Hope this update finds you doing well.  I just returned from North Carolina, having done the first round of assessments as to the damage/needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, partnership Somebody Cares America.  Thankfully the storm came in as a Cat 1 instead of the Cat 4 that was projected.  However, Florence still caused major damage over a very widespread area.  In Lumberton, NC the storm just stayed on top them, dumping 40 inches of rain.  All over the region rivers are running at record levels and flooding is still occurring.  Even today there are rivers that are forecasted to to crest at record levels.  The town on Conway has been evacuating residents all week, that may be affected by the flooding.

Here is a local update from North Carolina: “Although Florence is long over, many spots across the Carolinas are still experiencing devastating flooding. The Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., is not expected to crest until early Thursday and will remain at record levels in major flood stage through the weekend, even as it begins to drop.The river is now expected to crest at around 22 feet, which is four feet higher than the previous record set in 2016.”

Just outside Elizibethtown, NC the community of Reagan is still under water in many areas! This community has been under 4 ft of water for over 11 days now! Vertical Church is our point of contact for our relief efforts and will be our staging area.  We are sending relief loads in to a central warehouse, serving areas that will be in great need in weeks to come.  We’ve already given $4500 worth of gift cards to Vertical Church to give to those in need.

This coming Monday Mike Lynch and I will be going back to North Carolina to continue to coming alongside those that are on the ground serving the communities devastated by Florence. 

First of all we ask for you to pray for the people affected by Hurricane Florence, but we would also request that you pray about giving financially toward the ongoing relief efforts.  If you would like to give you can do so via PayPal by going to our website at www.bnfsa.org  You can also find our postal address there if you prefer to mail a check.  Thank you for your consideration. If you have questions you can email me at markroye@gmail.com .  We are honored to partner with Doug Stringer and Somebody Cares America.  Together, we can make a difference for the Kingdom of God.                                     Blessings, Mark Roye

On August 4 we put at least 300 pairs of NEW shoes on inner city children, just in time for their new school year. We also provided new socks for  every child. Many THANKS to the volunteers, and to Journey Church for making the event such a success.

Each child receives a prayer of blessing for their success this new school year.

“He who is gracious to the poor…lends to God….and He will greatly repay.” Proverbs 19:17
We are grassroots. We are boots on the ground. We are NOT underwritten by a foundation or mega-donor. We need to expand because there are more and more families showing up in the inner city of San Antonio that need EVERYTHING.  They need food, they need household items, and more and more and more…… Like everything else, our expenses, such as liability insurance, utilities, fuel for our van…continue to increase. We need more people willing to fund what we do so we can do more. Why not YOU?…….. Invest in the lives of our urban poor.

All donations are tax deductible.  Hit the donate button on this website, or mail a check to 21519 Tenore, San Antonio, 78259.
Many many thanks.

WOULD YOU COLLECT GROCERIES FOR OUR FOOD PANTRY? Give your food donations straight to the source for distribution!  Local food banks make us BUY the food from them, the food that we turn around and give away, and the same food that they have been given. We have to pay for it!  Give your food donations straight to the source for distribution!

Your Sunday School class, small group, homeschool group, office, church, get creative, MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Help provide much needed food for our inner city friends.  On the second Saturday of each month our neighbors come to receive food from our food pantry. Each family or individual fills bags with the groceries they need.  A word encouragement is shared with the group, and we take time to pray with the families and individuals that want prayer.  HELP KEEP OUR PANTRY FULL.

You, your family, your group or your church can:

• Donate food items – you can have a food drive to collect food
• Help pack and prepare for food distribution.
• Underwrite grocery and fresh food purchases – $300 per month feeds 75 families
• Distribute food – be apart of our monthly food distribution.

Young….old…rich..poor…all together in one place. We meet at our Ministry center at 211 Keller. It is a great time of interaction between residents of the inner city and their suburban neighbors, drawn together with a common purpose.