Ministry Village at Olive offers a variety of ministries with many opportunities to help individuals and families right here in your own backyard. We would love for you to join us as we strive to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus throughout our community. Follow this series throughout November as we highlight our programs and specific ways you can help. This week, we put the spotlight on Tender Hearts Caring Hands.

Tender Hearts Caring Hands is our care and kindness ministry that focuses on serving individuals and families in Escambia and Santa Rosa County that have significant need. We offer a food pantry for families and homeless neighbors in need and financial assistance to those who qualify. We also offer our Showers of Blessings trailer for homeless clients to have a safe, clean space to refresh themselves each week. The holidays are certainly an important time for us to be able to meet these needs, but truly, there are hungry and homeless families in our area every month of the year. Throughout 2021 and 2022, the demand for our food services has increased greatly. We are seeing more families each week, and have to purchase around $2,000 in supplemental food beyond our donations each week just to meet their needs. Please prayerfully consider ways in which you can help us serve our community through Tender Hearts Caring Hands.

How can you serve through Tender Hearts?

·      Donate shelf-stable food items regularly to the food pantry – bags of rice, canned vegetables, canned meats, pasta, canned fruit, etc. During the holiday season, consider donating special “holiday” type foods such as stuffing, canned pumpkin, canned gravy, cranberry sauce – the same types of foods your family is likely to eat during the holidays. Providing special items like these helps to add a little extra cheer to our hungry friends and neighbors during an otherwise challenging time.

·      Donate easy-open food items that do not require cooking to be used in the food bags distributed to the homeless

·      Donate travel-size hygiene items, bandaids, mouthwash, socks, etc. to be used in hygiene bags distributed to the homeless. An easy way to help is to bring in your hotel toiletries to the Ministry Village office after you return from a trip! These items are also vital to our Showers of Blessing ministry.

·      Shop our Amazon Wishlist! If you are short on time but big on giving, an easy way to help is through our Amazon Wishlist. We’ve selected some of the items that we consistently need. Just purchase through Amazon and the items will ship directly to our MVO office. Click here to shop

·      Donate money – if you don’t have the time or inclination to shop for items to donate, making a financial donation to Ministry Village and Tender Hearts Caring Hands is a simple but effective way to provide for those in need. Financial donations allow Ministry Village to purchase gift cards for those who need gas in their cars to get to school or work, and grocery store gift cards so families can buy perishable items like milk that Tender Hearts can’t store. Financial donations also assist Tender Hearts Caring Hands in paying utilities for those who qualify, helping families who are struggling to keep their lights and water on, and their heat or air conditioning running – things many of us take for granted. Donate through our website at www.MinistryVillage.org/donate

·      Volunteer time at Ministry Village office to organize the food pantry. With each food donation comes the need to arrange and rearrange our food storage. If you like to organize, we could use your help!! If you don’t like to organize but are willing, we can show you our system and would truly appreciate your time.

·      Offer administrative support in the MVO Office, answering incoming phone calls, providing information to those who call about services, making copies, etc. If you enjoy clerical and secretarial work, we could use your skills a few hours a week!

·      Volunteer time to “build” the food and hygiene bags Tender Hearts distributes to our clients. When we receive donations, we need hands to organize and package those donations, preparing them for our clients. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a difference.

Donations of food and hygiene items can be made at the Ministry Village office  (1716 E.Olive Road) Monday through Friday from 8 am to 2 pm, or call to make arrangements. Contact Kathie Schuster at 850-475-1118 (KSchuster@MinistryVillage.org) for more information on serving through Tender Hearts Caring Hands.

Come back next week to learn how you can get involved and give back through the Charis House!