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After the "Our Eyes Were Opened" poverty workshops at Maryville College last month, church leaders have requested the college's Center for Strong Communities to offer more multi-church workshops and learning experiences.

The workshops received great response evaluations, said Center director Dr. Billy Newton. The poverty workshops were attended by 65 people from more than 30 churches and service organizations.

In the subsequent weeks, the Center for Strong Communities received a large number of requests for similar events, he said. Organizations such as Family Promise and New Providence Presbyterian Church found the event to be extremely helpful.

Family Promise staff members are developing a new ministry. Newton has heard the workshops helped employees learn about developing relationships with the poor and avoiding common pit-falls, he said.

Newton has also heard the seminars helped members of New Providence Presbyterian Church, who are in the midst of developing a community meals program, he said.

Two future church-related events have been announced. The first is a Sept. 4 grant writing workshop that will place an emphasis on faith-based organizations. The center will also host a conference for church leaders to better understand the experiences of Latin Americans in Appalachia.

The conference -- titled "New Neighbors in Appalachia" -- will be held Sept. 22 at Maryville College.

"We will be talking with Good Neighbors and the (Blount County) Ecumenical Action Council about where we can go from here," he said.

Newton has been working with the leadership of the Blount County Ecumenical Action Council since January. The council is currently setting new priorities to be more action-oriented and connect with current social issues and the needs of people in poverty, he said.

"It is a real promising collaboration for us," said Newton. "With the persistent decline in state and federal programs on anti-poverty programs, churches and nonprofit organizations have been doing everything to pick up the slack.

"Churches and nonprofit organizations all experience limited resources. What we're learning is that by combining resources and working together we are actually increasing resources for all of us," said Newton.

"There is also a commitment from the college to share our resources, skills, knowledge and the resources of (the Center for Strong Communities) with the broader community. We believe it's essential to a liberal arts education, which brings us back to the mission of this college: to prepare students to be responsible citizens and servant leaders," he said.

Maryville College's mission is "not to just send students out as volunteers, but for the entire college to be involved in the community which will enhance student learning.

"People are very eager to work together and help the community," he said. "We need to empower nonprofit organizations and churches, so they can be effective and make a difference in lives."