CityView Magazine

42 | November/December • 2014 AMId shoPPInG trIPs, tree-trimming and festive ga- las, the needs of our neighbors usually seem magnified in a season where our own abundance is as clear as the brisk Fay- etteville air. e holidays are an excellent time to contribute time and money and area non-profits are utilizing generous contributions to change lives, year round. Operation Blessing In January of 2014, Frank Pargo ended a seven-year term of service in the Army. Proudly, he served in Iraq and Af- ghanistan. He endured trauma and watched helplessly as friends died in battle. Now suffering from PTSD and severe depression, he lost his job. "With my conditions, I can't really be around a lot of people" he said quietly. By August of 2014, Frank and his wife of seven years were facing late fees on utility bills and eviction from their home. "I didn't know what to do," said the husband and father of three young children. "I told my coun- selor at the VA that I didn't have enough money to buy food for my family. She sent me down the road to Operation Blessing." Peggy Middleton, who has served as executive director of Operation Blessing since 2008, confirms that Frank's story isn't uncommon. Operation Blessing is in their 32nd year of serving the Fayette- ville community. Founded in 1982 by Sonny Floyd, it is a place for Fay- etteville residents to seek help when suffering from a lack of basic hu- man needs. To families like Frank's, they of- fer a safety net of services from lim- ited financial assistance to clothing. O P e R A T I O n help Fayetteville let your light shine on local need By coURtney PhilliPS For mothers-to-be, they offer a Crisis Pregnancy Center. "We educate women," said Middleton. "We show them that abortion isn't their only choice." In 2013, they helped more than 11,000 people in Fayetteville area. If an individual or family qualifies, they may receive fi- nancial assistance once per year, clothing once every six months, and unlimited access to educational services and connection with area resources. "We don't enable," said Mid- dleton, "We empower." Hosting two large fundraisers each year – a golf tourna- ment in the spring and an annual banquet in November – Operation Blessing relies solely on community support to offer their services. With more than 3000 volunteer hours last year, Operation Bless- ing saved $30,000 in potential ad- ministrative expenses to, instead, contribute to the community. "We are good stewards of donations and also the people who come to us. We respect them. It is an honor to serve any other human being," said Middleton. Respect is exactly what Frank needed. With help from Operation Blessing, Frank was able to feed his family of five and avoid eviction. "Honestly, we went there just for food. We were experiencing things we've never experienced. Aer we told our story, these angels – I call them our angels – asked, 'what else can we do for y'all?' e gates were open. We are so grateful we met them." With the aid of a different non- profit, Hope for Warriors, Frank's family moved back to their home- town of Chicago to attend school, but he is staying in Fayetteville for giving Peggy Middleton, executive director of operation Blessing

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