Redemption1010 teams up with Misfit Heroes to serve Norristown

"At Redemption1010, our mission is to make Christ Jesus known in and around Norristown, Pennsylvania... Our partnership with Misfit Heroes aids us in that mission."

May 27, 2021
LaVeta Jones

Q&A with LaVeta Jones of BRN and Redemption1010 Street Team Leader Dre Thompson discussing the church’s partnership with Misfit Heroes, an organization serving the vulnerable population of Norristown, Pennsylvania.

How old is the partnership between Redemption1010 and Misfit Heroes?

Jeff Hill, our founding pastor, saw a post about an event to feed and provide supplies to the homeless last summer and forwarded it to me as the leader of the Redemption1010 Street Team.

How and why did it begin?

It turned out that Misfit Heroes was run by an old friend of mine, Courtney Jackson. As we discussed partnering, she told me about her desire to provide real solutions for real problems in Norristown communities–particularly her desire to build relationships with those in need and to help with their self-care and mental health needs. This aligned with some of our community engagement goals at Redemption1010, but weren’t equipped to carry out.

At Redemption1010, our mission is to make Christ Jesus known in and around Norristown, Pennsylvania. Our partnership with Misfit Heroes aids us in that mission because they help us meet people’s physical and mental needs as we endeavor to meet their ultimate need, which is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ

In what ways does Redemption1010 support this organization?

We’ve been able to support their projects financially, as well as providing volunteers for past and future events. We’re currently working with them to plan another event for providing food and supplies for the homeless this summer, and discussing ways that we can be a consistent resource to those in need.

How many church members participated?

Thanks to the generous giving of all of our members, we’ve been able to make some sizable contributions to a few of Misfit Heroes’ projects. We’ve had seven members volunteer on the day of events, and three that have helped behind the scenes. Given the small size of Redemption1010, that’s a high rate of participation, but I’d like to see us be more involved going forward.

Please share a personal story of a family or individual whom your church has personally impacted.

Misfit Heroes put together Mommy Baskets and we were able to provide gift cards for groceries. Through that effort we met Lisa*, a mother of four who was out of work due to the pandemic and was at risk of being evicted from her home. We were able to help her to stay in her home until she was back to work. This also provided us with opportunities to share the gospel with her and her family.

*Name changed.

LaVeta Jones

LaVeta Jones is a community outreach event coordinator, freelance media producer and communication consultant. She has coordinated events with the school district of Philadelphia and elected officials. She also works extensively with the faith-based community and the Philadelphia Police Department and has taught community policing workshops and presented for department press conferences. LaVeta, who earned a bachelor of arts in film and media arts at Temple University, graduated Summa Cum Laude and served as class valedictorian, began working for BRN in 2007, where she has assisted in telling the stories of our BRN churches.