MISSION
To prevent homelessness by helping people find jobs while providing for them materially and spiritually.
VISION
To see God honored by providing for the vocational, material and spiritual needs of those who are unemployed and actively seeking employment.
Honored As
The outstanding Faith based ministry in the Southeast in 2006
One of the ten top Social Entrepreneurial organizations in the United States by the Manhattan Institute in 2004
A model Faith based program for the White House in 2003
The most productive Private Permanent Placement Agency in Central Florida by The Orlando Business Journal, since 1999
Ellison S. Onizuka Humanitarian award, 2011 presented by the Asian American Chamber
Bank of America's Neighborhood Builder Award 2011
History
Getting started
In 1991, Dick and Madge Wilson, founders of Christian HELP, were getting ready to sign a new ten year lease for their gift business. They began to have serious reservations about signing, because they were sensing that God wanted them to be involved in full-time ministry. They weren’t quite sure what this meant or what they should do, but they decided not to sign the new lease and officially ended their gift business.
As members of Northland Community Church at the time, they were seeking God’s direction and talked with Pastor Joel Hunter. Pastor Hunter encouraged them to help set up the Saturday and Monday evening services. Not too long after they began this, Northland participated in a John Guest crusade where Ray Baake talked about how non-Christians could be reached most effectively by serving outside of the church walls. He happened to mention helping the unemployed find jobs as a way to reach these people.
In March of 1992, with this in mind, Dick and Madge Wilson and Harry Kunisch officially founded Christian HELP. They leased a space down the road from Northland Community Church and formed their mission, vision and by-line which has guided and continues to guide everything they do, and remains the same today.
This was a huge step of faith as there were many great ideas which God directed and re-directed along the way. Christian HELP has grown significantly over the years and we continue to add services and programs that help the unemployed find work, while providing for them materially and spiritually.
Connecting with the unemployed
While our staff and volunteers worked on building relationships with unemployed and with employers, we focused on meeting basic material needs of the unemployed such as providing food. After we were turned down by ten markets, God provided one person who had the contacts to provide food to give to the unemployed.
It took some time for the word to get out to those who were unemployed. Churches referred a few people to us, but it wasn’t until we hosted an employment seminar at Shoney’s, which Channel 9 and then Channel 2 covered on the news, that the word began to spread about the services we were offering to the community. This was God’s second intervention.
Founding Central Florida Employment Council
We finally had had many people receiving material support, but there simply weren’t enough jobs for all of them. So, in 1994, Dick Wilson sent a survey to many different companies inquiring about their needs and to generate interest in forming an organization that would focus primarily on providing jobs for the unemployed. God provided six Human Resource managers from different employers who spent six months formulating and founding the Central Florida Employment Council – CFEC. Today over 800 employers belong to this organization.
Job fairs
One of the HR managers who helped found the CFEC suggested doing a job fair. Because of its success, hosting these job fairs has become a major part of our ministry and services that we offer. CFEC provides the employers with the jobs, and we bring in the unemployed. As many as 8,000 people have been placed through these job fairs in a single year. We always have a booth at these job fairs where people can come and receive spiritual guidance, in addition to all the Other Resources offered.
Who We Are
We are well known for
Producing the President's, Governor's, Mayor of Orange County's and Mayor of Orlando's Job Fairs. These and two cfec.org job fairs are the largest in Central Florida. In 2009, over 6000 people found jobs at them.
Maintaining the leading Central Florida employment Internet site: www.cfec.org.
Giving Christmas every year (since 1993) for the children whose families cannot afford to provide Christmas for themselves
Since their humble beginnings in 1992, Christian HELP has become an oasis to job seekers in need. In 22 years of service, Christian HELP has produced the following local results:
Connected 105,411 with jobs
Given away over 13 million pounds of food to families in need
Given away $30,516,865 in free services to Central Florida families
Saved taxpayers $252,986,400
Opened new Food Distribution Center in December, 2002
Annual Report
We invite you to review this 2014 report of how Christian HELP served the community and made a difference in the lives of many!
Monthly Tour
Come to our free Monthly Luncheon and Tour and see how Christian HELP is making a difference in Central Florida. To reserve your spot contact tracies@christianhelp.org.
