As men of Faith, we believe we are part of something greater than ourselves, for which we are meant to serve a meaningful Purpose in our lives.
The mission of F3 is “To plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for men, for the invigoration of male community leadership.”
One of the primary ways we demonstrate leadership in the community is through service.
Below are some examples of service projects, fundraising efforts, and non-profit organizations we support in our local community and beyond:
The Carying Place
The Carying Place teaches homeless, working families with children, life skills for attaining independent living while providing short-term housing and support services to address their individual needs.
Any time The Carying Place needs some volunteer manual labor, they know they can call us. In addition to ongoing lawn care services (see below), we also provide assistance with moving furniture, home repairs, and more.
TCP Sawgrass
F3 South Cary, along with F3 Carpex, provides free, ongoing lawn care and maintenance for a number of homes owned and operated by The Carying Place within Cary. We call it “TCP Sawgrass”!
We pull teams together on a weekly or biweekly basis (depending on the season) to mow lawns, edge driveways and walkways, blow leaves, and keep the property grounds looking well-manicured for the residents who live there, so they can feel good about their homes and have one less thing to worry about while they work towards their own independence.
Afterwards, the volunteers gather together for some Fellowship at a local pub.
Healing Transitions
Healing Transitions provides long-term recovery programs, non-medical detox, and emergency shelter for people struggling with addiction—especially the homeless, uninsured, and underserved.
F3 South Cary supports Healing Transitions with clothing and monetary donations, as well as personal support, through ongoing efforts and annual events.
Oakwood 24
Oakwood 24 is an annual event that takes place every December at Historic Oakwood Cemetery to raise money and awareness for Healing Transitions. It is a non-F3 event that was started by an F3 member in 2018. People from all around the Raleigh area are invited to come run, walk, or ruck the cemetery trails for as many laps as they want during a 24-hour period. Each lap is approximately 2.5 miles, and whether you come for 2 laps or 20, it’s a powerful community-building event that supports an important cause.
Haven House
Haven House is committed to empowering youth to thrive and be safe, supported, and successful, even if they are struggling with homelessness or crisis, struggling at home, school, or community, or involved with the juvenile justice system.
F3 South Cary, along with other local F3 regions, support Haven House through a variety of fundraisers and charitable events throughout the year.
Duck Donuts Dash
In February each year, members of the local F3 regions gather together for some fun with a family-friendly F3 run that supports a good cause. The Duck Donuts Dash consists of running 2.5 miles, eating a dozen Duck Donuts minis, and running another 2.5 miles. Prizes are awarded for the fastest adult and youth finishers.
The Duck Donuts Dash raised funds for Haven House the past 2 years, and UNC Children’s Hospital for several years before that. The event typically raises over $2,000 each year.
Western NC Disaster Recovery & Support
When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, F3 members from all around the state mobilized to offer donations of food, clothing, money, and in-person labor to assist with recovery efforts.
Within F3 South Cary, we had several members stepping up to coordinate donations of supplies, pack up their trucks, and drive out to Western NC to facilitate delivery of supplies as well as assist with manual labor wherever needed. One member even coordinated a Toy Drive to provide holiday gifts for children of families affected by the disaster.
Other Fundraising and Donation Efforts
Throughout each year, individual members of our F3 region step up to lead one-off fundraising efforts for any charitable organizations that they feel are important and/or hold a special meaning to them. These fundraisers are often tied to fitness challenges, group runs, or other types of friendly competitions.
Here are the results of some of those one-off fundraising efforts in 2024:
$1,185 raised for the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors
These are all examples of “male community leadership” in action!