Just back from vacation, I returned to Hope Alive on Tuesday refreshed, rested and ready to serve. I thought I'd get a week to ease back into the work of the ministry, but the needs of homeless families in our community abruptly brought me back to reality. Just today, we received calls from four homeless families who are struggling to survive in our community. One mother and her two year old are living in a car, two families are living in a motel, and one mother and her 14 month old are facing eviction. Despite our need to operate below capacity because of our staffing and resource limitations, the needs are too great so we’re starting the intake process for two of these families in emergency situations. From January to June of this year, we’ve seen an alarming 43% increase in requests for services as compared to the same period last year.
At the same time, we are refreshed by the life-change our resident families are experiencing! This month we are celebrating two families’ graduations from our residential program. One family moved on to independent housing last month, but she wanted to wait and share the celebration with the next family that’s graduating this month. Both of these families – along with the other families who have successfully moved from Hope Alive to independent housing – are healthy, whole, and living self-sustaining lives filled with hope and a future. And one of our teen residents just came back from a week at Christian camp as a changed young lady. She wants to go on a mission trip later this year to a third world country ready to serve others who are in much greater need than her family.
We continue to trust God completely to meet the needs of homeless women and their children. Through the power of His life-changing love and the ministry of Hope Alive, life transformation is possible and women and their children are finding hope of a future.
Vacation is wonderful, but I am grateful for the privilege of serving God’s people in need. Thank you for your support and commitment to our mission. Until next week …
Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director
About Me
- Hope Alive, Inc.
- We are a nonprofit Christian ministry called to embrace homeless women and their children with the life-changing love of God. In partnership with the community, we offer a transitional home and comprehensive support services to empower women and children with Christian values, dignity, and the skills they need to live self-sustaining lives filled with hope and a future.
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