Today we’d like to introduce you to Landon Huie.
Landon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
19 Ministries is a non-profit that was founded in the Spring of 2018 with a vision to impact cities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Our focus was narrowed to one city at a time, and we chose Rowlett, Texas as our first city to impact. It was a natural choice because we already had significant relationships there. So how do you truly impact a city? That was a question my wife and I asked ourselves as we prepared for the launch of 19 Ministries. You could ask 100 people that question and get 100 different answers. But as we continued to ask that question, one word continued to stand out in our heart UNITY. So the focus of our mission began to zero in on uniting churches and businesses to work together to make a big impact in the city of Rowlett, TX. We realize that one organization can do a lot of good, but when many organizations come together with one goal in mind, we can accomplish even greater things. We hope that we can be a connection point between the needs in the city and available resources through our united churches and business partners.
One of the very first city-wide initiatives we organized was called “Love my City Week.” We partnered with over 30 churches and businesses to do 13 acts of kindness across the city for an entire week. Some of these acts included: updating the landscaping at our local veteran’s facility, reading to kids at school summer programs, paying for peoples laundry at the local laundry mat, handing out free Chick-Fil-A sandwich cards as people got off the Dart, making dog toys and cat shelters for abandoned animals, etc.. We ended the week with a celebration that Friday night in downtown Rowlett. We had live music, food trucks, gave away 500+ free bbq sandwiches, and provided inflatables for the kids. It was a great night that celebrated everything we accomplished that week and all the amazing people that make up the awesome city of Rowlett. We were excited to have the Mayor, City Council members, and state representatives attend the event. It was an incredible week of community and service across our city!
Some of our other initiatives have included: quarterly business breakfasts where we provide leadership training to help local businesses thrive and succeed, quarterly pastors luncheons for Rowlett pastors to unite and discover ways we can impact the city together, city wide backpack drives for kids in need, Thanksgiving meals to families in need and various Christmas projects.
One of our main focuses right now is our “Adopt Every School” campaign. Our mission is to partner and pair up local churches and businesses for every school in Rowlett. We want to make sure there are plenty of volunteers to help with mentorship programs and other school activities. Also, any funding projects are met. And lastly, to serve the teachers, administration, and support staff with luncheons and any other supplies, they may need. We have been working very closely with GISD to fine tune this process and discover each school’s unique needs.
We not only want to be a resource to those in need but also to provide easy, simple ways for others to give back and make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need! Since we have started, we have partnered with over 50 businesses and organizations to bless people across the city of Rowlett. We’re working hard to put systems in place so that when needs arise in our city, whether that’s in a school, business, church, or individual family, they are met in a timely manner. There are so many needs in our city that people aren’t even aware of. We want to bring awareness to these needs and rally together with our fellow churches and business partners to truly bring change to these situations. Our team of employees, partners, and volunteers have the heart to serve and make a big impact in the city of Rowlett.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been easy because we feel we are pioneering a new way of serving in our community. When you step out and try new things, it can be scary and uncertain, but often the risk outweighs the reward. Also, being a new non-profit, it has taken time to build influence and trust among the Rowlett community. As we continue to build the bridge within organizations in our community, we are learning what works and what doesn’t.
19 Ministries – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
19 Ministries is a non-profit that was founded in the Spring of 2018 with a vision to impact cities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Our current city focus is Rowlett, TX. One of the campaigns we are most proud of currently would be our “Adopt Every School” initiative. Our goal here is to partner and pair up local churches and businesses for every school in Rowlett. We want to make sure there are plenty of volunteers to help with mentorship programs and other school activities. Also, any funding projects are met. And lastly, to serve the teachers, administration, and support staff with luncheons and any other supplies, they may need. We’re working with GISD on this, and currently we have every school adopted but two! This campaign can impact over 30,000 people in our city. We believe the thing that sets our non-profit apart from others is that we truly want to give back with no strings attached.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For 19 Ministries, we define success as succession. The goal of the programs and outreach efforts we’re putting together right now is not that it would be short lived, but that it would carry on into other cities and bring lasting change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.19ministries.org
- Phone: 972-835-8665
- Email: landon@19ministries.org
- Instagram: 19 Ministries
- Facebook: @19 Ministries
Image Credit:
Anthony German & Hagen Graves
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