Felicia Jones Executive Director and Co-founder

Born and raised in a tiny community in Florida no one has ever heard of. So, we always just say we are from about 40 miles North of Pensacola Beach. Everyone knows where that is! My graduating class had 32, only 28 showed up for the ceremony. Very small town and everyone was struggling. We never knew we were though... until other kids told us we were poor. A lot of what my husband and I both experienced as kids is typically taken into account for a lot of the decisions we make here with our teens with the Teen Pantry. Things we wished we had, we try to incorporate here with these teens.

I started dating my husband, David, when I was about 15 or 16. We will celebrate 25 years of marriage in 2023. We moved from Albertville to Arab when my husband was asked to start up the Brindlee Mountain band program, as it was a new school. We loved it so much, we never left. We have 3 children. Joshua is about to be 22 and is in his 3rd year at UAH majoring in Mechanical Engineering (he is single). Jordan is 19 and is in his second year in college and majoring in Business (also single). He wants to do a lot of traveling for whatever career he chooses. Both of my boys graduated from Arab. Our youngest is Rebecca. She is in 11th grade at Arab. She is a member of FCCLA and was recently hired on as the Off Season Coordinator for the Lamplight Summer Camp. She coordinates most of the activities, field trips, and other events for them. Very proud momma to 3 kids! We have 3 cats inside and one outside kitty that was feral for the longest and now another kitty that we are unsure if it is boy or girl and it won't let us get close..

In 2019, God kept telling me I needed to do more. Me, hating change, just kept ignoring it because I love comfort zones! I wrote a resignation letter 3 times in 2019 but never turned it in. 2020 hit.... and it hit us ALL HARD. The calling became a lot stronger. I talked with my pastor a few times because it made absolutely no sense. You have to do more... but you have to quit your job. So, here I was being told to quit my job to help people more. I wasn't sure God was really seeing that we were smack dab in the middle of a pandemic AND, if I quit-- I would have no income to help others with nor a platform or "backing" to help others. It would just be an unemployed lady. Brother Scott said, "You do know you can help others without working for someone, if God is calling you to it, He will make a way".

David Jones Co-Founder, Director, CFO
David W. Jones is a Co-Founder and CFO of Caring Heart Thrift Store/Caring Heart Outreach in Arab, Alabama. While still teaching full time until his retirement in Summer 2023, Mr. Jones works part time at the store in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer for the entire outreach. He is responsible for budgeting, financial accounting, and helps develop fundraising events, as well as handles all of the general capital outlays of the outreach. 

Mr. Jones graduated from Troy State University, where he received his Bachelor of Music Education. From there Mr. Jones furthered his education by obtaining a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and an Educational Specialist Degree in Instructional Leadership through the University of Alabama. This past December, Mr. Jones added to his Curriculum Vitae by completing an Associate of Science in Business to gear up for his second career after retiring from education. 

Mr. Jones spent the first 19 years of his teaching career as a Band Director in the Marshall County School System. After 3 years as the band director for the Claysville and Asbury Jr. High School Bands, Mr. Jones accepted the Band Director’s position at the newly constructed Brindlee Mountain School. Mr. Jones was tasked with forming the BMHS Marching Band from the ground up, and during its first year of existence, competed in both marching and concert festivals, earning superior ratings. During his time as director of the Brindlee Mountain Band programs, his band’s consistently earned superior ratings, numerous best in class awards, as well as several most entertaining band awards. Mr. Jones was tasked with operating a budget to accomplish all travel and events, including fundraising.

In the summer of 2018, Mr. Jones decided to step down from the podium, and pursue a new challenge in his career teaching one of his other passions, History. His journey to do so led him to Buckhorn High School, where Mr. Jones says he has been blessed in his career to teach for the past 6 years. 

Mr. Jones holds past and current memberships in numerous professional and fraternal organizations in Alabama and our immediate area. He is a past member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Fraternity for College Bandsmen, and The Alabama Bandmasters Association. He is a current member of The Alabama Education Association as well as a member and contributing author to the High School Band Directors National Association. In business, he is a member of the Arab Alabama Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce, and The Arab Alabama Downtown Merchants Association. Mr. Jones is also an active member of charitable organizations such as The Arab Civitan’s International Club, and an active member of the Arab Masonic Lodge #663. 

Mr. Jones lives in Arab, Alabama with his wife of 25 years Felicia, and their three children Joshua (22) who is studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama Huntsville, Jordan (20) who is studying Business at Alabama A&M, and Rebecca (17) who is in most all honors classes and a Junior at Arab High School and wants to pursue a career in Chemical Engineering.