IFC praises Moran's service

The Inter-Faith Council held its annual membership meeting Wednesday night, taking time to ignore recent controversies and honor one of its own.

The organization, which turned 40 last year, commemorated the 20 years of service by Executive Director Chris Moran.

President Natalie Ammarell began the meeting with a speech outlining future goals and visions for the service organization.

"For IFC, the vision is one of a community that takes on responsibility for the homeless, hungry and at-risk families and individuals among us," she said.

She told the story of her visit as a young college student to "Jingleville," a poor, underdeveloped community in northern New York, citing it as the "formative" experience that led her into social work.

Ammarell went on to give recognition to people who have served on the council's board of directors and continued her praise of Moran.

The event's program contained a list of Moran's accomplishments during the two decades he has spent with the IFC.

Numerous friends and fellow volunteers shared stories, on and off the microphone, of their favorite moments with Moran and what he meant to their community.

Chris Yount, a member of Club Nova, an independent residential program that aids adults with serious mental illness, spoke of Moran.

"In the early '90s I volunteered at the shelter when Chris was the director of the shelter," Yount said.

"His help was instrumental in getting the apartments on our property built and helping the tenants of our apartments with initial expenses."

Many representatives of local church congregations were present at the meeting. All had positive things to say about the organization's impact on the community.

"It's so great to see how IFC has moved from its small beginnings to become the principal social agency of Chapel Hill and Carrboro," said the Rev. Robert Seymour.

Seymour is the reverend emeritus of Binkley Olin T Memorial Baptist Church and a former director of the IFC.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy also spoke at the gathering, applauding the achievements of Moran and the IFC.

"Today is Chris Moran Day in the town of Chapel Hill," Foy said. "Chris Moran has formed supportive and collaborative relationships with just about everyone in this community."

Foy continued on, praising the IFC for its role in the community.

"This organization fills the gap that federal, state and local governments don't fill in," he said.

After all the laughs and applause had ended, Moran himself was asked to speak. "I really don't know what to say" were his only words.

The IFC has come under fire in recent months after it expressed interest in acquiring land near the Pine Knolls community on Merritt Mill Road to build a new men's homeless shelter.

Ammarell said plans for that shelter, which would replace the current shelter at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets, remain uncertain.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.