I have been with Christian HELP on staff now 6 1/2 years. Since I came on, we have weathered a recession, had the homeless issue in Central Florida exposed nationally, found our we are ranked #1 for lowest wages in the country, and served thousands of families who might have had nowhere else to turn. One thing I can say through all of those things is we have an amazing team of staff, volunteers, donors, prayer warriors, and community partners who make it all work.
When we wanted to initiate and expand the Central Florida Jobs Initiative, many corporate partners including Bank of America, Wal-Mart, and Wells Fargo said yes to helping to make that happen. Then the Heart of Florida United Way vetted the program and liked what they saw. We were able to expand the program and add some staff, and several collaborative partners including SafeHouse, CredAbility, and Seminole County Legal Aid. One of the most important partners to come along side of us has been Willow Creek Church who has shown a true spirit of community by donating 2 offices and classroom space for our team. They treat us like their own and we are so blessed.
Second Harvest has been a tremendous food partner, as have many churches and individuals who keep our pantry stocked. Approximately 250 families each week come in to get food to help their families to make ends meet. Many are experiencing a short term crisis, others have been unemployed for quite some time.
The employers who support the job board, job fairs, and employment seminars are so important to the work we do. They network with us and attend meetings. They advise us on trends in hiring. They volunteer as instructors and mock interviewers, and resume reviewers for the job fairs and jobs initiative, and most of all, they hire our clients.
The individuals, corporations, and churches who support our Christmas program are amazing. Many times we don't know who put the toy in the box, but we know it ends up with a child who is blessed to be able to have Christmas. We couldn't do the adopt a family program without Z88.3 and the team there. I love that they are so real and wonderful, just like they are on the radio.
So when you say "you do good work", what you are really saying is that we do live in a community that gives hope. There are many people here who do care and are willing to sacrifice for others.
Thank you!
Sandi
