Interfaith Emergency Services

The 2024-2025 school year is right around the corner, and Food 4 Kids need your help. Last school year, we feed nearly 2,000 children per week at our peak and that required a ton of rolling backpacks. These backpacks (we get at a deep discount from a distributor) are more than just carriers – they're a lifeline. But we can't fill them without your help.

👉We need $20,000 to cover the cost of 900 backpacks for the coming school year. Can you or your business sponsor the purchase of backpacks?

Here’s how you can help…
1 backpack $ 23
50 backpacks $ 1,150
100 backpacks $ 2,300
500 backpacks $11,500

Every donation helps! Together, we can make sure no child goes hungry this weekend – or any weekend! Please give online at
www.IESmarion.org/donate (select Food 4 Kids in the dropdown) or put “backpacks” on your check and mail to PO Box 992, Ocala FL 34478. If you have questions, call Teesha at (352)620-8239.

We’ll keep this progress post going so you can see what we’ve collected and how much we may need until they are all paid for.

More about the backpacks: Rolling backpacks are given to each family the very first time they are added to the program by referral from their school’s guidance department. Each family may have from one to eleven children in the home. Smaller children would never be able to carry a traditional backpack as full as we fill them, so the wheels are such a blessing. Thank you for being a part of making sure this important ministries has the tools it need for success! God bless you!

Interfaith Emergency Services
435 NW 2nd Street, Ocala 34475 (physical)
PO Box 992, Ocala 34478 (mailing)
www.IESmarion.org
(352) 629-8868

Would you like more information about Interfaith? Please reach out for a tour by contacting Emily at (352) 644-9208.
Want to volunteer? We always need smiling faces - reach out to Tina Reid at (352) 644-9196.

Donations can be made on our website at www.IESmarion.org/donate

Special thanks to West Marion Moose Lodge for 817 pounds of baby food for those in need. We love our community groups for their support!

We love the Twilight Cruisers! They just dropped off another 367lbs of food! We couldn’t survive without our faithful community partners! Thanks to everyone who contributed. ❤️

https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2024/07/11/food-bank-community-Old Florida Partners

The cost of food, housing and other essentials is taking it's toll.

Agencies partner with Second Harvest to help feed kids through summer Hands of Hope America is one of those many partners.

It's Tina's birthday! We're celebrating our Volunteer Coordinator today and wishing her all the best! Know what her birthday wish is? That you'd reach out about volunteering at Interfaith. Tina will give you a tour of all that we do and find a place you'll love. Most volunteer positions are just 3 hours, one day a week. Give her a call at (352) 644-9196. Happy birthday Tina!

We are so grateful to the youth group from Crosspoint Church. They came to Interfaith today and helped out all over our campuses. Special thank you to Kyle and the team leaders for making it happen.

Understanding Homeless Training by Ryan Dowd

Boston Vs. Detroit

In 1970, Detroit and Boston had nearly identical poverty rates.

Since then:

Boston’s economy has boomed.
Detroit has literally gone bankrupt. It has one of the highest poverty rates of any city in the United States.
Boston’s homelessness rate is more than double Detroit’s.

(If you thought, “Of course the poorer city has more homeless folks” read the last sentence again.)

Homelessness Explained

Homelessness can be explained in two sentences:

WHICH PEOPLE BECOME HOMELESS is determined by poverty, mental illness and substance use (and a few other factors).
HOW MANY PEOPLE BECOME HOMELESS is determined by the availability of affordable housing (local housing costs relative to local wages).
Homelessness is very counterintuitive.

To understand it, you first have to let go of everything you “know” about it.

Due to a stormdrain installation on NW 2nd Street on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, there will be NO ACCESS to Interfaith's main office for services (social services and food pantry). Our campus will be completely closed to traffic, with the exception of opening at 12pm for lunch provided by the Soup Kitchen. The Agape park will only be open for lunch only and then close at 1pm.

We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen on Wednesday.

Donation request! We need a push mower (self-propelled) at Interfaith to help keep up with smaller/tight areas of our lawns. If you have a good one you're not using anymore, or want to send a donation to cover purchasing a new one (about $350) please leave a comment below.

Thank you!

Karla found where the Rotary Club in Kotor Montenegro meets! Rotary connects the world!

Thank you so much to Fairytalesdecor for their donation of hygiene items! They hosted a tea party and encouraged their attendees to bring hygiene items...how clever 😉

We are so grateful for our partnership with The Arc Marion County,FL
It helps us have amazing volunteers like Glyn! He has been a faithful volunteer and Interfaith friend for over ten years. Today was his regular volunteer day and his birthday. His wish was to spend it with us volunteering and helping the community.
He is so dedicated, kind and loving.

