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“The Impact Project”  sprang from a simple act of kindness:

A group of church members banding together to assist a woman whose dilapidated home was in dire need of repair. The extensive work a band of volunteers completed in less than 48 hours proved to be a powerful witness to her neighborhood, and the genesis of “The Impact Project” which has since helped hundreds of people in need in Chenango County, New York and beyond.

On this edition of “Hometown Heroes”, founder Jim Willard recounts those early days and the moving stories that have happened since then.

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Watsontown, Pennsylvania’s Craig Wheeland has demonstrated the Gospel of Jesus Christ in small towns and large cities in Pennsylvania — plus many villages in many countries. His work encourages children to learn to read, so they can read the Scriptures and talk about faith with their parents. When he and a U.S. team go on a mission trip, his priority is to deepen connnections, knowing the people even more than doing projects.

Wheeland’s ministry goes by the name Aim4Christ, which stands for “Actions In Mission For Christ“. They are active in food programs in their local community of 2,300 in the West Branch Susquehanna River valley of central Pennsylvania.

In his conversation with Mark Webster, Wheeland also tells how his international evangelistic work put him a momentarily life-threatening situation, even as the Lord’s work multiplied.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:30 — 7.6MB)

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This week’s Family Life Hometown Hero is Jeff Roeters, co-founder of the Rochester nonprofit ‘Guitars for Glory” (www.guitarsforglory.com) . Hear how he brings the healing gift of music throughout the world by providing guitars to those who cannot afford them.

Music is an amazing blessing that we often take for granted. There are many communities around the world who do not have access to the instruments we can so easily get our hands on. Guitars for Glory’s sole desire is to put guitars and instruments in the hands of churches, schools, missionaries, and orphanages. Our hope is to enhance their musical experience and build up worship leaders within the community; through the giving guitars and musical training.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:41 — 7.8MB)

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Craig Wheeland, founder of “Aim 4 Christ” Ministries in Pennsylvania tells his story on this week’s “Hometown Heroes”.

Wheeland’s outreach ranges from the streets of Philadelphia to the poorest regions of Pakistan. His work encourages children to learn to read, so they can read the Scriptures and talk about faith with their parents. Hear how he knows mission work has as much influence on the workers who “get out of the church building” and meet the people they serve (Matthew 25:44). That aspect of deepening connnections, to know the people is much more important than carrying out other tasks. Wheeland also talks about his international evangelistic work put him a momentarily life-threatening sitaution, but the Lord’s work continued to blossom.

Aim4Christ (“Actions In Mission For Christ”) is based in Watsontown, Pennsylvania.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:41 — 7.8MB)

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Rebecca Ellis and Nancy Hurst are founders of “Raise of Hope”, a new community center in Cattaraugus, NY.

On this week’s Hometown Heroes on Family Life, you will hear how the Lord placed a vision before our guests, which then blossomed into a community center for artists, a farm-to-table market, and a transitional residence for teens moving from foster care into the early stages of their adulthood.

The Raise of Hope community center also can host entrepreneurs, county services, church events, and a private professional counseling practice.

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This week’s Family Life Hometown Hero is Joe DeMarco, founder of Wings Flights of Hope, based out of Orchard Park, New York.

Wings Flights is a free volunteer service which flies seriously ill patients and their families to out-of-town medical appointments. Transplant recipients and injured military members are key recipients of this ministry. This service is especially crucial when timing provides only a short window of opportunity to begin the medical treatment to receive organ transplants.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:47 — 8.0MB)

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Meet Dr. Myron Glick, whose Buffalo-based Jericho Road Health Center lives out the Biblical mandate to provide care to sick and wounded travelers.

Dr. Glick was born in Pennsyvlania, moved to New York, and as a child lived in the Central American country of Belize, where is parents were church-planting missionaries. On that mission field, he sensed is calling to go to medical school.

Now he operates the clinic which provides health care for Buffalo’s growing refugee community, asylum seekers, and many others who could not otherwise afford medical services.