After years of patience, a lot of hard work by a lot of people and some divine providence, the Columbus Rescue Mission is home, Executive director Nathan Joslin said.
Throughout the last three years during the holidays, a Columbus woman has made it her mission to help those in need with generosity from the community.
Starting two years ago, Valerie Eickholt was thinking of ideas for something unique she could do to give back during the Christmas season. She was chatting with her friend Jeanne Schieffer, who is the president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, about the number of purses they never wore.
ââ¦We thought, âgosh, weâve got so many purses we that never use. Itâs a shame ⦠somebody who really needed them could use those.â At that point during our discussion, (we) decided we would put it out to people to see if they wanted to be part of a project that we called Purse Project,â Eickholt said.
When members of the Columbus Federated Churchâs congregation see a need, they fill it.
During a Bible study group at the church, Kathy Leischner and Katie Claus came across the information that there appeared to be a need for adult winter coats for those unable to afford them.
Thatâs when, Leischner said, the idea for a coat drive came about.
âWhen we first came up with the idea, we were all in a Bible study ⦠and we thought it was a great idea to do that but it needed to run through some type of committee,â Leischner said.