Gary had been associated with Mariners Church in Newport Beach for more than a decade as one of the most trusted individuals who was always available and willing to utilize the large box truck from Mariners to pick up second hand goods and donations from it’s congregants and then ensured where these items got to where they were needed most. Knowing that Gary was responsible and trustworthy, Gary began the journey of refurbishing and growing Hands of Mercy OC into what it is today.

In just over 2 years, Gary brought on new board members, advisors, and a team of volunteers that were able transform the Santa Ana location into a place of love and care. Nearly everything in the building from fridges, vehicles, desks, furniture, computers, security system, etc., was donated.

With the help of Michael Murphy, Grant McGuire, and many others, Hands of Mercy OC had maxed out it’s capacity at it’s current location in that 2.5 year span:

• The amount of grocery stores partner increased by 30.

• The amount of organizational partner who receive meals topped 75.

• The amount of meals received on a monthly basis quintupled.

• The amount of freezers and fridges filled the entire warehouse which has resulted in the inability to plug in one more appliance - as the electrical system is not built for it.

• And the final limitation was that, due to Hands of Mercy OC being registered as a 501(c)(3) Religious Organization (City Gate Christian Centre), there were limitations on which food suppliers that would partner with a church in addition to limiting the types of State and local partnerships that could be obtained.

Yet, there were other opportunities that presented themselves during this process. The Hands of Mercy OC Team had partnered with a local farmer who picks unclaimed food, which accounts for 20% of all food that arrives at the distribution center, and created a low to zero waste operation.

Seeing the opportunity to capitalize off of the lost food, Director Michael Murphy invested in both a freeze dryer and dehydration machine that could not only preserve food but create long lasting, healthy meals that could be sold to the public to support the organization.

In addition, through the partnership with Mariners Church, Michael Murphy and Gary Martin were asked to relieve Mariners from the overwhelming amount of donations that received on a weekly basis and to ensure that these goods got to where they were needed most. At the time, Hands of Mercy OC was not prepared for the weekly truckloads of materials. So, the decision was made to pass along the donations to other organizations until a future solution could be arranged.

Given the complex situation, this is where Heartfelt Harvest was born! By forming a new Foundation, we can successfully receive more goods and ascertain more partnerships on behalf of Hands of Mercy.

Then, through careful testing and preparation of meals that last 25+ years through the freeze drying method along with creating healthy snacks using dehydration, the plan was created to form a new entity that could strategically partner with Hands of Mercy OC to allow Heartfelt Harvest to create a retail space and online sales platform that could support the incredible growth of Hands of Mercy OC.

By moving forward with this new venture, Heartfelt Harvest aims to directly support Hands of Mercy and it’s partners by helping to secure more grocery store partners, to efficiently repurpose food that would have gone to waste, and to create a retails space to offer donated items to the local community.

This involves ascertaining a new larger facility that can house both organizations with the aim of making an even greater impact on our Orange County communities while also creating a more sustainable operation that can continue growing for years to come.