Mission

The Help Agency is a 501(c)3, non profit organization that has been serving those in rural poverty since 1993. There are approximately 45,000 people live within the borders of the Ocala National Forest, the second oldest and second largest forest in the United States, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. Within these 430,000 acres of residential land are living families and children in abject rural poverty. Recognizing this need, the Help Agency developed SoZo Kids in attempt to rescue as many families and children as possible. Between handing out groceries through our food banks and serving meals at feeding sites, we are now currently reaching more than 7,500 people every month. More than twenty years ago the Help Agency received their first donation from the local Winn-Dixie in the Ocala National Forest in the form of a $25 gift-certificate to help fill the empty shelves. Many of our clients live without electricity and running water, which made it evident that the need goes beyond the everyday food handout with compassion and love. The Help Agency also helps break with cycle of poverty through education, mentoring, teen pregnancy prevention and opportunities to a better future. Since that first day of giving back to the community, the Help Agency has developed different programs and avenues to help those in need.