Wildfire Network

By volume of goods received and distributed, the Immaculate Hearts Food pantry is the largest program operated in 2023. The unique approach of the Wildfire food pantry allowed clients to have individual attention and appointments for receiving food assistance, rather than waiting in long lines and just feeling like another number or statistic. The pantry also weekly supplied 2 different ministries that directly distribute meals and supply bags to people in the greater San Antonio community currently experiencing homelessness. Because of some health crises for the mission leader, receipts and distributions were down from the previous year. All food was received from the general public, local grocery and food manufacturers, and as in-kind donations and then distributed directly to people in the community.

Wildfire provided a variety of Network Services to support the ministries that are formally connected to the network. This is our term for the amalgamation of central leadership services that our core team provides: including but not limited to - strategy consulting, life coaching, pastoral counseling, mediation, spiritual leadership and development, financial management, and access to coworking facilities. At the end of 2023 the network was comprised of 23 official missions. We provided these missions with free access to financial and administrative services, coaching, training, and media consulting. For example, one of the missions that incubated within the network, T.H.U.G.G.I.N. For Christ, was able to form its own board, establish its own non-profit org, and raise funding to open a residential recovery/transition home for young men ages 18-24 as a direct result of coaching services and network access facilitated through Wildfire Network Services, including services provided by the financial services team for donor processing, documentation training, and budgeting consulting.

At the end of 2023, 23 missions comprised the Wildfire Network. They raised a total of $190,959 in 2023 and spent $87,874 throughout the year. Each mission does meaningful work in their area of focus, here we will highlight one new program that was implemented in 2023: The Wildfire Cohort. The Wildfire Cohort was developed and deployed by the central leadership team to scale the capacity of our relational impact network to incorporate and incubate new missions. In 2023, it was rolled out as a 12 week course, with required attendance for 3 hours per week and additional homework assignments for participants. Through the Wildfire Cohort - Participating individuals were provided foundational ministry start up training and 12 new missions joined the Wildfire Network this year as a result, including Christ Coalition, Along the Way, Ruth's Home for Children, the Kingdom Healthcare System, and others.