The Inter-Faith Council, which runs Chapel Hill’s homeless shelters, will celebrate its 50th anniversary tonight by honoring the people and organizations that have helped it thrive.
Among the 126 people and groups honored is Rev. Robert Seymour, the IFC’s first president. Seymour is the emeritus pastor at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill and is an honorary life member of the IFC board.
Seymour said the organization was created to meet basic human needs by bringing food, clothing and other services to people in need. What was originally a small organization run entirely by volunteers has now grown to become the largest social service agency in Chapel Hill, he said.
“It’s awesome to see how far we’ve come,” Seymour said. “It was a very inauspicious beginning. I’m sure in these last 50 years we have literally brought meals to hundreds of thousands of people and provided shelter for thousands more.”
He said since its founding in 1963, the organization has grown in a way he could have never foreseen, thanks to the dedicated help of volunteers.
“As often is the case, the motivation came from a small group of the United Church women who were quietly trying to meet the needs of poor people who were having a hard time living in Chapel Hill,” he said.
He said the women ultimately came to a point where they could not meet the needs of the community on their own and decided to reach out to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro ministerial organization for help. The IFC was born, and Seymour was appointed as the first president, a role he served in for seven years.
“I’m one of many who are being honored, representing the 50 years of people who have served in very special ways,” he said.
Seymour said he hopes the organization will continue to receive support from the community so that it can provide a new shelter for men to accompany its existing shelter for women and children.