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BORN – Bucyrus Outreach and Restoration Network is moving forward and will be changing lives and building community into the New Year.

“By encouraging, empowering and engaging the community, we will provide a renewed hope, a sense of belonging and belief through offering a hand up, not a hand out,” said Eliza Cole, BORN’s director of operations

BORN is a Christian non-profit ministry that provides non-sustaining financial assistance. In addition to financial assistance, the organization will provide educational programs like financial literacy, drug and alcohol addiction, marriage, parenting, life skills, grief, GED and workforce readiness through networking with local agencies and community supporters. The organization also hopes to offer Bible studies and additional classes in the BORN office in the upcoming months.

Initially, BORN will only accept referrals from participating churches. As participating churches, they have pledged to provide financial and educational assistance to the BORN program.

Those participating churches are: Bucyrus United Methodist Church, First Alliance Church, Good Hope Lutheran Church, St. John United Church of Christ, Father’s Heart Healing Center, Woodlawn United Methodist Church, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, and First Baptist Church.

BORN is in the process of launching its fundraising program for 2015. The first fundraiser will be a community night at Bucyrus Bob Evans on Jan. 20th and 21st, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. See any of the participating churches and area businesses for a flyer. Please present the flyer at the time of checkout.

In February, we will be hosting a Valentine’s date night. More details to come later.

The community can support BORN by adding Bucyrus Outreach and Restoration Network to your Kroger Community Rewards Program as your community choice organization. See BORN’s Facebook page for details on how to enroll.

“Our office will be opened with limited funding at first. We understand the communities’ needs and are eager to serve. This is why we have put together a very aggressive fundraising campaign for this year,” Cole said. “The more funds we raise, the more families we serve. You will hear a lot about BORN. We will be in the community building relationships. We invite the community to pray for our ministry.”