Ohio Woman Proves One Person Can Make a Difference

Connie Nafziger wanted to help meet the needs of children and families in her area and decided to start a non-profit community health and life skills development organization. Her dream is now reality with the creation of CHLOE (Community Health and Life Skills Opportunities and Education).

CHLOE works in cooperation with Faith Covenant Church in Westerville and is currently seeking funding from various sources to purchase teaching materials for the work being done with the Somali community in and around Columbus, Ohio. CHLOE is pursuing 501c3 charitable tax status. It has received more than $2,200 from various individuals and several free services have been provided, including legal, retreat leadership and accounting.

"I have no question in my mind that it is the right decision," said Nafziger about starting CHLOE. "I believe it is a calling from God," she added, noting that the decision appears to have been affirmed by others in the support they have provided, both financial and personal.

CHLOE, currently located at the Somali Women's Association Center in Columbus, is interested in establishing branches to serve other population groups. Outreach to what Nafziger calls "vulnerable communities" will comprise about 50 percent of CHLOE's mission. The remainder of the mission is devoted to partnerships with other churches and education in general.

Faith Covenant pastor Tim Heintzelman views Nafziger's work with CHLOE as an extension of ministry Nafziger already provides fellow parishioners. "She is one of those unique individuals who has the wherewithal to think of loving and helpful responses in advance of (people) needing them," said Heintzelman. "She has the gift of administration and uses it wisely. What impresses me about working with Connie is not just that she can organize those myriad details, but that she does so in such a helpful, diligent and caring manner."

Nafziger worked as a public health nurse with the City of Columbus, serving pregnant women and newborns who were considered at-risk for abuse or neglect in one of the area's poorer neighborhoods. She believes she can provide more care and share the gospel message more clearly by operating her own non-profit agency with help from Faith Covenant. She quit her nursing job last fall and has been working exclusively as CHLOE's director since January.

CHLOE will host a community health fair and plans to offer CPR and baby-sitting training, childbirth education and sewing and exercise classes, hopefully as early as this fall. A CPR instructor has been enlisted and certified instructors in aerobic exercise and childbirth education are being sought.

For more information about CHLOE and its programs, or to receive a quarterly newsletter, contact Nafziger by telephone at 614-890-7235 or by email at chloeinc@juno.com.

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