OUR
MINISTRIES
We are a small ministry that does our best to provide basic necessities to families and individuals in Athens. While we aren't big enough to help in every situation, we strive to help those in our path that are in need. We wish we had unlimited money and resources in order to help everyone, but unfortunately that isn't possible. So for now, we trust that God will provide exactly what we need to help those He places before us. He is always faithful.
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Currently we provide various things to meet physical needs in our community. Every week we provide approximately 30 bags of basic food staples to families. We take prescriptions and buy medicines for those with medical issues. We occasionally are able to provide temporary housing and rent for those without places to stay. We are able to buy formula and milk for babies.
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Additionally, we strive to meet nonphysical needs as well. We organize outings and adventures for the teenagers and young adults in our community. We have game nights, movie nights, picnics, beach trips, birthday parties, and other events where we all come together and simply have fun and grow in friendship. We also do sports and outdoor activities in a local park with kids and teenagers, boxing and training, playing football, volleyball, and various activities. We strive to just build connections and relationships with those around us.
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We have big dreams for the future. We believe God will continue to help us reach more people for His glory and to love them well. If you want to know more about our big dreams, contact us and we would be happy to share our vision with you.
Food Bags
One of the biggest needs in our community is accessibility to food. Feeding your children is every parent's main concern, and with limited income, this can be a challenge. We create food bags with basic food staples such as rice, pasta, tomato sauce, eggs, oil, and occasionally other items such as milk, juice, bread, or sugar. This allows the families to cook their own meals and feed their families. Currently, we distribute approximately 25-30 bags a week. We spend the morning at the supermarket, pack the bags, and then distribute them to the families. We have over 150 families waiting for food bags.
Prescriptions
Another major concern in our community is access to medicine. Many individuals go to the doctor for various ailments only to be handed a prescription that needs to be filled. Medicine can be expensive, so we are able to take their prescription to our local pharmacy and get the medicine for them. We work alongside the lovely ladies in our pharmacy who are very compassionate and understanding. Providing necessary medicine is a vital resource that is lacking in Athens, so we have about 15 individuals or families who contact us for medicine per week.
Outings and Activities
Meeting physical needs is not our only goal. We love getting to interact and have fun with families too. We plan activities for the young people in the community to come and just have fun. We have game nights, go to movies, share meals, go to the beach, have girls' nights, and other activities to just be together and build relationships. We also do activities with children in our local park or camps, such as football, volleyball, hula hoop, coloring and art, and jump rope. Getting kids active is something we think is important. Park nights are some of our favorite nights.
Classes
Currently we have small group classes, typically consisting of a few boys, but we have held large English classes in the past, and plan to continue them sometime in the future. Providing people with language classes is important because it gives them confidence to communicate their needs and hope for more opportunities. Hasti is a fantastic English teacher, and her students love her. We will have different levels of learners, from beginner to conversational. As of now, we help individuals occasionally with lessons, but we plan to expand into full classes again in the future.
Boxing and Fitness
One of the most unexpected part of our ministry is our boxing and fitness classes in the park. Sharif is a boxer, and trained regularly in our local park. Boys would come up and ask if they could train with him, so we quickly realized what a perfect opportunity for Gospel relationships this was. Now, 5 nights a week we meet in the park to box and work out together. Boxing has many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. It provides a safe space to come and clear your mind, leaves you feeling empowered and strong, releases tension, aggression, anxiety, and restlessness, and requires discipline, focus, and dedication. Spiritually, it is a great way to build relationships, share stories, and make friends. Building relationships lead to opportunities to share the Gospel and talk about faith. We are always welcoming to new comers, and we have extra gloves for those who are interested in joining us.
There are always various needs that change as peoples' situations change. We have provided milk and formula for babies, occasional temporary housing arrangements, translation, blankets, shoes, glasses, and other needs that people bring to us. Our goal is to help each person who comes to us with a need in whatever way is possible, even if that is pointing them to an organization who provides that need if we are unable to. But we strive to respond to every need to the best of our ability and resources, because often the most unexpected needs are the biggest opportunity for blessings.