Sharing the good news happening in our community

Rose Vidal has always had a heart to help others. In 1993, she moved to Marion County, bought a couple acres of land and raised her four children. At the time, she was a Guardian ad Litem and saw a lot of poverty in the area. She worked for Danny Gaekwad for 11 years. She quit in 2004 to get married and start Hope Outreach Help Center, a 501 © (3) non-profit organization designed to help those in North Marion County who are in need of basic life services. She said God placed the name for the center in her heart because she saw so much need in the area.

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Vidal rented a house near the railroad tracks and used the living room and the outside area to open a thrift store.

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In the beginning, Hope Outreach provided free housing for women and children and an emergency food pantry for the community. When her husband died in 2009, she had to close because she didn‘t have anyone else to help her run the facility.

 

In 2012, she stopped housing families but kept the food pantry and started providing other services at the Citra Community Center before moving to the Lake & Meadows Community Center. In 2017, she moved to their current location and started providing services to the community again, but lately, things have been rough.

 

                                                          Now Vidal is asking for a little help!  She said the thrift

                                                          store is what’s keeping the Center afloat, but without

                                                          help, she  doesn’t know how much  longer she will be                                                              able to continue serving families in the northern part of                                                             the county.            

                                                         

                                                         

 “The ones with cars and rides can go elsewhere, but the only other pantry in Citra is the Adventist Church,” she said. “I hear complaints about what’s offered, but I tell people we are not supermarkets. We give out what we get and can afford to buy.”  

 

Vidal said on the days they are open, they serve more than 95 people and another 10 to 20 emergency walk-ins. The Center does not have any paid staff and only has a few volunteers, two of which are in their 70’s.

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 “They only come on the days I give out stuff, otherwise all the work is on me,” she said.

 

Vidal said her greatest challenge is funding and storage space. She’s been able to purchase three sheds, but needs another one to store donations. She is also trying to recruit more volunteers especially someone that can organize and manage the clothing and other donations they receive.

 

To financially support the organization, visit www.donate4hope.com. She’s also looking for donors willing to donate $12 a month to cover the cost of the extra food.

 

For questions, to donate items or more information contact Vidal at (352) 502-1495, visit Hopeoutreachhelpcenter.com or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hopedirectory.

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                                              18350 N. US Hwy.

                                                Citra, FL 32113

 

Services Provided:

Food, Clothing, Diapers, Hygiene items.

*The Center does not provide cash or pay any bills, but refers clients to other agencies for assistance.         

             

Immediate Needs:

Funding and Storage Shed

 

Thrift Store Hours

Thursday, Friday and Sunday

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Monday and Tuesday

 

Donations needed:                             

The thrift store accepts all donations except furniture.  They need gently used men’s clothing sizes 29 - 38 and all sizes in women’s clothes.               

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Food Pantry Hours

Open the last two Mondays of each month 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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Donations needed:

Water, Sugar free drinks for seniors, drinks, meats, non-perishable food items, etc.               

 For emergency food, people can call (352) 502-1495. She can arrange for pickups in emergency cases.