The Birth Story Of Holcomb Ministries
In 2020, the first Christmas our daughter was home, we asked our friends and family to donate towards gift bags for families. We didn’t have a financial goal or an organized plan - but God did. We let the Lord lead & He raised up $5,568. Through that, we were able to donate 150 gift bags that holiday season & also bless hundreds of staff members with treats. It was so organic and pure. We were in strict quarantine with our daughter being immunocompromised, and it ended up being one of the sweetest Christmas Days ever as we delivered treats to the unit with her in the car.
The next year, we knew we wanted to do it again. We had more of a plan and set a financial goal, and the Lord exceeded our dreams by raising $12,947. That year included more gift bags & treats, more hospitals & families, donated therapy equipment for babies and more.
The third year, God surpassed our goal again with even more than we imagined - $22,819.71.
Six hundred families served with gift bags, gas cards and more that year. This was when we began to understand the growth was not stopping - it was only getting started. Churches and businesses began asking if we were a nonprofit & wanted to be a part. Moms & nurses around the country were asking if we could do our service project in their city.
The Lord clearly paved the way for this ministry for three years before we even became a nonprofit. Now, as a 501(c)(3), we are so thankful and excited to continue to spread our heart's vision to “love your neighbor in the NICU.” It’s not about the money raised - it’s about God’s mission to love hurting people.
So what is our mission?
We serve families nationally in a variety of intentional and practical ways as our way of “sitting with them” right at their baby’s bedside.
We donate “blessing bags” to families with thoughtfully organized items to care for the parents. Though the parents aren’t the patient, they are the ones who will remember this and carry the challenging memories forever. The bags include toiletries for the unexpected hospital stay, snacks, electrolyte drinks for the nursing/pumping mama, a cute swaddle to use instead of a hospital blanket, prayer prints, a parent devotional, a book to read over their babe, and more. Most importantly, the bag includes a letter that shares the gospel - our hope in Christ in the midst of this broken world.
We provide gas gift cards, parking stipends, financial assistance for housing near the unit, therapy equipment for babies, hot dinner meals for families, treats for the Unit staff members and more.
We connect with local Christian counselors who specialize in birth trauma and EMDR, and provide financial stipends for portions of sessions.
On this blog, The Holcomb Journal, we encourage families with truth that encouraged us during our personal deep valley. We hope to build a bridge for all readers to catch a glimpse of the NICU world and deepen their compassion towards these families’ journeys.
We hope that with everything you see through our ministry, you leave feeling encouraged by our empathy. We hope you see that every gift is intentional, practical and personal.
When you are in a hospital, you are rarely outside. You miss the blue skies and green grass. The whole vision behind our green, blue and gold/brown earth tones of our branding is to point to peace in God’s creation. Once, after several days of not leaving the building, I distinctly remember enjoying the smell of dirt when stepping outside. Fresh air is a gift no one takes for granted after a chronic, sterile hospital journey.
Our goal here is for you to see our threads pointing to our shepherd in the midst of whatever season you are walking. Read Psalm 23 when you get a chance to see what the words speak to your heart. I don’t know where this blog finds you today, but I do know that our God meets us both in the high and low places. You can find rest in him.
We are a real family with hearts who deeply desire to connect with each of you.
We are so thankful you’re here!
NICU families, we hope you find encouragement here, and please reach out to us through our Family form on our Connect page. We’d love to hear more of your story and mail you a gift.
Volunteers, we look forward to serving with you after we gather your contact information on our Volunteer form.
If you’re here looking to give, thank you for saying “yes” to coming alongside us as we seek the Lord and make a tangible difference in families’ lives.
In the ESV study bible notes about the love verses in 1 Corinthians 13, I read this quote, “The total lack of self-concern for Christian love is breathtaking. It seeks the neighbor’s good, and its true measure is how much it gives to that end. Love is a principle of action rather than of emotion. It is a matter of doing things for people out of compassion for them, whether or not we feel personal affection for them. It is by their active love to one another that Jesus’ disciples can be recognized.”
Holcomb Ministries vision is to exemplify that kind of love.
