PATH

people attempting to help

Twenty five years ago, Mrs. Gertrude Windsor had an idea. Her house sat next door to First Presbyterian Church, on the spot where the church office now sits. She regularly answered the door to strangers who had come to the church seeking help. She spoke to Doug Vaughn, then the pastor of this church. She wondered whether there might not be a better way to serve people needing help with food, paying for utilities, or with other crises. She knew she couldn't do it alone, and she knew that no single church had the resources to screen and process everyone with needs. So Dr. Vaughn spoke to his good friend M.L. Agnew, Rector at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Tyler.

From those conversations grew an idea: why not develop an ecumenical agency to serve as a place for churches, especially those in and near downtown Tyler, to pool their resources to help those in need. In 1974, PATH opened its doors in the basement of Christ Episcopal Church. Its name says in very simple terms what it's all about: People Attempting to Help.

Today, PATH has an operating budget of over $1 million and sits in its own building on Front Street, about mid-way between First Presbyterian Church and the downtown churches, including Christ Episcopal Church. It has grown from an ecumenical effort into a truly interfaith ministry in Tyler. Its seven major programs include Kid Reach, a mentoring program for children, Emergency Assistance, Prescription Assistance, and much more. PATH's mission is to serve, through well-equipped volunteers, the economically disadvantaged people in Smith County with both emergency assistance and programs to empower and encourage them to become productive citizens.

For more information, visit the PATH website.