The Ephraim Project adheres to a Bible-based, five-pronged approach to ministry and service taken from Isaiah 58:6-7: "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to lift heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him ...":

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FEED THE HUNGRY 

A key part of our ministry begins with meeting people's basic needs where they are, how they are, just as our Savior first did for us. And the single most effective way to start this life-changing relationship with Him is to provide the homeless and needy with a hot, healthy meal. The Ephraim Project does just that every Friday evening for more than 300 guests. We meet at St. George Orthodox Church, located downtown at 24 N. Rosalind Street, where we serve a hot meal and dispense clothes, shoes, blankets, backpacks, toiletries, and Bibles. Throughout the week, we also provide the homeless with mail delivery, remote storage service, bus passes, and other essential services.

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Partnering with Emmanuel's Kitchen, we provide food for needy families with homes in 17 cities throughout Florida. In 2019, we also shipped thousands of pounds of food to impoverished families in Trinidad, Haiti, and Guyana as well as hundreds of seed packets that  helped start private and community gardens in two Kenyan villages.

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CLOTHE THE NAKED

Another important part of what we do is help rebuild self image. What better way to restore a sense of dignity and offer immediate encouragement than to supply a needy person with a new or lightly used set of clothing and shoes? We also partner with different ministries to supply clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other humanitarian aid to impoverished families in Trinidad, Haiti, Guyana, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Sudan. 

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SHELTER THE HOMELESS

Since 2009, we have offered housing assistance to 311 families. Though every case is different, our main goal is to help the homeless secure permanent housing and to help those who already have homes keep them. Additionally, we provide transitional housing, emergency housing, rent and utility subsidies, and relocation assistance for those who have family and/or jobs waiting in another city. Two generous donors established a special Housing Crisis Fund to help families find homes or remain in their current ones. In 2019, our Make It A Home program helped outfit the Oasis House -- a private home for teenage girls recently released from prison -- with furniture, linens, and other household items. Additionally, we helped one "newly-homed" family furnish its apartment, bringing our total of Make It A Home projects to 33 since 2012. 

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LIFT HEAVY BURDENS

We provide a myriad of social services, including:

• Filling prescriptions and medical equipment for the sick

• Supplying bus passes and bicycles

• Purchasing cell phones and minutes for clients

• Providing transportation to and from doctor appointments

• Paying power bills, security deposits, and storage fees

• Furnishing apartments for those starting over

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FREE CAPTIVES

The foundation of our work is biblically-based. While we strive to meet the felt needs of those we serve through food, clothing, and shelter, our ultimate goal is to bring every person to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Since 2009, we've distributed thousands of Bibles and had 237 decisions for Christ.

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