Tough week

It was a tough week at Hope Alive. It started with our newest staff member breaking her leg requiring surgery, pins and plates. Ouch! She's on crutches and hobbling around the best she can and trying not to overdo it.

Then, another staff member had a stove fire in her apartment requiring a visit by the fire department. No one was hurt, but she was left needing a new stove and smoke smell in everything.

It was also an unusual week of having to make some really tough decisions involving residents. When it involves the lives of others, the decisions are especially difficult to make. Then God brought about a major heart change and that's what it's all about!

Then there was more disappointing decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners this week with their 25% cut to the County's Grants-In-Aid program providing critically needed funding for nonprofit services. This follows last year's funding cut to nonprofits with another 25% projected cut for FY13. Hope Alive submitted a grant for the current funding cycle so if it's rated and ranked among the highest, our funding from two years ago may be reinstated.

And every week we continue to hear the heartbreaking stories from families who are struggling to survive in our own backyard. This week, among others, we received calls from a mother dying of cancer and living on the streets with her two children and a woman with three children needing to flee violence in their home.

Even though it was a tough week, we were blessed to see the positive changes and continued determination of so many of our families as they press forward toward healing, recovery and self-sufficiency.

Please continue to pray for us, those we serve, and the many families who are homeless and on the brink of despair who need our help. Pray God will meet their needs and fill their lives with His life-changing love and hope of a future. As we've witnessed so much lately, we know God hears and answers our prayers! Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director