Cross-Lines was built on a simple idea ? that poverty borne problems could be answered best by looking to the community for solutions and working together to tackle them. In 1963, a group of ministers and concerned citizens joined together to improve the plight of the poor. According to our Articles of Incorporation, our Founders were Stanley Bohn, Maurice Culver, and Harold Luellen.In 1965, Rev. Don Bakely was hired as the first Executive Director of Cross-Lines. Under his long-time leadership, Cross-Lines created a legacy of programs that have positively impacted the lives of thousands of people in need.  ?I?m trying to uncategorize the poor. I?m trying to put faces on people. I want you to see them as individuals, as people with joys, pains, hopes, and often overwhelming problems. I want you to see some of the traps they are in, feel some of the things they feel. I want you to walk with them just a little bit and try to see some of their almost impossible situations.? -Don BakelyFor more than 50 years Cross-Lines Community Outreach, supported by a network of businesses, churches and individuals, has provided a daily safety net of services for at-risk families, the elderly and individuals.