinity School — a chance for them to get to know Durham, the community, and the neighbors they’ll be learning alongside for years to come. These students jumped right in, leading our outreach efforts by befriending neighbors and providing vital items to those experiencing homelessness right here in Durham. It’s a beautiful thing to watch students begin their formation not in a classroom, but on the ground, building relationships with the people of this city. We’re so grateful for their partnership and can’t wait to see how this week shapes their journey ahead. Welcome to Durham, Duke Divinity students - thank you for showing up for our neighbors!

Hi-Wire was packed last night for Karma Keg. Good crowd, fun energy, and a lot of amazing nonprofits in one room. We didn’t come home with the win, but our staff and interns spent the night talking with people about Open Table Ministry and the work we do with our unhoused neighbors. Worth the trip either way! Thanks to everyone who came out, asked questions, and voted for us. Thanks also to @inhabitthetriangle for organizing and @hiwirebrewing_durm for hosting!

✨Open Table Ministry exists because we believe our neighbors experiencing homelessness deserve more than a temporary solution.✨🏠 They deserve to be seen. Heard. Welcomed. Supported. And treated with dignity. Our mission is to walk alongside people experiencing homelessness and poverty by building trusting relationships, meeting practical and personal needs, connecting people with community resources, and helping bridge the gaps in our social service system. Every Tuesday at the Free Store. During Office Hours. Through case management. Through our community partnerships. Through every conversation, cup of coffee, shower, donated pair of shoes, and helping hand. It all comes back to one thing: community. Because when we make room for our neighbors, we create a community where everyone has the opportunity to find stability and thrive. That’s Open Table Ministry.

Open Table Ministry is hiring Shelter Monitors for this winter. From November 1 to February 28, we’ll be sheltering guests at two partner hotels, with one monitor at each site. Monitors help guests with day-to-day needs, work with hotel staff, sort out problems as they come up, and help people connect with the care and services they need on the way to stable housing. Details: • Temporary position, November 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027 • $28/hour, about 24–32 hours a week • Weekdays 7–11am and 4–8pm, weekends 10am–2pm • Overnight on-call shared among monitors, paid at a flat rate • Required training on October 28 or 29, 5–8pm (attend one) Experience in human services or with people experiencing homelessness is helpful. Peer Support Specialists and bilingual applicants, especially Spanish speakers, are encouraged to apply. To apply, email admin(at)opentableministry(dot)org Please share this with anyone who might be a good fit.

👟 WE’RE TWO MONTHS AWAY! 👟 The countdown is on! In just 2 months, we’ll be gathering for Open Table Ministry’s 17th Annual Walk in Their Shoes fundraiser! ❤️ 📅 Saturday, November 7th, 2026 📍 Southern Boundaries Park — Durham, NC ⏰ 10:00 AM Set aside the date and come walk alongside us as we raise awareness, build community, and make a real difference in the lives of our unsheltered neighbors. Every step matters. Every person matters. Let your steps make a difference. 👣❤️ Mark your calendar, invite your friends and family, and get ready to Walk in Their Shoes! #WalkInTheirShoes #OpenTableMinistry #EndHomelessness #DurhamNC #DurhamCommunity #EveryStepMatters #MakeADifference

A big thank you to the Duke Community Affairs Office for packing 250 hygiene kits for our neighbors! These kits will go out through our Free Store, putting everyday essentials directly into the hands of people who need them. Duke’s “Doing Good” community fund has supported our Ready ID program for the past three years. That support has helped neighbors get the identification they need to access housing, jobs, and benefits. The funding matters a great deal. So does the presence. We’re grateful for partners who don’t stop at writing a check. They show up, roll up their sleeves, and become part of the community we’re building together. Thank you, @dukeindurham, for being that kind of partner. ____________________ If you too would like to find a way to get involved, join us for our upcoming Walk in Their Shoes fundraiser happening at Southern Boundaries Park! 📆 November 7 | 10 am 📍100 3rd Fork Rd., Durham, NC 27707 💻 Registration link in bio #opentableministry #endhomelessness #durhamnc #dukecommunityaffairs #CommunityMatters

✨ Introducing: New Intern Gary Bernier!!! ✨ Gary Bernier joined OTM as our latest intern through the UNC Master’s in Social Work program. After a 40-year career in the high-technology industry, Gary is pursuing his lifelong passion for service work and helping others. Born in New England, Gary grew up outside the US and is fluent in Spanish. Gary, his wife Leslie, and four children live in the Chapel Hill area, and when not studying or working at OTM, you can find him adventuring on his BMW motorcycle, spending time with friends, or being active outdoors.

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✨ Introducing: New Intern Gary Bernier!!!