Watered Gardens: March Ministry Partner
Posted on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 by shofar

March's Mission Partner at FBCO is Watered Gardens.   Headquartered in Joplin, Watered Gardens' mission is "to serve the local Church in its mission to help the poor in Jesus name."  James and Martha Whitford are the founders of Watered Gardens, and James is the Executive Director of the mission.

"Watered Gardens offers a variety of services and items basic to many families, all provided through the charity of our (local) Christian community. Because this ministry is formed of several denominations, literally thousands of services and items have been provided to meet the needs of individuals throughout our community," says James.

Larry Hazlett is Operations Director at the center.  "In 2014, we sheltered 356 homeless members of the community, served 45,000 hot meals, and met 18,000 other basic needs.  1500 people were helped with food for their homes, 214 Rescue Team visits made in the last year (home visits to the poor).  In addition, 40% of residents who completed an exit interview last year reported finding employment, and 53% of all basic needs were earned through our Worth Shop."

Watered Gardens is open 9am to 2pm on weekdays except Wednesday.  If you need shelter, you may check in between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. any day.  Watered Gardens is located at 531 S. Kentucky in Joplin and their phone number is 417-623-6030.