Introduction The painter put the final stroke on the new partition, laid his brush down, looked at the latest of many rearrangements of the same space, then announced to the MIFA staffers hard at work near him, “This is it…until the next time.” Both he and they knew from experience that further changes would not be long in coming. When you work for The Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), you know that nothing remains the same for very long. During its thirty years, growth and change have been the hallmarks of the organization. Today's closet might be tomorrow's office; a need recognized finds a response. MIFA is the helping hand that changes the lives of many people in need in Memphis and the surrounding area. With its deep roots in the religious community, MIFA's mission is to develop lasting solutions that help our neighbors live with independence and dignity. From the beginning, it has relied on the strength and support of its volunteers. Remaining open to meet the unanticipated needs that arise in the ever-changing urban environment, it continues to be lean and spare, utilizing little (6.6% in 1997) for administrative costs. Two hundred seventy-five employees (115 full-time, 160 part-time) now work under the proud MIFA banner. Numerous organizations with similar goals were founded in other cities in the 60s when the climate fostered both assessment and innovation. Unfortunately, most of these failed; MIFA has survived to become part of the fabric of Memphis. “That MIFA exists at all was what fascinated me,” Dr. Suzanne Darnell, University of Memphis historian asserts. “It was ecumenical, interracial, and it arose at a time of racial hostility. It was devoted to community action when the community was not.” How and why MIFA was founded, the reasons it has flourished in what might be viewed as the unpromising soil of Memphis, its ties to the community, as well as the unusual people who contributed their efforts and their talents to its growth and development are the focus of this history. Next: A Time of Upheaval and Change