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What's new at the center?
On June 27, 2011 we were named "Innovative Program of the Year 2011" by the
Cleveland Foodbank!! Read below what the Cleveland Foodbank had to say:
"Walk
of Faith Community Center’s mission is to provide individuals, families and the community with resources and services
to enhance their quality of life. Walk of Faith Community Center is located on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland
and is the only choice pantry in the neighborhood. Their clients really enjoy being able to choose items they want from
the pantry shelves. The shopping area can only accommodated 4 shoppers at a time, so the pantry has opened up their dining
area where snacks and drinks and games to play are available while people wait to shop. This gives the community a chance
to sit down, eat, relax and talk with each other. The volunteers at Walk of Faith also get to know their clients and
learn what is going on in their lives by sitting with them and by helping them to shop the pantry. The time together
has helped to build relationships. Clients have gotten to know one another during this snack time and several now car
pool to the pantry. The program feels that one of the positive results of the choice pantry is the positive relationships
that have resulted. After many discussions with clients, a common need that emerged was a lack of places to find affordable
footwear. This past January, the pantry partnered with an organization called Soles 4 Souls and received a donated 100
pairs of shoes. Walk of Faith just had to cover the cost of shipping. On May 19th they handed out the donated
shoes to over 40 families. They plan to place another order this summer. In addition to the pantry, Walk of Faith offers several
other programs including an after school tutoring program, home budgeting seminars, a hot meal program, and Ohio
Benefit Bank counselors to help eligibility for food stamps and other resources. The program also has made a washer
and dryer available for those in need. In an effort to reach people in the community, the program holds an annual event called
the WE CARE Expo in Jefferson Park where the community can come and learn about Walk of Faith
and all the services they provide. The event draws over 350 community members. Walk of Faith is very proud of the relationships they have been able to
build with their clients- it is key to what they do in building community. Congratulations Walk of Faith!" ~ Cleveland
Foodbank Agency Appreciation Award
In January 2011 Walk
of Faith Community Center partnered with Soles 4 Souls(S4S). This partnership allows us to provide the community
shoes at no cost. What is S4S you ask? Read below: "Soles4Souls has a simple concept: we procure shoes and get them to those in need. In
the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls® Inc., felt
compelled to do something. Like many of us, he did not know what to do. He was at home one night, watching TV and he saw a
picture of a single shoe washing up on the beach. That triggered a few calls to some other executives in the footwear industry
and the subsequent donation of a quarter of a million shoes to victims in the devastated countries. A
year later when Katrina hit, Wayne called the same group of friends, and they sent over a million pairs of shoes down to the
gulf coast communities affected by the hurricane. In all honesty, he admits that he did not expect such an immediate and successful
turnout. This left him wondering, why not start a non-profit and do this all the time? One year later, Soles4Souls was formally
created. It has been that simple: changing the world one pair at a time. Soles4Souls
receives large donations from footwear companies, retailers, churches, nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools, and individuals
and saw that this could become a full time organization. That's why Soles4Souls was created – to facilitate the donations
from these groups to the people who desperately need footwear." ~ www.soles4souls.org
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Ohio Benefits Bank Location
In September 2010 we partnered with the Ohio Benefits Bank. The Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB) is a web-based computer program to connect low
and moderate-income Ohioans with access to work supports such as tax credits and public benefits.
The OBB is offered
through a public-private partnership between the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and over 1000 faith-based, nonprofit, governmental and private-sector
partners. Trained counselors staff Benefit Bank sites in all of Ohio's 88 counties where they help
prepare and file federal and Ohio income tax returns at no cost to eligible Ohioans.
Ohioans can also check potential eligibility and apply for other work support benefits such as health care coverage, home energy assistance, child care subsidies, and food assistance.
Since beginning operations,
the Benefit Bank has helped more than 168,000 Ohioans access more than $368 million in tax credits and other work supports.
However, more than $1.7 billion in tax credits
and other supports go unclaimed by eligible Ohioans who do not apply.
We have 2 certified OBB counselors at the center. Please call Lisa at 216-409-5403 to set up your appointment
to check if your qualify for benefits!
Click
on the OBB logo to visit their site!
We are excited to announce that on November 14th we partnered with Hannah's Socks! "Hannah's Socks is a non-profit organization focused
on providing clothing necessities to the less fortunate in Toledo, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; and their neighboring communities.
Hannah's Socks collects donated materials in the form of men's, women's and children's socks and undergarments, then leverages partnerships
with local shelters for distribution to both the homeless and to victims of domestic violence. In addition, we support
programs serving under-privileged children. Hannah's Socks firmly
believes that in a country as prosperous as the United States, no man, woman or child should want for something as basic as
a warm pair of socks." Please see Hannah's Socks website for more information on Hannah's story. www.hannahssocks.com We are in the process of setting things up now and we will post more
information on the distribution of socks in the near future!
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We are also proud to announce we have partnered
with the Cleveland Food Bank! "The Foodbank
supplies a majority of the food used in local hot meal sites, shelters, and food pantries. In addition, we provide food to
child care centers, group homes, and programs for the elderly. The Foodbank works closely with other Northeast Ohio hunger
relief organizations, providing food and nonfood products to hunger centers administered by the Hunger Network of Greater
Cleveland, the Catholic Hunger and Shelter Network, and the Salvation Army, among others. " Please visit www.clevelandfoodbank.org for more information. This partnership will
allow us to provide groceries for local community members free of charge. We are in the process of setting up our storage
area. We will be posting more information asap.
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**Please check back often for more exciting news at Walk of Faith Community Center **
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Walk
of Faith Community Center 12833 Lorain Rd., Cleveland, OH 44111 Phone 216-941-3270
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