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Chad Mitchell is a member of the Auburn Alliance Church in Auburn, New York.
Hear more about the Night to Shine events in Pennsylvania and New York on the Family Life “Hometown Heroes” news feature.
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It’s “Hometown Heroes” on Family Life
The House of Hope in Williamsport PA exists to help women overcome dependency, barriers, and challenges — so they will move from a state of homelessness to thriving in the community through the transforming power of Jesus Christ. The six-month residential program is an outreach of the Sojourner Truth Ministries there.
Pastor Angelique Labadie-Cihanowyz is the executive director, and she tells us about some of the paths which led these women to desperate or challenging life circumstances, and how the love of Jesus Christ is demonstrated to those who find shelter and solace at the House of Hope.
Sojourner Truth Ministries is named for the former slave who became an outspoken advocate for women’s rights, temperance and abolition of slavery. STM in Williamsport operates the House of Hope, prepares hot lunches six days a week, and have provided an after-school program for children. Find out more from their website, where you can watch their “House Tour” and “Cardboard Stories” videos.
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After attending a great women’s conference, the founders of “Women of Hope” asked themselves why there wasn’t a local expression of such an outpouring of outreach and encouragement.
So, they created one.
Women of Hope, in northern Pennsylvania, sponsors events to meet the needs of many women in their community.
Tara Freeman says, unfortunately, many women miss out on the hope and love of the Bible’s story, and they instead can become “beat up by the Bible and burdened by the church, and I want them to feel there is hope and that Jesus is there to love them,” regardless of where they feel their life is at the moment. For women who have struggled with something in their past — or feel trapped or unsettled now — Women of Hope seeks to create a group where each person can feel comfortable, safe and accepted. Freeman says some participants have found healing from situations as wide-ranging as abusive relationship, childhood traumas and other challenges.
Women of Hope specifically does not hold its events at church buildings, in order to remove one potential perceived hurdle from some of those who are open to finding assurances of hope.
Tara Freeman (pictured at right at a “5 Under 40” ceremony) is president of Women of Hope, which began in June 2021 and held its recent conference in Troy, Pennsylvania. She was interviewed by Mark Webster of Family Life News. “Hometown Heroes” brings you the stories of — and the inspiration from — people of faith who have created ways to be positive influences on the communities of Pennsylvania and New York. (Archives of this feature throughout the past 4 1/2 years are available here.)
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It’s “Hometown Heroes” on Family Life
Today’s guest on “Hometown Heroes” is Casey Jones of Allegany Hope, a Christian organization focused on building healthy communities through healthy families.
Allegany Hope has, for 15 years now, brought together local congregations and other Christian organizations to streamline and multiply their efforts to change lives. As you will hear in this podcast, Jones says the goal is to bring about holistic health to their neighbors — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Jones has seen positive results in bringing church leaders together to move beyond discussion of community issues and needs into actions which bring these benefits to life.
One of the visible, ongoing projects is a Facebook page which publicizes what God is doing among the people of their town. They also have become a hub for posting community news, church events, a workshop on emergency preparedness for households (February 8), and other activities to connect with the local region. The Allegany Hope Community Calendar publicizes events such as Bible studies, Autism workshops and more.
Allegany Hope is centered in Friendship, New York. You can find out more online from their Facebook and website.
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This week’s Hometown Hero is Sandy Lenahan of Shamokin, PA. She’s created as series of YouTube videos to get the Word of God into young children.
Lenahan tells us that these inspirational videos are geared especially for ages 2 to 6. “These are really foundational years for children, and there is no better foundation than God’s Word.”
The first video in this “Wee Steps with God” series — with songs, Scripture and stories — has been released, and others are on the way. Hear a sample of the music in this podcast.
Lenahan’s You Tube page is here.
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Todd Gallagher is a Parker, PA native who has spent nearly 20 years as a missionary to Ukraine and Romania. He talks about his unexpected path to that ministry, as well as the current turmoil in Ukraine.
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“Hometown Heroes” on Family Life
An organization which will provide gifts for 3,000 children in the month ahead has a goal to assure that every child in their county receives a gift at Christmastime.
This year’s president of the Arctic League is Scott Heffner. He gives us the impressive history of the organization — this is its 111th year! He also talks about the logistics and fundraising which happen throughout December and throughout the year, to raise its budget of $175,000.
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Family Life’s “Hometown Heroes“
At Thanksgiving and Christmastime, communities are especially generous to reach out to help individuals and families who struggle financially.
This week’s “Hometown Heroes” news feature gives you an inside look at one such ministry, from Katie Rhodes of Catholic Charities in New York’s Southern Tier region. Rhodes updates us on the repurposing of a now-closed church building to be a resource center for homeless and needy neighbors. There also are stories of people who have never needed charitable help until now. The ministry compassionately reassures such people who might have internal qualms about reaching out for help.
Mark Webster also asks Rhodes for an overview of how today’s widespread economic troubles, a projection on where trends may take us next, and how Christ’s followers always have stepped up to address real human needs in their own communities.
Katie Rhodes is communications coordinator for Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties.
Click these links for more details about the ways Catholic Charities help their neighbors, and how you can too.
“Hometown Heroes” airs during the Family Life Noon Report most Tuesdays (on the radio and online) and is available 24/7 on our News Podcasts page.
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Family Life’s “Hometown Heroes“
This week’s Hometown Heroes continues our conversation with Buffalo Pastor Eric Johns.
This will be his 25th and final year of living on the streets for a full week, getting the experience of homelessness first-hand. As he prepares to retire, his sons will follow in his footsteps. There are other ministry colleagues, young people influenced by the Buffalo Dream Center’s inner city ministries, and other church members who are now motivated by his example.
Hear more about how the Lord has used and expanded such outward-focused work here in Part 2 of our “Hometown Heroes” feature.
Part 1 of this conversation is also easy to find here on our News Podcasts page.
“Hometown Heroes” happens during the Family Life Noon report most Tuesdays, online and on the air. Your host is Family Life news anchor Mark Webster.
