Furniture delivery and home accessibility installation nonprofit Christians Concerned for the Community (CCC) is entering its 38th year serving the Gainesville community. 

The organization—run predominantly by volunteers—ministers to neighbors in need through home delivery, accessibility and maintenance programs in the name of Jesus Christ. Some of the services offered through each program include delivery of furniture and appliances donated to CCC, construction of wheelchair ramps and yard care.  

In 2024, CCC built 11 wheelchair ramps, documented over 120 prayers shared with neighbors, and delivered furniture to 80 homes last year—up nearly 30% from 2023. 

“A key part of the ministry is we’re able to go into people’s homes and meet with them there,” CCC’s executive director Michael Lynch said. “We want to encourage them, to pray with and for them, for their needs, and for them to know that the good gifts we’re giving them are an image of God’s love for them.” 

Missionaries Lynn and Suzanne Groce founded CCC in 1987 after serving in Africa and coming to Gainesville where they believed there was a need for physical provision in the community and among the local churches. 

Although their initial focus was geared towards helping churches compile their resources, it grew over time into helping vulnerable, disadvantaged, disabled and impoverished neighbors in the community. On top of provision, the program helps recycle furniture and appliances that would otherwise be thrown away. 

“We run into a lot of people in difficult circumstances,” said Lynch. “We just had an elderly woman who struggled through four months of deep depression and darkness. She had her lights shut off because she couldn’t pay the bill. She needed a new bed, and we were able to bring that to her, and that was a beautiful moment for her to receive God’s blessing and hope in a time of struggle.” 

Lynch said getting to serve others through an organization like CCC has always been God’s plan for his life. The Gainesville native’s parents had been involved with CCC when he started volunteering 12 years ago as a means of staying busy over the summer during high school.  

Lynch came on staff at CCC as a part-time furniture donation and volunteer coordinator while completing his undergraduate and graduate degrees at UF before stepping in full-time as executive director in 2023.  

While the bulk of his role involves recruiting volunteers and organizing the projects, he still gets out of the office to build projects. 

“I love the work,” he said. “You get to see all parts of the community, get to meet people you otherwise wouldn’t because it’s easy to live kind of a siloed life…there’s a lot of people who, especially if you’re in poverty or retired, not making much, your home can easily fall into disrepair and you’re unable to keep it up. So, I’ve really seen God working.” 

In order to get connected with CCC’s resources, Lynch said all people need to do is call or text 352-358-1768 during the office hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Due to logistics that have to be worked out with each need, he said completing one project can take anywhere from two weeks to a month. 

The organization needs time to schedule volunteers and coordinate delivery routes based on the group’s storage inventory, which Lynch said waxes and wanes depending on how many donations have been made. Furniture and appliance donations can be dropped off at the office, located at 1903 NW 35th Ave. in Gainesville, or picked up by volunteers. 

CCC also needs time to collect documentation ensuring the recipient is legitimately in need, and for responding to neighbors facing crisis situations.

“We’re trying to focus on the impoverished but, also if there’s a serious crisis,” he said. “Last year we provided a lot of furniture for someone whose apartment burned down and they didn’t have insurance.” 

Even with last year’s growth, Lynch said CCC still needs help. Along with more Christians praying alongside their work, he said increasing consistent financial donations will help CCC execute better plans for accomplishing their mission. Materials for each wheelchair ramp average around $1,000 and he’d like to build a new storage shed to hold more furniture donations. 

He would also like to increase project efficiency by expanding CCC’s network of groups involved with the program and growing its pool of volunteers.  

Various volunteer opportunities include collecting and delivering furniture with CCC staff, building home accessibility features like ramps and stairs, yard work, and helping with administrative and maintenance tasks at the CCC office.   

Volunteers do not have to be Christian to assist and can also include groups from other community organizations. Lynch said CCC has been an outlet of service for UF’s Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and also offers short-term internships. 

Anyone who is handy with building home projects and able to regularly commit one or two days a month is especially needed right now. 

Lynch said he hopes future growth supported by prayer, volunteers and financial donations will continue to further CCC’s ability to unite people, churches and organizations from different backgrounds in serving the Gainesville community.  

 “We’re developing people to be more caring stewards of their city and of their neighborhood,” Lynch said. “But also, to have the church be united. Many of our projects have people coming together from multiple churches and that’s a great time of community. We have some from Queen of Peace Catholic Church all the way over to Greenhouse, to Creekside [Community Church], St. Andrews. We have the whole gamut of churches because it’s pretty easy to get on board with loving our neighbor as ourselves.”