Who is Festa?
Festa is serving our neighbors, ending poverty through life-changing relationships. We are a Christian non-profit called by God to serve individuals in suburban poverty through two flagship programs: 3-Generation English as a Second Language classes and free Summer Lunch Camps to feed and care for the children of these families. We chose a name that sounds like how our programs feel: like a party, with friendly faces and warm hospitality. This change helps us grow from a one-city ministry to a regional and national ministry, serving more children, families, and communities, building more relationships that end poverty in this generation.
More people are living in poverty in suburbs than urban cities for the first time in American history.
There are 6.3 million immigrants with income levels below the poverty threshold living in the US. As of 2021, the poverty rate in Columbus, Ohio is 18% (37% higher than the Ohio average). Only 4% of people in Central Ohio who need ESL education can find a program, and the children go to bed with empty stomachs and fall behind in school.
OUR FIVE PILLARS
While Festa isn’t an acronym, it helps us tell our story. We Feed, Educate, Serve, Train and Advocate through multi-generational English education.
S
Serve
Serve
We rally over 1,000 community members every year and equip them to serve our neighbors.
E
Educate
Educate
We provide multi-generational educational support to help entire families escape the poverty cycle.
F
Feed
Feed
We strive to serve healthy meals to children all year round.
T
Train
Train
We document and teach other communities what we do and how we do it to expand and serve more people.
A
Advocate
Advocate
We help those in our community by giving them a hand up and not a hand out.
1,216
people
currently served at ESL
