How does Face The Fire raise funds to provide financial gifts as part of its program services?
We raise funds for the ministry in three ways. First, through private donations received by mail or PayPal. Second, through book sales of Refined By Fire, and third, by speaking fees associated with events for which we receive invitations through our 'request a speaker' link on the home page.
Does Face The Fire receive any government support or grants?
Face The Fire does not receive, nor do we request any government support, be it federal, state or local governmental entities.
What are Face The Fire's employment costs?
Face The Fire has no salaried or hourly employees. All donations and funds raised, go back into theministry. Mel and I take no salary from the ministry. Our ministry 990 (the IRS tax return form for 501C3 organizations) reflects no employment expenses. (Source: Guidestar.org)
How did you determine the name Face The Fire for your ministry?
In 2003 Mel and I attended a concert in Oklahoma City given by Dennis Jernigan. We had been considering what to name our new vision for ministry. Dennis performed a song called You are my hero describing Christ as the hero who takes on the risks (like soldiers) that most never undertake. In the lyrics of the song, Dennis says "I've seen you face the fire." This was the perfect double meaning since our ministry is geared to both the critical burn survivor as well as the implication of the mission of the soldiers we serve. As Dennis sang the song, the light went off for us and it took no more consideration, it was just perfect.
How does Face The Fire determine which Burn Centers to provide gifts for the year?
It really is pretty random. Sometimes it is tethered to travel to a city with a Burn Center, and sometimes it is geared to meeting someone in the Burn Center Arena in our travels. Our ministry generally plans on one or two larger donations to a Burn Center a year. For our ministry, a larger donation is $5,000.
What Burn Centers have you given gifts?
We have made gift presentations to: the Lions in Las Vegas, Harner in Lubbock; Parkland in Dallas, Grossman in Santa Ana California, Regions in St Paul, Jaycee in Chapel Hill NC; Univ of Alabama Birmingham; and Strong in Rochester NY; and Washington Hospital Center in DC. Our latest donation was in July of 2009 to the Shriner Burn Centers. The Shriners operate three burn centers; one in Cincinnati, Boston and Sacremento.
How does the ministry support soldiers?
Our primary support to soldiers and all service members is by our support of those hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. BAMC is located on Fort Sam Houston and is the Regional Medical Center for the Southwestern Region. Most of all it is the only Dept of Defense (DOD) hospital that has a Burn Center. The ministry has assisted families in a number of ways that are hospitalized at BAMC. First, with direct financial gifts to our wounded men and women. Second, our ministry provided a large gift of $5,000 to the All About Heroes Fund. The social services staff at BAMC uses this fund to immediately assist families as they arrive to be with their wounded loved one. Third, in 2005 the ministry made a donation of $5,000 to the Child Development Center (CDC) on Fort Sam Houston. The CDC provides childcare to the population of Fort Sam Houston, both for assigned, tenant and transient members. When families arrive at BAMC some come with small children. Our gift to CDC was provided so that the young children of wounded who have joined them at BAMC can receive hourly care free of charge by competent and trained childcare personnel. In 2007 we gave another gift of $2,500 to the CDC to replenish our original funds. This gift to CDC allows the attending spouse to care for the wounded spouse without also having to always be the parent. Small children in a Burn Center are very difficult to manage as you can imagine.
