June 2019 34 For 23 years, Mitch Swaback etched memories into the hearts of everyone he met. He was as real as they come. Mitch lived life to the max, regardless of the activity. Mitch was a born leader, never afraid of a challenge, and always ready to go first. There was no in-between with Mitch. As hard as you played, he would play harder. His passion and will to win always pushed him to finish first. Mitch was never short of enthusiasm, energy, and strength. Mitch could make an entrance. When he walked into the room his presence took over. Underneath the rough and tough exterior beat the heart of compassion and love for others no one will ever forget. Mitch was a true encourager. He brought a smile to your face and was the first to shed a tear for a hurting friend. Mitch knew the definition of serving. He built cabins for his church camp and was never too busy to spend a weekend helping friends with home projects. He traveled with mission teams to South America. On a trip to Lima, Peru, Mitch served at an orphanage. On August 14, 2004, Mitch went home to be with his Lord. At Mitch’s wake, his family had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people who experienced his energy and excitement. We heard countless stories and testimonies of the lives he touched. After hearing from the hundreds who Mitch has touched so deeply while on earth, his family knew they must carry on his legacy of serving others, and immediately Mitchell Swaback Charities, Inc. was born. MSC, Inc. launched Harvest Compassion Centers 8 years ago as a direct response of the recession. MSC, Inc. wanted to make impact daily, serve locally and truly love others as Mitch had once done. Their mission is to provide food and clothing in a hope-filled environment to the underserved in the greater Phoenix area. HCC's around the Valley are one-stop shopping experience for families/ individuals in need. HCC welcomes all to shop for free food, hygiene, baby and clothing items once every 30 days. Over 1,300 volunteers run each HCC location annually. Harvest Compassion Centers have fed, clothed and served over 100,000 individuals since opening, and now have three Valley locations (North Phoenix, Maryvale, and Chandler). There are no restrictions to be an HCC client and no appointment necessary. Everyone is welcome for a monthly shopping trip, where he/she will choose their desired grocery, home and clothing items. No items are ever pre-boxed or bagged for HCC clients, it feels like a normal shopping mini-mart and clothing boutique. Every piece of clothing donated to the HCC is sorted, laundered and ironed ensuring that quality pieces are being presented to the public. "We want each person who visits us to feel completely dignified when they shop from us, so it is so important to have quality items and offer a normal shopping experience!" There is also a kid play corner for kids to play and read while mom and dad shop! VOLUNTEER: The HCC is a donation based and volunteer-run center, making it impossible to run without their faithful volunteers. As a volunteer, you’ll be sorting donations, stocking shelves and shopping with their guests. They do ask that all volunteers be 13 years of age or older to volunteer without a parent and/ or guardian present. They invite families in with younger children if they are supervised by a parent. HOST A FOOD DRIVE: The Harvest Compassion Center depends on local schools, churches, businesses, and community groups to host individual food and hygiene drives to keep their shelves well stocked! Whether you’re a boy scout, branch manager, or head pastor they encourage everyone to be creative and host your own food drive benefiting the HCC. JOIN HCC'S KIDS PROGRAM: Serving SPROUTS is a fun, community-service program aimed at kids! Whether your child is 2 years old or 18, HCC wants them to become a Serving SPROUT! Each SPROUT will dream up little and big ways of earning $28.00 dollars a month to feed families in the community! Yes, it ONLY costs HCC $28.00 a month to feed a family! This program is designed to walk alongside moms and dads teaching our younger generation the importance of serving the community and giving back.   DONATE: Harvest Compassion Centers are funded 100% by the generosity of others, HCC's accept no government funding. Please consider donating today and help HCC feed a family! For all information on volunteering, hosting a food drive and/or donating please visit: harvestcompassioncenter.org, facebook.com/MitchellSwabackCharities twitter.com/HCCFeed1 instagram.com/harvestcompassion CHARITY OF THE MONTH Harvest Compassion Centers