A special Family Life news feature that tells the story of people who are sharing Jesus in their community.
Bringing the warmth of a quilt, and the warmth of Christ.
That's the goal of "Cozy Quilt Ministries" - which has provided over 9,000 quilts to cancer patients, along with the encouragement of the Gospel message.
In this edition of "Hometown Heroes," founder Kelley Carson tells the story of this amazing ministry, which began with a single quilt for a friend over 20 years ago.
Contact them at: cozyquiltministries@gmail.com or via their Facebook page.
The faith behind the newfound fame.
On this edition of Hometown Heroes, the amazing story of Chris Lomax. Many have seen the Hornell, New York man in a feature by CBS News, but that piece had a big missing piece: The central role Chris's faith has played in his success story as a legally blind baker.
You can follow Chris here.
Farmers Helping Farmers (Part 2)
Helping with Hay for Hurricane Helene's victims
Brittany Eisenman organized fellow northwest Pennsylvania farm families to ship hay to North Carolina and Tennessee farmers devastated flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
That effort that has produced countless faith stories for those involved.
This is Part Two of Mark Webster's conversation about how farmers help farmers -- and Christians help neighbors, even those who are a distance away. The widespread response from the community is heartening to those who are helping, and for those who have received this practical compassion.
You also can hear Part One of our "Hometown Heroes" interview. Check it out on our 2/26/2025 feature podcast. You can send a link so someone else among your family, friends or congregation can hear it. All of our original Family Life Podcasts are also available to download, or click Subscribe to be notified each time a new episode goes online.
For further details and photos from this "Hay Lift", there is additional coverage from multiple farm journals and local websites.
For more about the ministry which is overseeing the logistics of these deliveries, go to the website or social media of Spurred to Victory Ministries. Spurred to Victory's primary evangelistic work uses horses to share the Gospel.
photo credit: facebook/brittany eisenman
Helping with Hay for Hurricane Helene's victims
Farmers Helping Farmers
It's the "Hometown Heroes" podcast from Family Life News
The devastation of Hurricane Helene in mid-2024 will be felt for years in the Carolinas, Tennessee and other states. But, a group of farmers in northwestern Pennsylvania provided a helpful response that many of us might not have even realized was needed.
In this week's Hometown Heroes podcast, Mark Webster introduces you to Brittany Eisenman, who organized shipments of hay to western North Carolina farmers after those massive floods. As you will hear, it wasn't farmers "bailing" out farmers with bales of hay for their livestock, there's a strong story of a God Moment which was a major aspect to this project.
You also can hear Part Two of our "Hometown Heroes" interview about the practical and spiritual messages shared with each truckload of hay. Check it out on our 3/04/2025 feature podcast.
EYT Media is another source to find out about this haylift.
Other episodes of our original podcasts introduce you to other "Hometown Heroes", individuals and groups who take intentional steps to tangibly enhance the lives of their neighbors, communities and regions.
Find our archives at FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts and other popular podcast platforms. You can share, listen or download, or tap "subscribe" to receive an update each time a new edition goes online.
"Hometown Heroes" also airs most Tuesdays during the Family Life Noon Report and our 5 O'Clock Report, with highlights also included in our other newscasts. Hear these on one of our nearly-70 radio stations across Pennsylvania and New York, or listen in from anywhere with our live stream, app, or web player:
other Family Life News features
photo credit: facebook/brittany eisenman
Kingdom Builders of Central New York
The Hometown Heroes podcast from Family Life News
Today’s guest on “Hometown Heroes” is Bill Sears with Kingdom Builders of Central New York – a ministry that provides free home repairs for those who can’t afford them … and shares the Christian Gospel along the way. Their mission statement is "Serving God by Serving People".
Sears tells the story of how Kingdom Builders' executive director Andy Deforest has done faith-based mission work in New Zealand, Cambodia, Honduras and Papua Guinea, and has found a way to carry out parallel kinds of mission in the Susquehanna Valley.
Professional electrical engineer Bill Sears has been on the KBCNY board since the ministry was founded.
Discover more about this community-minded ministry at KingdomBuildersCNY.org.
You can go to the Kingdom Builders CNY website to read or subscribe to their online newsletters.
Hometown Heroes: Victory Sports
Part 2 of our interview with Doug Rifenburg
Victory Sports founder Doug Rifenburg takes us inside this ministry which distributes sports equipment to children and teens to give them positive activities as an alternative to other troublesome options. There is a Gospel emphasis too.
Included in this segment of Mark Webster's interview, Rifenburg tells about a partnership which Victory Sports and its donors have with the police department in Buffalo, giving officers another community-policing tool to connect with young people in their neighborhoods.
Part 1 of this "Hometown Heroes" feature aired on February 4. You can listen to that segment as well, download it or share it from this link at www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts: Heroes 2/04/25
Victory Sports is headquartered in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, New York. Their distribution center is open selected hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The website is www.VictorySports.org. Doug Rifenburg and his family have a long history in the Buffalo sports world. Find out more about him and his work here.
Hometown Heroes
The Family Life News Tuesday Podcast
Victory Sports in western New York spreads the Christian gospel by distributing sports gear to young people in need.
Founder Doug Rifenburg takes us inside this ministry -- and out to the neighborhoods they influence -- with this "Hometown Heroes" interview with Family Life's Mark Webster.
This Family Life "Hometown Heroes" interview continues in with Part 2 which first aired in the Noon Report on February 11. You can listen, download that segment, or share it from the link at www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts: Heroes 2/11/25
Victory Sports is headquartered in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, New York. Their distribution center is open selected hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The website is www.VictorySports.org. Doug Rifenburg's biography is here.
The Hope Center in Western New York
Family Life's Hometown Heroes podcast
The Hope Center of Leroy, New York, is a community focused organization which provides a variety of services to the people of Genesee County.
Diane Sia is the director there, and she gives Family Life News Anchor Mark Webster an overview of their many community ministries, including:
Sia says the most beneficial byproduct of the Hope Center of Leroy is the personalized connections that happen with the young people, parents and others they see. Those people get an attentive listening ear, experiences of care and encouragement, and tangible evidence of Christian faith.
You can also find out more about their tutoring, senior moments luncheons, GriefShare workshops and other programs at www.HopeCenterofLeroy.org.
Catch up with all the individuals and organizations who are transforming their local communities with our Hometown Heroes podcast archives anytime. We encourage you to listen, share, subscribe or download all your favorite Family Life features from www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts or from many popular podcast platforms.
Hometown Heroes
a Family Life Tuesday news feature and podcast
Co-founder Ray Oberst tells us of the value he sees in Christian weekday education as a New York State Christian school continues to grow
Today's edition of "Hometown Heroes" features the co-founder of the Parker-Jordan Christian Academy in Allegany County, New York.
Pastor Ray Oberst tells our Mark Wester about the vision and the launch for a Christian K-12 school there. While many look at faith-based education as an alternative with Scriptures and traditional family values as a primary goal --- and those do happen at PJCA too --- one of the biggest accomplishments that happens at a Christian school is marked improvements in academic performance.
Oberst talks about how the academy has seen mushrooming growth since it opened with a handful of students in 2019. He says families are seeing the progress students make in their classes, extracurriculars, faith, and their emotional/personal/relational lives.
For more information: PJCA website