Gracia Swensen

Chum

Chum knows that our strength lies not only in the words we stand by, but most significantly through the actions of our work. Back in 1973, 10 churches in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood pooled their resources to meet the needs of the neighborhood's many low-income residents more effectively. We realized that by working together we could overcome our challenges much more efficiently, and that is why we ultimately decided to come together as Churches United in Ministry. Today, CHUM serves more than 8,000 low-income, homeless, hungry, isolated, or otherwise marginalized community members each year. CHUM now has 44 member congregations and offers emergency food, shelter, advocacy, support, and street outreach throughout Duluth. With the addition of the Steve O'Neil Apartments with 44 apartments for families with children who have experienced long-term or recurrent homelessness, CHUM's response to homelessness covers the full continuum of care from street outreach to permanent supportive housing.