The Victory Ministries Center for Hope, a new social services hub that offers low-income families a food pantry, a free clothing shop, counseling, medical care and children’s tutoring, opened with great fanfare in Whitehall last week. Following the purchase of a former shopping center in 2013, Executive Director Lloyd Craycroft began the arduous task of fundraising to pay for renovations, programming and debt repayment. The new 1500 sf facility, at 3964 E. Main Street, replaces their former center on Switzer Road in east Columbus.

Victory Ministries is a faith-based community resource center providing critical services to low-income residents of central Ohio since 1983. Recognizing that many in the community struggle with practical issues like putting food on the table and providing clothing for their families, Victory Ministries was founded to directly meet the pressing needs of the poor. There are many "working poor" and unemployed families in Columbus that need additional assistance to feed and clothe their families. 

With an established an open door policy, Victory Ministries does not discriminate because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap. Promoting self-sufficiency by providing Next Step Services is the focus of the Family Assistance Center which addresses homelessness prevention and utility shut-offs. Victory Ministries also provides free medical care to the uninsured and free clinical counseling for client families.

For several years, Victory Ministries has been a recipient of proceeds from the Heartland Bank Charity Golf Classic and according to Scott McComb, Heartland Bank CEO, “We’re so proud to support a worthy cause like Victory Ministries. Their programs and the new Center for Hope will have a significant impact on all the communities they serve.” In addition to the support Heartland provides through the annual Golf Classic, the Stygler Road branch has served as a drop off location for their Toys for Joy annual toy drive, which typically distributes nearly 3,000 new toys to needy children each December. 

To learn how you can make a difference, visit their website at www.victoryministriescolumbus.org. If your household budget doesn’t allow for charity donations, visit Heartland Bank today to find out how we can help you get ‘cashflow’ing in the right direction!

Facts about Victory Ministries

• Serve 19,000 individuals annually (including all services)
• Victory Mission Food Pantry distributes 17,000 lbs. of food monthly
• The Free Clothing Store gives away 2 tons of clothing monthly
• Hope Counseling Center (HCC) provides free clinical counseling to 74 clients annually
• Free Medical Clinic provides basic health care to the uninsured each month
• Monthly distribute food to 25 individual shut-ins (elderly and/or handicapped living in a subsidized housing complex)
• School Supply Assistance Program provides 600 students with school supplies annually
• Christmas Family Outreach (CFO) distributes over 50,000 lbs of food each December 
• Toys For Joy distributes 3,000 new toys to children each December
• Literacy Now Tutoring Program currently tutors first grade students each week