Outreach
Global Outreach
Operation Backpacks for Haiti
What a difference a backpack full of school supplies can make! In a country where the average annual income is less than $1,000.00, a backpack of school supplies is a luxury. That’s why our Kids Camp outreach project has been Operation Backpacks for Haiti. In 2023, the kids and their families, packed 800 backpacks. In 2024, the kids and their counselors packed 1,000 backpacks. The backpacks were full of notebooks, pencils, erasers, rulers, snacks, and an encouraging scripture card. Our partner in global outreach, Cheerful Heart Mission, delivered the backpacks to the schools affiliated with our partner church in Tilori, Haiti during the first week of school. The children were delighted and grateful! Operation Backpacks for Haiti was funded by Kids Camp families, The Community Church congregation, and our partner in global missions, Cheerful Heart Mission. The Community Church partners with Cheerful Heart Mission to serve two churches in the impoverished border region between the Dominican Republic and Haiti: one church in Loma de Cabrera, DR and one church in Tilori, Haiti.
Recent Global Outreach
Dental Supplies Collection and Packing Party: The Community Church held a collection drive and packed 500 bags full of toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, and encouraging scripture cards. These bags were distributed by our global outreach partner Cheerful Heart Mission at its Dental Clinic in Loma de Cabrera, DR where people in need receive free care.
Vision Trip: The Community Church took a trip to Tilori, Haiti hosted by global outreach partner Cheerful Heart Mission. The group visited the church and the schools that have been helped by our outreach projects. They met the pastors and the community leaders of Tilori. Pastor Mike Leahy gave a Sunday morning sermon from the streets of Tilori which was streamed live to The Community Church worship service.
Operation Mango Tree: The Kids Camp 2022 Outreach Project raised a total of $6,241.00. Two hundred families in Tilori, Haiti received mango trees along with training on how to plant, care for, and harvest them. These trees will provide much needed nutrition and economic opportunity for families in need.
The Promise of a Pencil: The Community Church gave the Promise of a Pencil to children in Tilori, Haiti. Pencils, pens, paper, and crayons are considered luxuries by children in the community of Tilori, Haiti. $5,800.00 was raised to give packages of educational supplies to 200 children. Funds from this project were also used to outfit several classrooms with new benches, blackboards, chalk, erasers, and pencil sharpeners.
Operation Timoun (Haitian Creole for Children): Families in Tilori, Haiti faced serious food shortages caused by the global pandemic and political turmoil. The Community Church Kids Camp 2021 initiated Operation Timoun to help relieve child hunger in Haiti. Soon, many church attendees began to contribute to the operation. $10,000.00 was raised to provide nourishment and hope to families, orphans, and the elderly in Tilori through our partner church.
Bible Drive: The pastors of our partner churches reported that in the time of the pandemic, many people turned to the church for strength and comfort. The churches were lacking Bibles to give to these new and returning Christians. The Community Church held a Bible Drive and raised $5,500.00. We supplied our partner churches with Bibles in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French. We were also able to provide Bibles in big print for the elderly and the vision impaired, Bible School materials for children, and worship choir books.
Local Outreach
Together we make a difference by helping others through financial support and hands on programs. Some of our programs and projects include Bags of Hope, Back-to-School Fest, Local Heroes Thanksgiving baskets, Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, Market Street Mission partnership and more!
Church Partner: Cheerful Heart Mission
Cheerful Heart Mission is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the lives of the underprivileged people living on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti by funding and managing programs focused on health, education, and economic development. They serve all people in need without regard to race, gender, or religious belief. The Cheerful Heart Mission is home grown. The founders and leaders of the mission attend The Community Church. The focus of the Cheerful Heart Mission is on three programs: Health, Education, and Economic Development. The current projects include the dental mission, the sanitation mission, and the music education mission. All three programs serve people living between the communities of Loma de Cabrera, DR and Tilori, Haiti.
If you would like to help, please consider organizing a drive to gather needed supplies such as toothpaste and brushes. If you would like to better understand the need and how you can best help, ask about accompanying one of the Mission teams as they travel and work in La Frontera.
Visit the Cheerful Heart Mission website at www.CheerfulHeartMission.org for more information.