Celebrating 80 Years

HAVEN OF REST MINISTRIES

Leaving Confident Donna was hesitant to stay but was glad she did.

When Donna arrived at Haven of Rest’s Harvest Home she admitted she was afraid. She didn’t know what it would be like in a new place with new peo ple. Donna felt vulnerable, alone, and anxious, but after receiving help from staff and volunteers, she said she was glad she stayed. “I learned they really cared about me and my baby, ” she says. Donna talks about the programs and services she has used to overcome her challenges and heal. She is using the Mission’s resources to help her reach her goals. “I am at the Learning Center working to obtain my GED,” she says. She is continuing to use the Learning Center and its resources to help her find a good job. Donna has also completed the nutrition and parenting classes at Harvest Home. She says she enjoyed the Bible studies and daily devotions which helped her to grow as well. Coming from a tumultuous background, Donna had to overcome many circum stances that caused her to feel defeated. Her mom kept going back to Donna’s dad who had alcoholism and abused her. When Donna turned 13 years old, her dad died from cirrhosis of the liver. She was led down a wrong path, became addicted to drugs and did not finish high school. She found herself in and out of jail. During this time, she had several relationships and had three children. Donna’s youngest sister helped raise two of them, and she gave her third child up for adoption.

WOMEN’S MINISTRY

Harvest Home was opened in 1979 in response to the grow ing need for an emergency shelter for women and children in crisis situations. The shelter can accommodate up to 59 women and children. The Women’s Day Room is the entry point for women to begin the rehabilitation process that can lead to the stabilization and re-establishment of their lives. As women come in o ! the streets, they find a variety of essential services available to them, including laundry, show ers, telephones and mail pickup. In addition, there are counsel ing rooms where they can meet privately with Haven of Rest sta ! or other social service agency workers to discuss problems and needs. Classroom space is also provided for life skills training, Bible studies and group meet ings. The Women’s Day Room includes a special quiet room where those who are pregnant or ill can rest. The Harvest Home’s 20-bed women’s dormitory provides safe, clean lodging for homeless single women. Those who come are welcomed into a warm, family-like atmo sphere. Every e ! ort is made to meet women’s and children’s immediate needs and to help them take the steps that can lead to meaningful lives.

A " er finding out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she began her sobriety journey at City Hospital. She also served a short time in jail. She was determined to go through rehab and wrote the judge a letter asking for help, which she was granted. When Donna’s baby was delivered, she had postpar tum depression. Her baby, James, was taken away from her for a month, but eventually she was able to regain cus tody. Not too long a " er that, she came to Harvest Home. With delight, Donna talks about how she just moved into her apartment and was pleased with her surroundings. “I received all the furniture I needed in my apartment for my baby and myself. I have never had so many things given to me,” she says. Donna shares how she enjoyed going through the program at Harvest Home and that she would return if she felt like she needed to. With a beaming, confident countenance, she conveys she is 14 months sober and plans on finding a good job.

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APRIL 2023 | havenofrest.org