One Body Collaboratives

 OBC Logo

One Body Collaboratives is a faith-based nonprofit with a mission to mobilize, coordinate and further develop church and community resources to Rebuild Lives and Transform our Community. We Strive to Create a Flourishing Community by Reducing Poverty, Mobilizing Christians as Agents of Change and Creating Impactful Partnerships with Local Churches.

Our focus is on poverty reduction efforts in our community.  We achieve this through our Getting Ahead Classes for those experiencing poverty and through our work in creating our community’s first ever Mobility Action Plan to reduce poverty.  We are grateful to our many partners in this effort, including the City of Rockford and Winnebago County as well as numerous churches, agencies and nonprofits.

Through our Faith@Work program, we are working to help Christians in the Rockford area more deeply embrace their identity in Christ and its integration into their everyday work as they seek the common good of the region and beyond. We hosted a successful launch of this program in 2023 and plan to build on the momentum that was created. 

Our Approach to Poverty Reduction
As an organization, One Body Collaboratives has always been steadfastly focused on reducing poverty, continually refining our approach while remaining guided by our faith. Over the years, we've seen our journey evolve from initially addressing immediate crises with temporary fixes to adopting a more transactional approach. However, what has become increasingly evident is that true change requires transformation at its core.

While many define poverty in terms of material lacks such as resources, housing, or food, our perspective has deepened through insights gleaned from initiatives like the World Bank's Voices of the Poor study. This extensive research, gathering the voices of over 60,000 individuals from 60 countries, illuminated the multifaceted nature of poverty. Beyond material deprivation, those experiencing poverty emphasized the profound impact of emotional and psychological struggles.

Their voices resonated with a universal truth: the need for transformation transcends mere material provision. This realization has reshaped our paradigm, compelling us to prioritize holistic change over temporary relief. It's a shift from merely addressing symptoms to tackling underlying issues, echoing the sentiment that what people truly crave is not just material sustenance but a fundamental transformation in their lives.

At the heart of our endeavors lies a commitment to this transformative approach, driven by our faith and guided by the conviction that every individual deserves the opportunity to flourish in mind, body, and spirit.

The board of One Body Collaboratives recognizes the importance of addressing the root causes of poverty rather than merely alleviating its symptoms. It's similar to pulling people out of the water repeatedly without addressing why they're falling in. That's why we're committed to utilizing the framework developed by Urban Institute to create a Mobility Action Plan for our community, which enables us to diagnose these issues comprehensively as a community. 

We invite you to become a part of this work. You can learn more about our efforts on our project website at www.BridgesRockford.com