COLORADO SPRINGS — A Colorado Springs couple has formed quite the following, creating a non profit that goes into struggling communities to bring hope and fill basic needs. Zach and Melissa Sheehan have a remarkable back story that sparked them to create Redemption Squad, transforming the lives of those that are often overlooked in society. Zach explains, “We go after our neighbors, those that are broken, cast aside and forgotten and our goal is to break poverty and stigma.”
The Redemption Squad goes out into lower income neighborhoods to bring hope, helping with resources like jobs, housing, recovery and food. The team of people sing through the streets and give families provision boxes. These boxes are filled with enough food, and hygiene products to last a family of four a week.
Zach knows the difficulty of overcoming a dark past himself. It started with abuse at a young age and soon Zach found himself involved in gangs, selling drugs and at one point was threatened with a 20 year prison sentence. God is what Zach credits to saving his life and what he says drove him to start Redemption Squad, “It always pulls in my heart to give people the opportunity that if somebody didn’t step out I would have never gotten. So we go out and pray for people and bless them with food and things. It builds relationships.”
Melissa tells me that the most of those they help are hard working people that are trying to make ends meet. Whitney Turner is one of those people. Whitney says that when her family was struggling, Zach and Melissa stepped in, “ Here are some people who have hearts for the lord and want to help out. They prayed over us. They gave us food. They gave us support.”
Zach explains that most of the neighborhoods they visited haven’t seen ministries come through in decades and says he does it because, “ I know what it's like to be stuck and not have hope. Just being able and going out to bless people and show that you love them, it’s stuff you don’t see in the world today.”
Redemption Squad also partners with local food banks and food distributors to make sure food gets into the hands of those that need it most. Food such as meat, dairy products, bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, canned goods, and other non-perishable food.
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