Decatur Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM)

Spotlight Series contribution by Douglas Cumming

In the pretty courtyard of dogwood trees on the ground floor of Holy Trinity Parish facing Sycamore Place, Decatur’s most vulnerable residents are welcomed as expected guests by the volunteers at DEAM-Decatur Emergency Assistance Ministry.

DEAM provides food assistance through our Client Choice food pantry which is designed like a little grocery store, providing neighbors an opportunity to “shop” for the items they most need in a welcoming environment. In partnership with Holy Trinity Parish, DEAM also provides meals to our unhoused neighbors Monday-Friday from 10-11:30. Neighbors facing utility cutoffs or in need of assistance with vital medications may call Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30-11:30.

DEAM began in 1977 with a push from two women, the Rev. Dorothea Gatlin of Decatur First Baptist Church and long-time public school teacher Mary Leila Honiker of Decatur First United Methodist Church. Local church ministers recognized the need for a more coordinated system of help for families with emergencies. In April 1984, it moved from the Lutheran Church of the Messiah into Holy Trinity, which has remained its home (for $1 a year) ever since.

The need is great but with the support of DEAM’s 18 member churches and the generosity of the Decatur community, the ministry provided the following in 2025:

  • $173,697 in emergency utility assistance to 791 households.
  • $9,139 in emergency prescription costs for 277 individuals with insurance gaps or no medical insurance.
  • ·      192,823 lbs of food and personal hygiene items to 2,155 individuals, including over 15,000 meals to our unhoused neighbors.

DEAM is run by an all-volunteer board and only two paid staff members. Volunteers, including a number from Holy Trinity Parish, are the backbone of DEAM’s operation. Victoria Carter, the office manager, said starting as a volunteer after her husband and mother died in the same year saved her life.


“To me, it’s a privilege to be in a position to help,” she said. She also appreciates having the best group of people she’s ever met in her life. “They not only love the community. They love each other and love doing their work.”


DEAM is an expression of Holy Trinity’s guiding mission, to open hearts to God and doors to community. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need, serving with loving kindness and compassion.


To learn more about DEAM, to donate, or become a volunteer, please visit deamdecatur.org

"As we learned during the pandemic, the need here is far greater than what we give."

Pete Pfeiffer, DEAM Treasurer & HTP Parishioner