At New Hope Presbyterian Church, we take the story of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke very seriously. Our Local Mission partners are neighbors helping neighbors, making a difference in the lives of men, women and children in Lee County. Please take some time to read about our friends and partners and their work and prayerfully consider how you may be able to serve with them. Websites are linked within the text descriptions.
Click HERE to see upcoming Community Impact events.
By volunteering 1-4 hours, one day a week, you can make a difference;
- in the life of a child by mentoring; improving reading skills, building self esteem, confidence, and self reliance at various elementary schools and programs in Lee County.
- by delivering (agency vehicle) nutritious meals on wheels for CCMI to the home bound.
- by volunteering at CCMI’s Community Montessori Pre-School, or Harlem Heights School for Success, daycare programs for poor families.
- by packaging meals and/or serving the poor and homeless at a CCMI Everyday Cafe or at The Heights Foundation.
- by ministering to pregnant women facing one of life’s most difficult decisions, at Verity.
- by addressing God’s view on overcoming temptation, stealing, forgiveness, and salvation at the women’s Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Myers.
- by tutoring adults seeking a GED, or assisting in family development programs at The Heights Foundation.
- by spending a couple of hours a week holding babies in the nursery of Lifeline Family Center.
- by providing handyman services to Young Life of Lee County, Gabriel House, Teen Challenge, and Lifeline Family Center.
- by teaching young men and women basic life skills (small groups, cooking, music, etc.) at Teen Challenge.
- Help InterVarsity by supporting the outreach to college campuses in Lee County.
Are you ready to serve in the Fort Myers community? Use our ministry opportunities form to let us know and we’ll contact you!
Use the map to find each Local Partner–click any pin for a detailed location and directions.
View New Hope Presbyterian Church: Local Partners in a larger map
Community Montessori Pre-School: CCMI
Jen Larsen, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
CCMI‘s Community Montessori Pre-School provides a state licensed childcare center for working poor families. Full time childcare is provided at a reduced rate to working families living below the poverty level, and who are on the waiting list at Childcare of Southwest Florida. Forty children are currently enrolled at their childcare facility and 20 are on the waiting list. A few years ago, the Montessori preschool was established in order to give the students the best possible education. Email Jen Larsen.
Everyday Cafés: CCMI
Jen Larsen, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
(formerly The MLK Soup Kitchen; now also in Cape Coral)
CCMI‘s Everyday Cafés provide a noon-time meal six days a week to men, women, and children in a traditional soup kitchen setting, and nutritious packaged meals and beverages for the homebound hungry. Customer Choice Marketplaces (formerly “Food Pantries”) provide emergency groceries to families in need. The Cafés’ noontime meals provide a stable, dignified and healthy way for the homeless to receive a nutritious meal. In an effort to work toward ending homlessness rather than just managing it, CCMI now assesses the Everyday Café and Customer Choice Marketplace clients in an effort to make a change in their lives with the coordination of other services. Their hope is that within 10 years the number of homeless in Lee County will be on the decline. Email Jen Larsen.
Gabriel House
Ed & Annie Ravish
Gabriel House rescues children who have been abandoned, discarded and in need of medical treatment, and works to rehabilitate and help them reach their highest level of independence and functioning. They provide a loving compassionate Christian environment. The healing power of love flowing freely to little children, coupled with the necessary medical treatment, has been close to miraculous. Over the past twenty years, over 300 children have been rescued, medically treated and adopted across the United States. The healing, however, does not stop after medical treatment. The children take with them into their adoptive families a very powerful source of love. Email a message.
Harlem Heights School for Success
Julie Workman, Chief Advocacy Officer
Through the Heights Foundation, the School for Success is located in Harlem Heights, where the average family’s income is 50% below the poverty income in the U.S. Even if a mom or dad is able to obtain a job, most families do not have a vehicle to get to a job. This is an after-school program where mentors, tutors, and a few teachers provide one-on-one help to disadvantaged children with their homework, develop and improve comprehension and reading skills, and help them “keep up.” Crafts, activities and summer camp are also provided at the center. School for Success is a stand-alone program following state curriculum and educational requirements, but focusing on children from needy families. Email a message.