Please join us in wishing Glyn the best birthday ever! We love you Glyn!

Thank you to the community for making it possible for us to share with our other nonprofit friends in helping to end food insecurities in our town.

We are so grateful to serve alongside you all! Praise God ❤️🙏❤️

🙏 A heartfelt thank you to Interfaith Emergency Services for their generous food donation! 🍲 Your support means the world to us and makes a significant impact on those we serve at Saving Mercy. Together, we're making a difference one meal at a time. Thank you for your kindness and compassion! 💖

Interfaith Emergency Services and our Thrift Store will be closed on June 19th for all services.

Brother's Keeper Soup Kitchen will be serving lunch.

We absolutely love Saving Mercy Corporation and all they do! They dropped off some much need hygiene items and we are so grateful!!

Special thanks to the Bank of America team (Sammy and Donna pictured) that volunteered with our Food Ministry today. Extra hands are always a blessing!

What an amazing day! God moved and Church at The Springs delivered! Today their congregation filled up our box trucks 3 times, one high top van and one pickup truck full to the brim with food! We can not tell you how grateful we are and how this will bless our community! Thank you and for accommodating this food drive, your staff was wonderful! Thank you Church at the Springs for this huge blessing your volunteers and staff were so helpful and kind! Thank you to the Interfaith Thrift Store for all your help, our beloved volunteers and food warehouse staff for always showing up and giving it their all! It was such a special collaboration and we are so honored to be a part and bear witness to the church in action. We can not thank you all enough ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you Church at The Springs! So far we have 9 pallets full of food from your first service!

Awesome Morning at Agape Park! Get Fit in the Garden

In response to our plea for items for our shower ministry The Rock Program showed up today with donations to help! Thank you so much for always partnering with us to help those in need!

Thank you so much to Leading the Way 4-H Club Ocala for your donation of blessing bags and waters given away at Agape Park during Get Fit in the Garden on Saturday! We appreciate you taking care of your community!

Thank you to Camille Coke - Ameriprise Financial Advisor and her team for putting a group of employees and clients together to help out at our food pantry. We can not thank Camille Coke enough for her and her employees support of Interfaith! And thank you to their clients that gave their time to help us this morning!

Did you know that Interfaith has a shower ministry? We have two public bathrooms that have showers and Monday through Friday from 10 am-2 pm anyone can come to our free clothing boutique and get clothes and underwear for who ever needs it and take a shower.

We NEED your help! We are currently in need of shower items. As the weather is heating up we have more people coming to take showers.

At this time we are in need of NEW:
MENS: socks & underwear all sizes
BOYS: socks & underwear all sizes
WOMENS: socks & underwear all sizes
GIRLS: socks & underwear all sizes

Used:
Towels

Travel size hygiene items for shampoo, soap, deodorant, razors, brushes, toothpaste, and tooth brushes

We thank you in advance! Thank you for helping us help our community.

All donations can be dropped off at 435 NW 2nd Street Ocala FL 34475 Monday through Friday from 9am-4pm.

For any questions please call Andrea Jordan our Social Services Manager at 352-644-9197

Feeling cluttered? We can help!

Do you have clothes, furniture, or household items that are no longer bringing you joy? Donate your gently used and resellable furniture, major appliances, and house decor to the Interfaith Thrift Store and give them a second life! We offer FREE donation pick-up services in the Ocala area. Just schedule a pick-up on our website https://www.iesmarion.org/thrift-store or give us a call today at 352-351-3541 and we'll handle the rest. 👉Your donations support the mission of Interfaith's Center for Life which helps provide life-saving prescriptions, as well as access to free medical and dental care. ⭐Shopping here saves lives!⭐

Tag a friend and spread the word!

Thank you Ocala Rotary Club!
Earlier this month member of the Rotary Club stopped by our shelter and blessed the residents with an ice-cream party! What a treat for our guests.

Thank you Ocala-Silver Springs Rotary Club, Ocala Ocala-Sunset Rotary Club, and WIND-FM! And also a HUGE thanks to all of the sponsors and attendees! This funding will help so many people.

The “Spirits” of Generosity: Brick City Beer & Wine Festival raises $150,000 to benefit three charities - 352 Today The festivals proceeds will be split between Kimberly's Center for Child Protection, Interfaith Emergency Services, and the Marion County Literacy Council.

New total for the food collected by the Letter Ocala, FL 2024 Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.....it's been steadily trickling in and we are now up to 97,095 lbs!! Much of it is already in the homes of our clients. God bless you Ocala/Marion County for stepping up!