Church Relations

This photo is of 7 men standing beside each other out in the woods.

From our beginning in 1945, church leaders and local congregations of Churches of Christ throughout Florida and the Southeast have played a prominent role in supporting Mount Dora Children’s Home.

We welcome your congregation’s help in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of single-parent families and children in need of a better home environment.

As a private, Christian social services agency, most of our referrals for children and single parents come from local churches in Florida and the Southeast, and from their members. While we provide for the physical needs of our residents, our overriding objective is to encourage spiritual growth among the children and single parents we serve, pointing them toward Jesus as the ultimate answer to their life’s needs.

Churches in Action

Parties, cookouts, fundraisers, workdays, and other special events are just a few of the many ways our churches help support MDCH.

Ways You Can Help

Gift Cards for Food and Supplies

Providing for the nourishment and daily needs of our children and adult residents can be an expensive task. Churches help by supporting our annual drive for gift cards. In the past, we ran a truck route each year to participating churches and collected food and supplies. Today, it is more efficient and effective to collect gift cards instead. Gift cards can be used for a much wider selection of foods, including fresh fruit and vegetables, refrigerated and frozen foods, meats, and other perishables. Gift cards also make it possible for our house parents and single parents to buy the exact food and supplies they need. For more information, email Garrett Schwarz, Vice President of Social Services: garrett.schwarz@mdchome.org.

Financial Support

Benefit Dinners

We host benefit dinners each year in cities across Florida and the Southeast. Churches play a key role in promoting these dinners and encouraging their members to attend. If your church is interested in participating in an upcoming dinner — or helping host a dinner in your city — please contact us (see contact information below). Visit here for a list of upcoming benefit dinners.

NEW: You can now sign up online to attend a benefit dinner! Visit our online registration page .

Change for Children

Schedule a Presentation at Your Church

Visit Our Campus

Parties, Cookouts, and Special Events

Some churches get creative and come up with their own ways of helping us, such as hosting cookouts for our kids, birthday and Christmas parties, or providing the funds for our children to experience cultural, educational, and travel opportunities beyond what would be covered by our normal budget. We would love to talk with your church, or your church’s senior saints, ladies’ group, men’s group, or youth group, about hosting or funding special events for our home children and single parents. See the Contact section below for more information.

Church Coordinators

Dave Hogan

Planned Giving & Church Relations Officer

Mobile: 352-455-7178

Andy Bonner

Church Relations Coordinator for Central and South Florida

Mobile: (321) 213-7277

Sam Long

Church Relations Coordinator for Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle

Mobile: (334) 590-3494

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