Real Life at the Shelter July 9-15 2012

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Weekly highlights

Monday July 9: One of our guests began demonstrating that she would not clean her personal area or do her chores without being constantly monitored.  Realizing that we can not hold her hand we moved her to our overflow (just a mattress on the floor from 10 pm-6am).  This same guest was responsible for telling an abuser that his victim was at the shelter.  One of the ladies on the accountability list; (She had stirred up all kinds of trouble on her way out.) tried to check-in to regular shelter.  She was told that she was still eligible for our Phase II (a bed,classes,dinner,breakfast, staff availability from 5pm-8am).  She refused that option.   One of our moms let us know that her teen age daughter had run away.  We prayed for her.               

Tuesday July 10:  One of our guests who came in very beat up (literally) is looking so much better!  Her physical wounds are healing and we have seen some emotional and Spiritual growth over this week.  She is considering the long term program.  One of our guest assistants went to California to be with her sister who is in the hospital.  She has shown incredible growth and selflessness on this stay whereas in the past she was self centered and routinely grumpy.  God is doing a wonderful work in her life.  She will be back in about a week.  Today started a trend of July for several ladies to get jobs.  By the end of the week 6 more ladies had gotten jobs.  We worked with a woman who was dropped off at the shelter and was unsure about staying with us.  After several hours she decided to stay.  She is a very broken young lady.  Pray for her.    

Wednesday July 11:   Lots of check ins today!  One of our moms was fairly sure that someone stole her son’s pants.  She raised such a stink over it and refused to calm down about it that she was asked to leave.  Fortunately, she had a bus ticket out of town so was leaving anyway.   We made some adjustments in the people in Phase II and our overflow.  There were a couple of ladies who were using phase II as an escape from responsibility.  They were offered overflow and have taken us up on that.  Another phase II guest applied for regular shelter (Full service, 24/7, all meals, staff help, classes) and was accepted back into the shelter.

Thursday July 12:     Today we prayed with the mom who’s teenage daughter was still missing.  After several people prayed the young lady showed back up.  This mom since her stay has learned that through prayer she can get a job and her daughter back.  She now believes that God will get her a home.

Friday July 13:   Today I met with a guest who was on all three accountability lists.  While she seems to be doing much better, she is still fairly distracted by boys.  We allowed her back into overflow. 

Weekend:   One of our moms is not doing well on keeping her room clean and is beginning to demonstrate verbal abuse toward her kids.  The abuse has been reported to CPS while we try to work with her to help her parenting.

General comments:   We will be going through a bit of a staff shift over the next two weeks as Jerry Bishop has taken a new job.  He has been a great asset to the shelter and will be missed.  God will surely bless him.

    

Current Crisis Shelter Purpose Statement:

 The Crisis Shelter for Women and Children exists to increase the impact of our ministries of rescue, recovery and restoration by partnering with staff, volunteers and donors.  We will do this by meeting basic needs in a safe, clean, temporary shelter, with instruction and guidance for life transformation in a healing environment.