New Fund to Benefit Flushing Christian Outreach Center
NEW FUND TO BENEFIT FLUSHING CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER FLUSHING, MI – Those seeking assistance through the Flushing Christian Outreach Center are the beneficiaries of an anonymous donor to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF). A permanently endowed fund – the Flushing Christian Outreach Center Fund – has been established to provide support for ongoing operations now, and for generations to come. “This generosity will be used in a way that really touches people’s lives in the basic areas of food and clothing,” said the Rev. Roy Horning of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Flushing. “How grateful we are for God and for this good work he is doing in our community.” The Flushing Christian Outreach Center was established in January 2007 by several area churches as a faith network that connects people with the resources they need – food, clothing, information, referral and a faith community. Located at 201 N. McKinley Road, the Center is nondenominational and serves individuals and families in the greater Flushing area. The Flushing Knights of Columbus donated the resources needed to purchase the home for the Center’s operations. When the doors first opened the Center served 65 families, said Rev. Horning. Today it meets the needs of over 200 families, many who are working poor just struggling to make ends meet. Volunteer teams manage the Center which is open six days a week.
He recalls that prior to the Center’s opening, services were fragmented and decentralized. One church had a clothes closet, another had a food pantry, and some offered monies to people in need. “Flushing has a group of clergy who know one another and have a history of working together,” said Rev. Horning. “A few of us got together and in about six months the concept came together. The real beauty was that each church had parishioners who stepped up to volunteer their time and talent to get it running. The spirit is working through all of them, and that’s something to behold.” Sponsoring churches include St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Flushing Community Church of the Nazarene, Flushing Presbyterian Church, Flushing United Methodist Church, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Mayfair Bible Church, Mt. Zion Catholic Church, New Wine Anglican Mission, Resurrection Reformed Church and Westside Baptist Church. “Donors who endow their gifts can make a difference in their community during their lifetime and, at the same time, provide a gift that lasts forever,” said Sandra Murphy, Director of Donor Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. “The donor who established this fund wishes to remain anonymous, but encourages others to contribute to the Fund. Gifts to the Fund will provide an ongoing source of income to the Center to meet its growing needs.” The Flushing Christian Outreach Center Fund is an associated fund of the Flushing Area Community Fund (FACF), a geographic affiliate fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Established in 1997, the FACF supports community projects and nonprofit organizations that benefit the Flushing area and enhance the quality of life for its residents. For more information or to make a gift to the Fund, contact Sandra Murphy at (810) 767-8270 or give online at www.cfgf.org.
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