Our History
The story of Found in Faith Ministries began with a simple but powerful mission: to help families transform their empty house into a home.
In 2014, Alicia was working at Arrow Child and Family Ministries, supporting young women in foster care and while there, she witnessed an experience that would shape her path forever. A young woman in the Arrow program named Stormy was moving into her first apartment. She was excited, but the photos she shared revealed a stark reality. Stormy had nothing but a twin mattress and a closet full of clothes piled on the floor. When asked how she was going to get the stuff she needed, Stormy shared that she was given a $300 Walmart gift card. Alicia knew that it would not go far so she reached out to her community and shared Stormy’s story and needs. Within two weeks, Alicia delivered a box truck full of furniture and household donations to turn Stormy’s empty apartment into a place that truly felt like home. This early experience revealed a pressing need in the community and sparked the idea that would eventually grow into a thriving nonprofit providing crucial resources to thousands of individuals.
Alicia began connecting with others in the community who were serving Harford County’s most vulnerable people. She first met Evelyn McSorley, and later Mildred Hopkins, two women already running small furniture ministries through their respective churches. The three realized that by combining their efforts, they could make a much greater impact.
By 2016, the three women formally joined forces to launch what was then Found in Faith Ministries. The organization was started from scratch with no experience, no professional network, and no money. Operating at first out of an old house on the back of Bel Air Methodist’s church property, the enthusiastic team set out to recruit a Board of Directors to become an official tax-exempt organization and to find a larger warehouse space.
Their efforts quickly took shape. In December 2017, the organization received its official 501(c)(3) designation. Just a few months later, in February 2018, Found in Faith Ministries moved into a 4,800 square-foot warehouse in Joppa, Maryland. With the larger space and increased capacity, the ministry grew from serving 60 families a year to 191 households, a 218% increase in just the first year. These early months proved that collaboration, vision, and community support could transform hundreds of lives. It also spoke to an overlooked need in our community, creating a barrier for local people struggling to achieve self-sufficiency.
From these humble beginnings, Found in Faith Ministries has continued to grow. Since we opened our doors, the need in Harford County has consistently outpaced the organization's capacity, demonstrating the pervasiveness and neglect of furniture poverty in our community.
