In an increasingly unstable world,
hope is still the most important thing.
This month, we are sharing some of our “hope highlights” from the last 4 weeks.
May these short stories bring you hope.
Surprise Reunion
Lourdes was driving through Oklahoma when she was arrested. Because of her resulting incarceration, she hadn't seen her children in two years. After completing our Women in Transition class at Eddie Warrior, she was released and went back to her home state. She texted our Rhonda Bear, "Thank you Rhonda. A thank you is not enough for what you do to help us. I love you."
Click the photo to watch her surprise reunion with her son, Giovanni, on our facebook page.
Beginning of a Beautiful Relationship...
First Step Male Diversion Program is licensing our Life Launch mentoring model! This allows First Step to begin a successful mentorship program without spending valuable time and money developing their own mentorship program. Our Director of Programs, TJ Warren, says "This is very exciting because there are so many organizations who want to develop a mentor program but don't know where to start, or have the money to invest in the 9-year journey we have taken to make Life Launch what it is today!"
Pictured here is the first First Step mentor team!
Support in the Time of Corona
A small group of widows at Battle Creek church is getting together by email. They are sharing jokes, prayers, and choosing to stay connected.
We are especially praying for people who are isolating at home and alone during this time. What a blessing that this (and many other) small groups of widows were already formed and can now provide extra support and empathy to each other in this season.
Every Step of the Way
A text from one of Kathy's Women in Transition neighbors...
"Thank you for giving [me] the best Stand in the Gap ladies EVER. They are the most caring ladies I know and they encourage me every step of the way."
Norma's Stand in the Gap small group is now virtually meeting on Zoom! We are grateful they have each other during this season.
Before Campus Closed...
Stand in the the Gap's Executive Director, Francois Cardinal had the opportunity to share our story with the University of Oklahoma's NonProfit Degree Class. He was asked to share practical advice on the topic of fundraising and relationships and also a bit about our mission and ministry.
It was a good time with the next generation of non-profit leaders!
Heather's Hope
Victoria has a job! She is Program Coach at Heather's Hope, one of our partner transitional living homes. After years of addiction and incarceration, Victoria lived at Heather's Hope in Comanche while she worked to restore her relationship with her children. Her Stand in the Gap small group stood beside her and encouraged her through their one year commitment and beyond! She now has a great job at Heather's Hope helping to restore families and impact Comanche for the better.
Reunited!
Ashley climbed some mountains and walked through some valleys with her Stand in the Gap family, but because of her life change, she was reunited with her four children BEFORE the Coronavirus outbreak. She completed her one-year small group commitment and her small group celebrated all the progress in her life over dinner together (pre-social isolation).
Still Here!
One of the biggest challenges of operating in Tulsa AND Oklahoma City is getting to see each other face-to-face without spending too much time traveling the turnpike. So, we've had several years to practice our virtual meeting skills. This week, we used these tools twice! We saw all the faces and heard all the wisdom from our Board of Directors (pictured). And we saw all the faces and heard all the hearts of our staff. What a blessing technology can be in this time!
New Territory
We are celebrating our first two Stand in the Gap small groups in Bartlesville! Thanks to our new partnerships with transitional living homes there, we feel equipped to support women who want to live in Bartlesville post-release. This is an answer to years of prayer and we have high hopes for what God is doing there.
