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Next Food Pantry and Clothing Giveaway: Saturday, October 17 at 513 Roosevelt St.

Gateway to HeavenCommunity Outreach Center
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Gateway to Heaven volunteers serving the Durham community together

Our story

The need was already here. So were we.

A faith-rooted response to the needs of Durham neighbors, carried forward through practical service and lasting community care.

How it began

One woman saw her neighbors, and refused to look away

The vision belonged to the late Pastor Dr. Mae V. Horne. She had spent her life in Durham, and she could name the families on these streets who were doing everything right and still coming up short: seniors choosing between medicine and groceries, parents working two jobs and still short at the end of the month, children who needed more than a Sunday morning.

She did not think that was somebody else's problem. She believed that if the church was going to stand on this corner, it had to be useful on this corner. Not a program on paper. Food in hands, coats on backs, doors that open when people knock.

Pastor Dr. Marian Freeman-Weaver carried that vision into reality. What started as a few volunteers and a few boxes became a monthly pantry and clothing giveaway that has run for nearly seven years without missing its Saturday. She leads the center today, and she is still there when the cars pull up.

Pastor Horne is gone, but the work she described is happening every third Saturday on Roosevelt Street. That is the inheritance, and we intend to keep it.

Our mission and vision

Where the work is pointed

The outreach center is the serving arm of Gateway to Heaven United Holy Church, Inc., which has been part of this community since 1944. These are the statements that carry the work forward.

Mission statement

Serving the community through faith, compassion, and action.

Gateway to Heaven United Holy Church, Inc. is committed to serving the community through faith, compassion, and action. Since 1944, we have provided a place of worship and support for local residents and their families, continuing a legacy of service that strengthens both spiritual and practical needs.

Our mission is to uplift and empower individuals by providing essential resources, including food, clothing, school supplies, and outreach services to those in need. We are dedicated to feeding the hungry, supporting families, and reaching the homeless with care, dignity, and hope.

Through youth development, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives, we strive to guide the next generation toward positive paths, helping them grow into strong, responsible individuals free from harmful influences.

As we expand our vision and prepare to build a larger facility, we remain devoted to creating a safe, welcoming space where lives are transformed, needs are met, and the work of God continues to thrive within the community.

Vision statement

A thriving, faith-centered community where every family lives with dignity, purpose, and hope.

Our vision is to build a thriving, faith-centered community where every individual and family has access to the support, resources, and opportunities needed to live with dignity, purpose, and hope.

We envision Gateway to Heaven United Holy Church, Inc. as a cornerstone of transformation — providing a safe and expanded facility that serves as a hub for worship, education, youth development, and community outreach.

Through continued growth and service, we strive to reduce hardship, empower the next generation, and create lasting impact by meeting both spiritual and practical needs. Our goal is to see lives restored, families strengthened, and communities uplifted for generations to come.

What we believe

  • Faith that moves

    We believe faith is something you do. Prayer sets the table; hands and groceries fill it.

  • No conditions

    Nobody has to join anything, prove anything, or explain themselves to be served here.

  • Dignity first

    People choose what they need and leave with their head up. That is the whole point.

  • Rooted on this block

    We serve the neighborhood we live in, and we answer to the people in it.

Leadership

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Portrait of Pastor Dr. Mae V. Horne.

In loving memory — founding visionary

Pastor Dr. Mae V. Horne

Founder

Placeholder text. Pastor Horne saw the need in Durham first and believed the church was supposed to answer it. A short biography from the family will replace this paragraph.

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Portrait of Pastor Dr. Marian Freeman-Weaver at the center.

Leading the center today

Pastor Dr. Marian Freeman-Weaver

Pastor and Director

Placeholder text. Pastor Freeman-Weaver turned the vision into a monthly pantry and clothing giveaway and leads the center's next chapter. A short biography in her own words will replace this paragraph.

How we got here

CONFIRM DATES — placeholder years

  1. 2019

    The center is founded

    Gateway to Heaven United Holy Church commissions an outreach arm to serve the neighborhood around Roosevelt Street.

  2. 2019

    The first pantry

    A handful of volunteers hand out groceries from the church. Cars line the street before the doors open.

  3. 2021

    Clothing joins the pantry

    Free clothing for the whole family is added to the same Saturday, so one trip covers more.

  4. 2023

    Partners come alongside

    Frontlines and the church steady the monthly supply, and volunteer hours pass into the thousands.

  5. What's next

    Tutoring, literacy, and a computer lab

    Five programs are in development for Durham students, adults, and seniors. The rooms are here. The rest is the work ahead.

    See what's coming soon

We do this alongside

  • Frontlines
  • Gateway to Heaven United Holy Church