Starting ACTS...
ACTS started in 2004. David Canther, a Christian Pastor in Florida had a vision on how to empower youth to become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on this earth, in this day and age.
Already involved in mass distribution of donated goods during times of disasters, Pastor Canther put into motion the plan that God brought to him.
Establishing a 501 (c) 3 Non-profit Charity called "Fountain of Hope," he and his wife Sherri networked countless hours to find others interested in working with a Christian charity in developing this team concept of utilizing youth power to accomplish great things in "being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ" on this earth.
Building The Vision
Considering this organization started in 2004, it was on the road to Katrina in 2005!
Using 300 Christian youth volunteers per week, they made a difference in the lives of the people they helped!
These were youth working in communities that had lost everything. ACTS = Active Community Team Services was put into motion in a big way. Close to 11,000 ACTS Volunteers descended upon the Southern United States to help in people recover from this catastrophic disaster.
This organization started with one division with the name ACTS Disaster Response. It was originally designed to help in the natural or man-made disasters in the Southern United States. By the fall of 2007, it had grown to 5 divsions reaching across the United States and overflowing out of its borders into Inter-American Countries and has grown to 17,000 volunteers!
Nicaraugua was hit hard in 2007 by Hurricane Felix and ACTS was on the ground helping to bring in well-drilling equipment and portable saw mills to build homes. ACTS WAS THERE again in 2008.
With an organized team of a close to 100 active administrative personnel, ACTS was responding to Tornados like LAKE WORTH Florida and ENTERPRISE Louisiana.
When they entered Enterprise AL, they to cut their way in as it took them 5 hours to go 5 miles, yet they were the first "GO TEAM" on the scene.
On August 2, 2007, Pastor Canther received a phone call from a couple in SW Idaho. This couple had years of emergency experience between them. Wanting to do something in the "faith-based arena" where they could use their emergency services experience, they asked Pastor Canther what could they do?
The answer was, "What do you want to do?" After a brief description about ACTS, the couple said that maybe they could help establish the program in Idaho, Utah & Nevada.
Expanding The Vision
The couple asked Pastor Canther as to what the goals of ACTS Disaster Response were and this couple ws told that ACTS DR wanted to go to the west coast! The couple said that they'd have to pray about it. And pray they did.
The next time they contacted Pastor Canther, the couple said they accepted the challange. What was to be a goal of establishing this ACTS program in the Western States has grown to doing just that and in addition, starting a new division that is available in all 50 states! This is when ACTS Emergency Support was born.
The first county team for ACTS ES was started in Canyon County Idaho in September 2007. By November 2007, a former career firefighter living in Santa Cruz County was the next person to get committed in helping to expand the vision of the ACTS ES organization in Central California.
Early in 2008, people in three more states are being communicated with. God's Army of EVERY One is moving forward. God Bless America
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