Giving Back
GIVING BACK
With each purchase made, we will be giving a percentage to a mission that is near and dear to our hearts, The Village at Church of the City. This is a vision that was given to our church family and we are honored to have the opportunity to show our support.
" At COTC, we desire the flourishing of our city and want to find ways to meet the tangible needs God has shown us. We believe He is opening doors for a ministry center called The Village. Located on our Franklin property, this facility will provide equipping and resourcing toward mental health, single parents, foster families, and those aging out of the foster care system. It will be the heart of The Village to meet the needs of our city in a profound way, serving those who are the most vulnerable among us."
The Five Issues:
- Mental health & suicide prevention
- Reliable transportation for single moms
- Space for kids awaiting foster placement
- Foster family support
- Kids aging out of the system
The Five Initiatives:
- Community Care Center
- CARS Facility
- Safe House
- Wrap Around Center
- Food Court & Community Garden
To learn more, please visit:
Hello, Denise here! I wanted to take a minute to share a little bit of my story and why The Village is so important to us. When I was 13 years old, my father lost his battle with addiction and took his own life. He was a tormented soul and struggled with mental health for years. As a result of abuse in the home, he was dropped off at an orphanage and spent several years in care as a child. As I grew up, he often shared stories of living in an orphanage and what his childhood was like. With every heartbreaking story he told, my deep desire and passion for children just like him grew.
As I journeyed through life, God placed several people along the way who were adopted. In 2022, my husband and I completed training to become foster parents and had our first child placed in our home. It was a beautiful yet challenging experience. My dream had finally come true. As foster parents our dwelling should be a place of peace and safety for children with hard pasts. Unfortunately, due to family dynamics in our home that were outside of our control, we had to make the incredibly difficult decision to close our home. God revealed that having foster children wasn't HIS plan for our lives. It was tough. It was hard to accept and I had to grieve the loss of a lifelong dream. Here we are now, as the curators of Concerned Citizens Co. We hope to share God's love and advance His Kingdom through every interaction.
While my father wasn't present to teach me lessons, I can certainly look back and learn from his mistakes. He suffered in silence because of a stigma. I am grateful to see the slow shift in the way our society views and addresses mental health, but there is still a lot of growth and work to be done. Mental health matters. Suicide is preventable. If spreading the gospel and mental health awareness touches even one life, what a blessing that is. We hope you'll take a few moments to visit the website above and learn more about how, together, we can help make this beautiful God given vision a reality for those who need it most. It takes a Village! Thank you!