SERVING HAMPTON ROADS & BEYOND
Give our church office a call if you are interested in learning more about these ministries and partnerships.
Thanksgiving/Christmas Community Meals
On Christmas Day and on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, our church offers a free lunch to the community. We extend the invitation to anyone and everyone who comes through the door.
FSBC Clothing Closet
Our clothing closet services primarily those who visit us through the Norfolk Street Choir Project. We limit donations to functional clothing at dignity-level standards with an emphasis on warmth.
Breakfasts Preparation for
Homeless Shelter
Every Wednesday, a group meets in our kitchen at 5:30 a.m. to prepare 75 breakfasts that are then taken to people who are living at The Center. The Center is a hotel that was revamped in partnership with the city of Norfolk for those who are currently experiencing homelessness. Volunteers are welcome.
Friday Bus Ministry: Weekly service to seniors for errands and grocery shopping
For more than 20 years, our church bus has taken groups of seniors (and anyone else we pick up along the way) to run errands and get groceries. This ministry takes place on Friday mornings and is free of charge.
Ghent Area Ministries
The Ghent Area Ministry (GAM) opened its doors August 1, 2000, as a charitable outreach ministry of fifteen churches in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, including Freemason Street. GAM works as the lead partner with this consortium of churches to offer compassionate aid to people who are homeless or in transitional housing, with training toward preventing homelessness, utility assistance, medical needs, food and clothing, and transportation needs. We serve on the board.
Norfolk Street Choir Project
The Norfolk Street Choir Project engages the community to encourage and support our neighbors in need through service and arts opportunities. Through the NSCP, persons whose lives have been affected by homelessness may find encouragement and affirmation through music, the arts, meals, showers, mail service and document assistance, and liaison to services, like the Freemason Street Baptist Church’s clothing closet. If you would like to explore opportunities to get involved with the Norfolk Street Choir Project, contact Stephanie Van Leeuwen.
Old Dominion University BCM
ODUBCM is a community of ODU students and young adults in the Hampton Roads region focused on creating a culture of hospitality, reconciliation, and creativity. Those who participate are a diverse group of Christians, seekers, and the spiritually curious who are wrestling with questions of faith and what it means to follow Christ. We serve on the advisory council and support the ministry through the collection of food among other projects.
Freemason Street's Free Pantry
Our free pantry is a neighborhood ministry. Anyone can donate by adding non-perishable foodstuffs. Any can receive by opening the door and taking what they need.
Red Cross Blood Drive
We host seasonal Red Cross Blood Drives. We encourage you to become involved and make a difference by donating blood.
Virginia Supportive Housing
VSH has developed permanent supportive housing communities serving more than 500 formerly homeless single adults in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Western Tidewater. VSH in Hampton Roads has been recognized as a national leader in creating truly regional solutions to homelessness. The group’s housing-first model understands that providing immediate access to stable housing is key to ending homelessness.
YWCA-Hampton Road Families in Crisis
YWCA provides shelter and crisis services to children, men, women, and LGBTQ individuals of all ages, races, cultures, and economic backgrounds who are escaping interpersonal violence, stalking, and/or human trafficking in order empower victims and break the cycle of violence. Each year, we are the shelter’s sole provider of stockings and Christmas gifts to its families.
Sister Church with Iglesia de Dios, Matanzas, Cuba
We have partnered with Iglesia de Dios for more than two decades, not only through the provision of monetary support but through partnership, visits, and the supply of medicine.