Fact Sheet: Inner City
The mission of the Cru Inner City is to serve and mobilize the church to live out God’s heart for the poor so all can grow in Christ to build spiritual movements everywhere.
Through evangelism tools, food, necessity items, life skills and career development, as well as youth- and adult-development programs, Cru and its some 1,000 partner churches and ministries are reaching America's poor with the resources for spiritual and material needs to succeed and overcome the challenges of poverty.
HISTORYFounded in 1983 in New York City with 10 staff members, the Cru Inner City has grown to serve 10 staffed cities and 30 Expansion cities.
LOCATIONSStaffed cities: Atlanta; Bakersfield, Calif.; Central Arkansas; Chicago; Detroit; Jacksonville, Fla.; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Minneapolis/St. Paul; New York; Orlando, Fla.; and Tallahassee, Fla.
Affiliate cities: Baltimore; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Dallas/Fort Worth; Des Moines; Erie; Fresno, Ca.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Hayward, Ca.; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kansas; Memphis; Miami; Montgomery; Nashville; Oakland, Ca.; Omaha; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland; Richmond, Ca.; St. Louis; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose, Ca.; Seattle/Tacoma; Tampa; Washington D.C.
STRATEGY
Connect: Cru provides resources that create entry points into the lives of those facing poverty in order to connect them to God and to the body of Christ. Some initiatives include:
- Boxes of Love
- Homeless Care Kits
- Holiday Care Boxes
Empower: Cru increases their church partners’ capacity for effective evangelism and discipleship through training, coaching and volunteers. Some initiatives include:
- Short-term mission opportunities
- Evangelism and discipleship training
Develop: Cru equips churches to construct whole-person discipleship programs for children and adults that minister to their spiritual and physical needs. Some initiatives include:
- S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development
- Life-on-Life Mentoring
- Reaching Prison Populations
