A Place to Turn

The Partnership’s Story

La Iglesia Bautista de Oakhill knew food insecurity was affecting Hispanic families throughout Evansville. What the congregation couldn’t fully see yet were the many other challenges those same families were carrying.

At the time, approximately 25 people attended the church’s Spanish-language services. The congregation wanted to reach more families, but its existing budget limited the scale of its outreach. With support from Congregations With Community (CWC), La Iglesia Bautista was able to expand its food and nutrition programming and connect with people throughout the Hispanic community.

Over the course of a year, the program held 12 food distribution events serving more than 300 Hispanic families, while nutrition, health and wellness education sessions brought together approximately 30 to 50 participants at a time.

Some families came for food. Others returned for workshops and community events. As those connections continued, the congregation began hearing about needs involving housing, immigration, healthcare, relationships and other challenges families were navigating.

The work that began with food insecurity was giving La Iglesia Bautista a much closer connection to the community around it.

Expanding the Congregation’s Reach

La Iglesia Bautista pursued the CWC grant alongside Promise Theological Seminary, an organization closely connected to the congregation and established to provide theological education and training for Hispanic church leaders.

Promise supported the community work by supplying volunteers for events and connecting the congregation with additional resources, including Purdue Extension. Students and leaders associated with the seminary have also volunteered through the congregation’s programs, providing opportunities to put their training into practice through service.

Together, the organizations expanded food distribution alongside education focused on nutrition, health and wellness.

The program addressed concerns including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity among low-income Hispanic families. Workshops covered healthy eating and meal preparation, and some cooking education eventually moved directly into participants’ homes. The program also incorporated budgeting and the financial considerations families may face when making healthier food choices.

For La Iglesia Bautista, the additional resources meant reaching well beyond the congregation’s existing membership. Five additional families have since joined the church, while many others continue to participate in its programs and events without becoming members.

Within those growing connections are stories of families whose first interaction with the congregation led somewhere they hadn’t expected.

It Started with a Box of Food

One woman from Venezuela came to La Iglesia Bautista during an especially difficult period in her life. She was experiencing homelessness, had little or no food, lacked family support and needed assistance navigating her immigration status.

Her first interaction with the program was receiving a box of food.

Members of the congregation remained connected with her after that initial encounter. They provided biblical counseling, prayer and ongoing support while also connecting her with a local organization serving immigrants. Through that connection, she was able to enter a women’s shelter and begin addressing her immigration situation.

When she was later hospitalized, the congregation helped her access a financial assistance program to assist with her medical bills.

A box of food had met one immediate need. The relationship that followed connected her with additional resources for housing, immigration and healthcare.

A Family Finds Support

Another relationship began at one of the congregation’s food distributions.

A young Venezuelan couple had recently arrived in Evansville through a refugee resettlement program. After attending the distribution, they returned for La Iglesia Bautista’s first Nutrition Workshop in January 2025.

As the couple became more connected to the congregation, church leaders learned that they were experiencing a serious marital crisis. The wife reached out for biblical counseling, and the congregation began supporting the family through spiritual guidance, prayer and continued connection.

Today, the couple remains together, actively participates in the church community and is expecting another child.

Their story reflects a pattern that has emerged as La Iglesia Bautista has expanded its presence in the community. People may first encounter the congregation through a food distribution or workshop. As they return and relationships develop, some begin seeking support for other areas of their lives.

A Growing Connection to the Community

The increased outreach has changed the congregation’s relationship with Evansville’s Hispanic community.

Five additional families joining the church is one measure of that growth, but participation extends beyond church membership. Families throughout the community continue to attend distributions, nutrition workshops and other events.

Those interactions have also helped La Iglesia Bautista better understand the circumstances families are navigating. Food insecurity may be one challenge, but conversations with participants have surfaced needs involving family relationships, immigration and legal concerns, health, housing and other personal circumstances.

The congregation doesn’t necessarily have the resources or expertise to address each of those challenges on its own. Instead, its growing network of relationships has helped connect people with organizations and services that can provide additional assistance when needed.