Ministry gives back to community

Hill outside the Madison Public Library with her two daughters (Left) Madison and Trinity.

When April Hill came to the end of her road, she turned to Inside-Out Ministries and they provided were the bridge that helped her over her problems.

The Madison resident’s husband, Michael, was paralyzed in a car crash and she simply could not keep up with bills.

“It had gotten to the point where we were two months behind on our mortgage and we were worrying about foreclosure,” said the mother of two.

With only one form of income and nowhere else to turn, a family friend referred Hill to Inside-Out Ministries.

The non-profit organization paid Hill’s utility bill and made sure they had food for the family. Hill said they constantly checked up on her and even provided Christmas gifts for the family. She said they also built a wheelchair ramp for her husband to use and widened the bathroom door to make room for his wheelchair.

“They showered us after that one time,” Hill said. “I didn’t really expect how personable and caring they were and how they were just there for you. I expected them to be more business-like. It was really a down point for our family and they really uplifted us all.”

Hill’s husband suffered a heart attack and passed away in March 2009. She said Inside-Out offered to help with funeral arrangements and made sure the family was taken care of in their time of grief.

Deborah and her husband, Larry Ward, started the organization in 2008. The two were working at the Brook church in an outreach ministry and were inspired by the church’s Angel Food Ministry, which gave free food to the needy.

“It’s easy to be fooled by the affluence in Madison,” said Deborah Ward, “but there is a real need here.”

She said despite one out of 13 people in the area being engineers, a lot of single parents and senior citizens in the area need help.

Inside-Out is a non-profit 501c3. The ministry is comprised of  “Christian community-minded people with a heart to minister to all parts” of the community. The ministry helps families within the Madison city limits. They are fully staffed fully by volunteers, who need help with utilities, food, clothing and shelter assistance.

Ward say the do not ask anything in return or require money for their services. She said they are only trying to “minister care for all people as God would have it, both physically and spiritually.

“It’s extremely important to have an organization like this within a community,” Hill said.  “Because sometimes you don’t have family around or anyone else to help when you’re struggling, and Inside-Out was a second family to me. They gave me courage and kept up my morale about life so I would not give up.”