Michael Firmin's lifelong mission has been to work with the poor. As Executive Director of Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta, Georgia (USA), he has led efforts to end hunger domestically in 30 counties since 1982. Mike became part of the CTF's mission to serve the poor and the sick as an advisor to Fr. Scott in 2005. He is now both a board member and the vice-president of SOS DRS.

Mike Firmin has been to the Republic of Georgia before. So following the Russian invasion of that country, which is located between the and Caspian Seas and south of the Caucasus Mountains), Mike received reports from his friends in the Church concerning the plight of thousands of refugees. Here is one email received by Mike from the pastor of Gori, one of the Georgian cities bombarded by the Russians: "Dear Mike. How are you? How is your family? We are so so under the bombs. So all of our parish are outside of the Gori now. All this time we are under shock. Some from our parishioners family some people died. The parish house and chapel must to will be repaired. So we NEED your strong prayer and if any one will want to help for us…We ask so strong strong prayer!"

Mike told Fr. Scott about the news from Georgia. As the President of SOS DRS and the CTF International Coordinator, Fr. Scott asked Mike to go there in December 2008 to assess the refugees' current situation and to report to the Board about what needs might be met by SOS DRS. Mike agreed to write an article for the Board prior to his departure:

My first humanitarian mission to Georgia began as part of two Baptist Associations' efforts to send food and medicine to the people in terrible need after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. I was one of twelve persons to make the long trip to the barely-heard-of new Republic of Georgia. I have continued to bring aid to the Georgians since that first trip, going back at two-year intervals and have been active in establishing a "sister church" relationship between my church in Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul in Tbilisi.

The Georgians possessed a flourishing state and produced epic poetry and advanced architecture while the Russians were still nomads on the steppes of Asia. They were the second nation to officially embrace Christianity, after Armenia. I have developed deep friendships with many Georgians and experienced this remarkable country from the inside, never once having to stay in a hotel during my journeys there.

For fifteen years I have personally witnessed the long, hard road traveled by the Georgian people to rebuild not only the destroyed infrastructure of their country, but even more their moral backbone and their culture, which was very nearly corrupted by seventy years of Communist central control and the tyranny of the secret police. New churches have been built by the Baptists, Catholics and Orthodox in every major city. Needless to say, the recent Russian invasion of Georgia has pained me greatly. Thanks be to God, I will have another opportunity to bring encouragement and hope. Now I am about to return to my friends in the Republic of Georgia to make a personal assessment of the situation of the refugees. I will soon be able to give a first-hand report on the refugees from the war who are permanently displaced, unable to return to their villages and homes. My prayer is that SOS DRS, with the generous support of our donors, will help the Church bring help and hope!

Michael J. Firmin
Vice President - SOS DRS