WE HELP AS WE HEAL: What A Church in 76104 Teaches America About Inner City Emergency Response. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas.

WE HELP AS WE HEAL: What A Church in 76104 Teaches America About Inner City Emergency Response. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas | Crisis: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/north-texas-zip-code-76104-has-lowest-life-expectancy-in-state/

In most places, emergencies are interruptions.

In Fort Worth’s 76104 zip code, emergencies are a way of life.

The crisis is not coming.

The crisis is here.

It shows up in empty refrigerators, untreated illness, silent trauma, and the sound of gunfire echoing through apartment complexes. It shows up in the grief of families burying children far too soon.

This is not a seasonal disaster zone.

This is a permanent state of emergency.

And yet, our systems are still designed as if emergencies are temporary.

At New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, we have learned a hard truth:

You cannot solve a permanent crisis with temporary responses.

Since 2018, our church—located in the heart of 76104—has become something more than a place of worship. We have become a frontline emergency hub, delivering more than $25 million in relief and recovery services.

We didn’t plan it that way.

We responded to what we saw.

Hungry families.

Uninsured neighbors.

Young people navigating trauma without support.

Communities waiting too long for help that often came too late.

So we opened our doors—not just on Sundays, but every day.

Food moved.

Care happened.

Lives were stabilized.

And in the process, something became clear:

The people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.

But this work is not abstract. It is deeply personal.

Trevelle “Tre” Boyer was a young man connected to our ministry. He served. He showed up. He had promise.

At 18 years old, his life was taken by gun violence in South Fort Worth.

His story is heartbreaking.

But what is even more heartbreaking is this:

His story is not rare.

Too many young men in communities like 76104 are not dying because of one bad decision. They are dying because of systems that never reached them in time.

That reality demands more than sympathy.

It demands a new system.

That is why we built Skills City, USA Resilience Responders—a faith-based emergency management model rooted not in theory, but in lived experience (https://youtu.be/lGN1NYYYiU0).

It starts with a simple idea:

Emergency management should begin before the emergency.

In our model, the church becomes a Resilience Hub—a place where preparedness, response, recovery, and long-term resilience are all connected.

We train residents as responders.

We equip families before crisis hits.

We respond immediately when it does.

And we stay long after others leave.

We don’t just respond to emergencies.

We reduce them.

This work is grounded in a principle older than any policy framework:

“I was hungry and you gave me food… I was sick and you took care of me.” — Matthew 25

In communities like 76104, this is not metaphor.

This is daily mission.

The greatest challenge in underserved communities is not just a lack of resources.

It is a lack of connected systems rooted in trust.

And the truth is, the church already has that trust.

Across this country, there are thousands of churches sitting in the middle of communities just like 76104—trusted, accessible, and present.

What they need is not reinvention.

They need recognition, investment, and integration into our emergency management systems.

Because here is the reality:

Every city in America has a 76104.

It may go by a different name.

It may sit on a different side of town.

But it exists.

And what we have proven in Fort Worth is this:

If a model can work in the worst conditions, it can work anywhere.

This is a call to action.

To city leaders: partner with the institutions people already trust.

To funders: invest in systems that are already working.

To policymakers: expand your definition of emergency infrastructure.

To the faith community: step fully into the role you were always meant to play.

We cannot afford to keep responding late.

We cannot afford to keep losing lives like Tre’s.

We cannot afford to keep treating permanent crises like temporary disruptions.

In 76104, we made a decision:

When crisis comes, we will not stand back.

We will step in.

We will serve.

We will stay.

Because in our community, emergency response is not just a function.

It is a calling.

We help… as we heal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Link: https://youtu.be/T7PeAaZkkwI

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and the founder of Skills City, USA, a faith-based workforce and community resilience initiative focused on serving underserved communities in the 76104 zip code.

A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum is a recognized leader in faith-based community development, emergency response, and social innovation. Under his leadership, New Mount Rose has become a trusted inner-city hub for emergency relief, health outreach, workforce training, and trauma-informed care—delivering over $25 million in services since 2018.

He also serves as President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas and has been recognized among Fort Worth’s 500 Most Influential People for his work bridging faith, public health, and economic empowerment.

Pastor Tatum’s work is rooted in a simple but transformative principle:

“Church to the Streets.”