Representatives from some of the 24 faith and community organizations that 20 years ago founded the Norristown Ministries Inc. Hospitality Center gather January 22 for an anniversary celebration at First Baptist Church, Norristown. They received certificates of appreciation. The Center, an ecumenical initiative involving Roman Catholic, Jewish and Protestant congregations and also corporate sponsors, is located at 530 Church Street in the Borough. It served 1,200 different individuals last year, and provides 20,000 breakfasts annually plus 30 other services, including shelter, phone, fax, mail address, lockers, showers and case management. The Rev. Kim Egolf-Fox, director, said, “ Today we celebrate a moment in time when we said, enough, we have to do a better job of taking care of the homeless in the community. It is much worse now, and so today we think about how we got here and realize that we have to do better.” “It is not a matter of us and them,” said preacher for the worship celebration, the Rev. Dr. Aidsand Wright Riggins III. He is executive director of the Home Mission Society for the American Baptist Churches denomination with headquarters in Valley Forge. “The poor are our constant companions,” he continued. “In every face we see the Christ who pitches a tent with us. We are all families, sisters and brothers.” The anniversary event included testimonials from individuals who credit the Center for helping them improve their lives. One man, identifying himself as an alcoholic in recovery, said, “They kept me straight. They smiled at me. They treated me like family. They never looked down at me.”