The United Methodist Inner City Mission in Mobile, AL is truly being the hands and feet of Christ by serving an entire neighborhood with love and support for the children and others living in poverty. Started in the mid-1960s as an outreach of Oakdale United Methodist Church under the direction of Reverend Fred Toland, the mission originally sought to provide activities and tutoring for the children in this neighborhood. As the neighborhood transitioned over the years, the Oakdale United Methodist Church closed around the mid-1970s and Rev. Toland and his wife Eleanor decided to stay on working at the mission. As Eleanor Toland tells, “I hadn’t planned on working at the Mission and in 1978 Fred lost his secretary so I agreed to go in and help him in the office temporarily.” Eleanor has been at the Mission ever since.
The Mission is still housed in the old Oakdale UMC buildings and offers numerous services to enhance the lives of those in and around this area. As a way to connect with the kids, the Mission assumed responsibility for a community pool and later renovated and opened an adjoining gym that continues to be used as headquarters for year-round basketball, football, soccer, and baseball involving over 100 youth and volunteer coaches and assistants. When Rev. Tonny Allgood took over as Director of the Mission in 2004, he applied for and received multi-year grants that helped build up the after school tutorial program. The Mission’s bus picks up students from five elementary schools and three middle schools in the afternoons where they receive a snack and tutoring. The tutoring is made possible through volunteers that are teachers, retired teachers, teacher aids and student teachers from Springhill College. They also offer an eight week summer program. Many of the students grew up attending these programs where education is encouraged in many ways. Rev. Allgood shares that one of the students, Stephanie, who grew up in the Mission and continued her education, is now working on a degree in teaching. Rev. Allgood has helped expand the services to include programs for senior citizens including local trips and has partnered with the Bay Area Food Bank, the Jr. Achievement Program, and the Cooper Foundation which has allowed them teaching opportunities through a community garden.
When asked about the success of the Inner City Mission, Rev. Allgood is quick to point out that the vision and passion for this work started with Fred and Eleanor Toland. He stated, “Now Eleanor is the heart and soul of this mission. She has a love and compassion for those people we serve. This work requires lots of multi-tasking and wisdom in difficult situations. She is able to handle that and share God’s unconditional love!” Rev. Allgood is not the only person inspired by Eleanor Toland’s commitment. Recently the United Methodist Foundation was contacted by a donor who wanted to anonymously honor Eleanor by setting up an insurance funded trust, the Eleanor Toland Inner City Mission Trust, which will provide a perpetual source of income to be used by the Mission. The U. M. Foundation provided the trust documentation and walked the donor through the process. It was complete within a matter of weeks and will be primarily funded at the donor’s death but accepts donations from others.
“Bread cast upon water, you never know who you might touch,” is Eleanor Toland’s thoughts on the influence of this ministry. She adds, “I can’t imagine being any other place!”
And for that we are so grateful.
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