by Jill Thomas

It takes multiple moving parts to run our incredible Heart to Heart program -from volunteers, donations of food, toiletries, and paper goods by multiple community organizations, and, of course, money. Every donation received from October 1 through December 31will be matched up to $20,000.

The donors’ strong belief in the scope, direction, and relevance of this ministry is more than reaffirmed by its volunteer coordinator, Yohan Kim- have you met him?. “He is the glue that keeps all of the moving parts running smoothly”, said John McCandless, a most devoted volunteer. And so many parts: from all the generous gifts from our community to all the components within the pantry. There are 180 volunteers who divide and conquer the massive operation which ultimately brings food to our neighbors: picking up contributions, unloading trucks, restocking our pantry shelves, shoppers, produce handlers, and our check-in volunteers. Yohan said, “Sometimes I step back and look at all of our various volunteers, playing their own unique roles. It’s like watching a symphony with all of its different instruments, performing and blending to make the drive-through experience seamless and joy-filled for our neighbors!”  Paul Dusseau, a long-time volunteer, talked enthusiastically about Yohan’s superior organizational skills and ability to create camaraderie and a family atmosphere. Paul said... “ he is a beautiful communicator; he is reliable, consistent, affirming and patient.”

As the outreach of Heart to Heart grows to meet the needs of our community, so also does the need for financial support. Remember your gift will be doubled through December 31. This ever-expanding program also needs more volunteers. Would you consider helping out? Abby Black, a sophomore at Upper Arlington High School, is one of our most beloved, devoted, and hard-working participants. She said, “ Yohan connects with and deeply appreciates the volunteers; he makes it fun to be a Heart to Heart volunteer!”

Donate online here.

Sign up to volunteer here.

Since its inception, the fund has awarded over $23,000 to applicants that fit the requirements established for funding. These requirements are:

• Monies to be used for members of First Community, staff members of First Community, and staff members of faith communities in Franklin County who are experiencing a financial crisis due to CoVid19.
• Funds to be used for rent, house payments, utilities, car payments, etc. with a focus on keeping people housed.
• Requests for assistance under $1500 will be approved by the Minister of Mission and Mission Council Chair. Requests of $1500 or more will require a 24-hour turnaround period for an electronic vote by the Mission Council.

Distribution of the funds has fallen into four major categories:

• $19,950.13 House Payments/Rent
• $1,639.81 Utlities
• $1,249.65 Transportation
• $279.50 Misc. Expense

The Foundation recently granted an additional $10,000 in funding to this cause. The Mission Council will also contribute additional funding.

If you're interested in contributing, you can make a donation online at shelbygiving.com, by choosing "Designated Donations", then "Mission Council Pandemic Fund" from the drop-down menus.

In response to several natural disasters this year, First Community has held a few emergency special offerings to support the victims. Below is an update on the funds that were donated and distributed to the organizations, respectively.

• March- Week of Compassion (Texas winter storm relief) $740
• August- Healing Art Missions (Haiti earthquake relief) $2,515 
• September- Back Bay Mission (Hurricane Ida relief) $1,525 

Dear Tandana Friends and Supporters, 

The results from the test after the first 6-month session of literacy classes are in! Out of 311 students in the classes, 300 took the test (the other 11 were absent for various reasons). Out of the 300 who took the test, 240 earned passing scores. That is 80% which means that the goal for the entire year has already been reached. After a break for the agricultural season, the classes are starting up again for 3 more months of instruction to reinforce and continue building the students' skills.

Thank you so much for supporting this program which is proving to be such a success!



All the best,

Emily Della Fera

Project Update Volunteer

Did you miss the last issue of On a Mission! blog? There's a great story from the Trading Post. View it, and all past issues, by clicking the link below.

Did you know Heart to Heart is on social media? Click the buttons below to follow us.

We also have a blog! Read the weekly blog posts at h2h.FCchurch.com/blog

Did you know Trading Post is on Facebook? Click the button below to follow us. You can also sign up for the email list for occasional announcements, sales, and events.