Epicenter Panama came about as a result of a Panamanian woman coming to Epicenter Church’s Lead Pastor, Mark Knight and offering him the opportunity to oversee the program in David, Panama. She and her family had received a substantial sum of money through an inheritance and had set up The Scarlet Thread to meet the needs in David, Panama, but it had grown beyond what she could handle on her own. Prior to taking on the mission in Panama with The Scarlet Thread, a group from Epicenter Church, Fayetteville, NC went to Panama to see the facility, meet the people living there and at the school, and learn about what was there, what was needed, and whether Epicenter could take on this mission. While there, they saw the tremendous potential of the facility, the need in the community, and how, through partnerships and cultural understanding, the facility could meet needs in David, but also support the mission of Epicenter Fayetteville as well. The need for the feeding program was clearly evident and aligned with work that Epicenter was doing in Fayetteville as well.
Established in 2017 through the donation of a facility that had been rehabilitated from serving as a human trafficking site under the infamous dictator Manuel Noriega. After a million-dollar renovation, the facility is ready to move forward with the mission and from being a reminder of a very dark and difficult time to be a beacon of hope for the citizens of David. The Scarlet Thread is a beacon of hope in an area of David that is economically stressed. The educational opportunities are usually ended by the time a student reaches 12-13 years old. Our intention is to assist in furthering the opportunities for the children as well as addressing the under-educated adult population. The facility has a large room that could facilitate classroom and study areas. The facility has a fully functional industrial kitchen, 7 bedrooms with two sets
of bunk beds, along with 17 additional bathrooms and two offices, along with the dining area.