Heights Center
Julie Workman, Chief Advocacy Officer
The Heights Center (part of The Heights Foundation) works to break the cycle of poverty in the Harlem Heights neighborhood in South Fort Myers. Their mission is to promote family and community development, support education and wellness, and provide the benefits of cultural and expressive arts. For over 10 years, the Foundation has worked to build strong relationships, develop holistic programming, and forge creative partnerships to develop a network of support and opportunity for those in need. Email a message.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
Bill Harward, SW FL Campus Ministry
InterVarsity is an evangelical campus ministry serving more than 31,000 students and faculty on more than 580 college and university campuses nationwide. Incorporated in 1941, InterVarsity has a rich tradition of campus witness, thoughtful discipleship, and a concern for world missions. InterVarsity reaches out locally to students at FGCU and Edison State College. Email a message.
Lifeline Family Center
Kathy Miller, Executive Director
Jenna Steffel, Asst. Executive Director
Since 1996, Lifeline Family Center has been providing young women in crisis pregnancy a safe home. It is a non-traditional maternity home modeling the love of God. During the two year program, young moms develop confidence and maturity through spiritual guidance, professional counseling, character building, parenting classes, GED prep and career training. Support and services are provided to both birth mom and baby until the child’s second birthday. Ultimately, moms learn to become God-dependent, self-supporting contributing members of society. Lifeline Family Center’s goal is to “change the world – two lives at a time.” Email a message.
Meals on Wheels: CCMI
Jen Larsen, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
CCMI‘s Meals on Wheels program organizes, plans and administers the delivery of well-balanced and nutritious meals to the homebound; and does so at the lowest possible cost. One nutritious meal a day, five days a week (with extras for the weekend) are delivered by a team of volunteers, regardless of the client’s ability to pay, to residents of Lee County who are unable to plan, shop for or prepare meals due to illness, disability or advanced age. In addition to the delivery of daily meals, they also deliver weekly or monthly HOPE bags (Helping Older People Eat) to clients they have identified as in need of additional food items. Email Jen Larsen.
New Hope Mentors
Dick & Gail Boyd, Coordinators
New Hope Presbyterian Church has mentoring relationships with five elementary schools: Allen Park, Colonial, Edison Park, Orangewood, and Tanglewood. Both permanent and seasonal members actively work with a student for one hour each week. It is a very rewarding experience to help students learn. When we can impact a child, we can change the world! Email a message.
SWFL Juvenile Detention Center (Juvie Jail)
Jeannie McGalliard, NHP Coordinator
The Southwest Florida Regional Juvenile Detention Center is a 62-bed, hardware secure facility that serves youth detained by various circuit courts. The facility provides supervision of youth in a safe, secure and humane environment. Services for youth include: education, mental health, substance abuse, and health care. New Hope volunteers address God’s view on topics such as decision making, forgiveness, real love, overcoming temptation, stealing, and more. Please email Jeannie McGalliard if you would like to volunteer to help.
Teen Challenge of Southwest Florida
Kevin Cummings, Executive Director
Teen Challenge believes in second chances. Their purpose is to facilitate life transformation for the boys and girls, and men and women whose lives have been affected by issues like anger, rebellion, depression, drug use and/or abuse and other life controlling problems. They believe that by providing students with a fresh perspective, they will have the opportunity to realize their potential and reach their dreams. They believe in God’s ability to change a person’s life and that given the chance, every person can go on to lead a satisfying and purposeful life. Email a message.
Verity Pregnancy & Medical Resource Center
Becky Anderson, Executive Director
Verity Pregnancy & Medical Resource Center was founded to care for women and their families who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. Their staff is devoted to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding pregnancy issues, as well as providing help for the woman seeking healing from one or more previous abortions.
Verity is women helping women and strive to ensure that everyone who walks through their doors experiences their warm and friendly environment and staff. All of their services are free and confidential! Email a message.
Young Life of Lee County
Bill Loy, Executive Director
Young Life is a non-denominational, Christian, non-profit organization that is committed to introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. Young Life staff and leaders are caring adults who strive to build positive relationships with teenagers. Through friendships as well as through clubs, and camps, Young Life leaders “earn the right to be heard” and can share the Gospel with their teenage friends. Young Life wants to reach every teen, everywhere, for eternity. Email a message.
