New center offers help and hope

OXFORD, North Carolina (WTVD) -- You could hear the excitement in Twanna Jones' voice as she talked about the future.

"We believe we're going to grow a community from the inside out. As they see us growing in our growing facility, they're going to want to grow and change," she said.

The 'growing facility' she's talking about will be the home of The Help Center North Carolina, soon opening at a brand new location in Granville County. The faith-based non-profit offers such core services as emergency food assistance, a diaper closet, elderly support, and youth enrichment.

"When we started out in Vance County," Jones told me, "we were only touching maybe 40 lives per day. But God just kept giving me things to do and we kept expanding to over a thousand per week."

Up to now, The Help Center has been operating out of Jones' family home, with local businesses allowing her to collect and store items at their locations. But that all changes October 6, when the ribbon will be cut at the new Help Center at 125 Juniper Court in Oxford.

"We're in the heart of where the need is," Jones says. "The building is the perfect location for us to really see the transformation that we want to see."

The ministry provides services to residents of Granville, Vance, Franklin, and Warren Counties.

For Twanna Jones, helping others comes naturally.

"Ever since I was 12 years old it has been a passion of mine to help. I didn't understand it at that early age, but I knew that God had called me to do something. For 20 years, I've been in the non-profit field helping people. Two years ago, I decided to step out on faith and start The Help Center.

The Vance County-based ministry was soon feeding hundreds of people a week. Jones says the goal is not only to meet physical needs, but spiritual needs as well.

"When you look at the country and how it's so divided, God has always shown me when we come on one accord, that's when the power comes in. That's what the Help Center is about-- impacting lives for God," she said.

The ribbon cutting will take place Friday, October 6th at 1:00pm. Mrs. Jones asks that you RSVP by September 30th if you plan to attend.

Know of a good faith-based story going on in your community or house of worship? Email me with the details at: john.clark@abc11.com