Shine Through Faith Brings Helping Hands to Marshfield

Published 6:45 pm Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Sometimes, helping someone doesn’t take much. It might be mowing a yard, picking up groceries, or simply making sure an elderly neighbor has someone to turn to.

That’s the idea behind Shine Through Faith, a Marshfield nonprofit founded by Heather Rodriguez. What started as a way to help older residents remain in their homes has grown into a community resource center helping families, foster children, teachers, and others who need a hand.

For Rodriguez, the organization grew out of some difficult times in her own life.

She has spent much of her life between Missouri and Arizona. Her grandparents lived in Missouri, and she raised her daughters here for much of their childhood. After spending more time in Arizona, she and her family returned to Missouri so their younger boys could grow up here, too.

Rodriguez has always enjoyed volunteering and helping others. But after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and having to medically retire, she found herself wondering what came next.

“I thought everything was over,” she said.

During that time, Rodriguez said she felt God leading her toward something called Shine Through Faith. She just wasn’t sure what it was supposed to become.

About five years later, after meeting several elderly people who had little or no family support, the answer began to take shape.

“I was like, how can I make a difference with them?” she said.

That question became the starting point for Shine Through Faith.

The original mission was simple: help elderly residents stay in their own homes longer by connecting them with volunteers who could handle everyday tasks.

That might mean helping with yard work, cleaning around the house, shopping for groceries or making small improvements to a home.

Volunteers have even helped build ramps for residents who needed better access to their homes.

But as Rodriguez began helping people, she discovered there were plenty of other needs throughout the community.

So the mission grew.

Today, Shine Through Faith operates much like a community resource center. Rodriguez works to help people directly when she can and connects them with other organizations or individuals when she can’t.

“If I can’t personally help somebody’s need, I try to point them in the direction and network with somebody who can,” she said.

The organization provides clothing, baby supplies, and other needed items free to foster families. Teachers can also pick up items for students who need them.

There are free Halloween costumes, back-to-school assistance, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and holiday gifts for children.

Last Christmas, Rodriguez said the organization provided gifts for more than 30 foster children.

Another important part of Shine Through Faith is its Blessing Pantry.

The pantry offers free food and personal care items to people in need, including refrigerated and frozen foods, pantry staples, and hygiene products.

To help support those efforts, Rodriguez opened a thrift store in Marshfield. Proceeds help cover expenses such as fuel, equipment, and other costs associated with helping residents.

Shine Through Faith marked its first anniversary in April, while the thrift store celebrated one year in August.

And with the growing number of people needing assistance, Rodriguez says volunteers are especially important.

She’s hoping to build a network of individuals and businesses willing to help elderly residents with projects around their homes.

Some volunteer opportunities, particularly those involving elderly residents or children, may require a background check. Others, such as sorting donations or helping inside the thrift store, do not.

Those interested in volunteering can visit ShineThroughFaith.com and complete a volunteer interest form.

The thrift store and resource center are located at 900 West Washington Street, Suite 220, in the Young Shopping Center in Marshfield, tucked behind O’Reilly Auto Parts.

For Rodriguez, Shine Through Faith has become much more than the idea she first had years ago.

What began with a desire to help a few elderly neighbors has turned into an effort to make sure people throughout the community know they aren’t alone.

And whether it’s a bag of groceries, a warm meal, clothing for a foster child, or a volunteer willing to mow a yard, sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference.