Fifth Street Ministries

About Us

We’re a non-profit organization, founded to provide the basic needs of the homeless and working poor in our community. Our founders, Gary and Patti West, opened Diakonos in Burnsville, North Carolina in 1988, to provide the essentials — food, water, safety, freedom from domestic abuse and the opportunity to move toward self-reliance.
Today, our campus on Fifth Street in downtown Statesville, NC, sits in the middle of one of our poorest neighborhoods. The abandoned houses, overgrown lots and memorials to fallen gang members only hint at the troubles it sees.
We’re right where we need to be, in the midst of the people who need our help the most. Our campus welcomes those who need caring, sharing and compassion.