People come to Ministry Village for a lot of different reasons.
Some need help putting food on the table.
Some are behind on a power bill.
Some are experiencing homelessness.
Some are trying to reconnect with family.
Some are looking for support in recovery.
Some women need a safe, structured place to step away from addiction and begin rebuilding their lives.
The needs may look different, but the heart behind each ministry is the same:
Expressing Christ’s love to all people through acts of service.
Ministry Village at Olive brings several ministries and programs together under that mission. Each one serves people in a different way, and together they help us care for people throughout Pensacola, Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, and beyond.
Here’s a closer look at the ministries that make up Ministry Village.
Tender Hearts Caring Hands
For many people, Tender Hearts Caring Hands is where practical help begins.
Tender Hearts Caring Hands serves individuals and families throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with food, utility assistance, transportation support, and other basic needs. The goal is to care for people physically while also looking for opportunities to encourage them spiritually.
There are several programs within Tender Hearts Caring Hands.
Food Pantry
Sometimes a family simply needs a little help getting through the month.
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry provides food boxes to families in need in Pensacola and the surrounding area.
Families may receive a food box once every six months. New clients need to bring a valid ID and a Social Security card for each person in the family.
The food pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to noon at 1716 E. Olive Road in Pensacola.
A box of food may seem simple, but when groceries are already stretching the budget too far, simple help can mean a lot.
Keep the Lights On
A past-due power bill can become a heavy worry very quickly.
Through Keep the Lights On, Tender Hearts Caring Hands provides FPL assistance to qualifying individuals with an active account and a past-due balance.
Applicants must have had a viable source of income within the last year. Assistance is available once every two years and does not cover deposits that are still owed.
The process begins with a telephone screening.
For a household trying to make ends meet, that kind of help can provide some much-needed breathing room.
Homeless Ministry
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Homeless Ministry meets some very basic needs for people experiencing homelessness in Pensacola.
Hot meals are served Monday through Thursday from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. for people who do not have access to a kitchen where they can prepare a meal.
Hygiene products are also available upon request.
Tender Hearts Caring Hands can also provide homeless IDs for individuals who are experiencing homelessness and have no income.
These may seem like small things until you don’t have them.
A warm meal.
Soap and basic hygiene items.
Identification that may help remove one more barrier to taking the next step.
That practical care matters.
Project Reconnect
Sometimes moving forward means getting somewhere else.
Project Reconnect provides one-way Greyhound bus transportation for eligible individuals who need to leave Escambia County to reconnect with family or enter a recovery program.
Assistance is available one time per person, and applicants need a state-issued ID or homeless ID.
The application process is handled through Escambia County, and those who need assistance can complete the Project Reconnect request form here.
For someone without reliable transportation, one bus ticket may open the door to family support, housing, treatment, or another needed resource.
Charis House
Charis House is a faith-based residential recovery program for women struggling with addiction.
The program gives women a safe and structured place to step away from the cycle they’ve been living in and begin working toward something different.
Women at Charis House receive Christ-centered discipleship, spiritual growth, daily encouragement, accountability, life-skills development, and support as they work toward lasting recovery.
Recovery is about more than leaving drugs or alcohol behind.
Life has to be rebuilt too.
Healthy routines need to be formed.
Relationships may need time to heal.
Responsibility has to become part of everyday life again.
And women need a community around them while they do that work.
That’s the role Charis House seeks to fill.
The Most Excellent Way
Not everyone looking for recovery support needs a residential program.
That’s where The Most Excellent Way serves a different need.
The Most Excellent Way is a faith-based support meeting focused on overcoming chemical dependency. The program is built around biblical principles and the Ten Attitudes of Victorious Living from the Beatitudes.
Meetings are held:
Tuesdays and Fridays
7:00–8:30 p.m.
1836 E. Olive Road
Pensacola, FL 32514
For someone trying to leave addiction behind, having a place where they can be honest, encouraged, challenged, and surrounded by people who understand can make a real difference.
The Most Excellent Way provides that kind of community.
Connected to a Bigger Mission
Ministry Village doesn’t exist separately from the life and mission of Olive Baptist Church.
Olive Baptist Church exists to develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in every home, with core values centered around loving God, growing together, and reaching people through evangelism, missions, and generosity.
Ministry Village is one way that mission becomes very practical in the Pensacola community.
Someone may walk through the door because they need groceries.
Someone else may need a hot meal.
Another person may be ready to ask for help with addiction.
A woman may be looking for a residential recovery program.
Someone else may simply need to know where to turn next.
Each need is different.
Each person has a different story.
And each one deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and care.
There Are a Lot of Ways to Need Help
That may be one of the biggest things we’ve learned through Ministry Village.
Need doesn’t have one look.
Sometimes it looks like an empty refrigerator.
Other times it’s addiction.
And often a person simply needs someone to sit down, listen, and help them figure out what the next step could be.
That’s why these ministries exist.
Not because we can solve every problem in Pensacola.
But because we can meet the needs God puts in front of us, care for people well, and point them toward the hope found in Jesus Christ.
If you need help, want to volunteer, or would like to support the work happening through Ministry Village, visit our home page to learn more.
And if you’re able to give, your support helps these ministries continue serving people in our community every week.