It is a joy to share with the Christian community what God has done (and is doing) in the lives of the guests at the Christian Shelter. Even small steps are huge milestones for those who have been living on the edge and have begun to lose hope.
Mandatory “Set-aside” Helps Guests Start Over
A guest at the Christian Shelter was homeless and without a direction for herself and her children. This mother was able to accumulate funds while in a safe place at the Christian Shelter. It is mandatory for guests to put aside the majority of any income received while they are guests at the Christian Shelter. When she left the Christian Shelter this family moved into their own place. Because of the required “set-aside” of income and the safe shelter that the Christian Shelter provided, this mother was able to pay off some court fees that blocked her from renting and she had enough funds to pay for the first month’s rent and security deposit. She and her 3 children left with a new start. Praise God for this new start for this family.
Another mother who was a guest at the Christian Shelter was able to continue to work part-time during the COVID-19 lock-down period. Thank the Lord for the opportunity to continue to work. During this period she was able to accumulate a small amount of savings through the Christian Shelter’s mandatory “set-aside” requirement. She has been able to pay many old bills to clear her obligations. When she came to the Christian Shelter, she was homeless and was looking at the mountains of problems but now she believes she and her daughter can get low-income housing. Her record is being expunged and the world is opening up to her. Praise the Lord for second chances and for His protection. When we are down and have nowhere to turn that is when the Lord reaches down and provides a way, when there was previously no way. Bless the Lord for his unfailing mercies and for His protection of families and children.
Fortunes Can Change Quickly
Ms. D had a very successful business, a family and a home of her own. Things were going well for her. Then things started changing. Her husband wanted a divorce. She started forgetting things and the situation seemed to be getting worse and worse. Eventually she experienced troubles with clients and many started to withdraw their business. Ms. D was so preoccupied trying to survive and keep her business that she became estranged with her entire family.
She started missing doctor’s appointments and other commitments and stopped paying her bills. Then she lost her home on top of all of that. She ended up moving three times due to issues with various landlords in the community and it got to the point that no landlord would rent to her because she was such a big risk. Then others started taking advantage of her financially as well even with a very meager income. It was about that time that she landed at the Christian Shelter. GOD had sent her to the shelter!
Sometimes memory loss is further aggravated by physical problems such as high blood pressure, chronic stress, heart issues or a stroke. Age related memory loss is often due to dementia. This was beginning to happen with Ms. D. After a rather long stay at the shelter, she was placed in the women’s transitional housing next door to the shelter. Here she is able to get a small stipend, has a caretaker and companionship with other ladies to help her with her memory exercises. She now has some discipline in her life and the chance to become a more stable individual. Many days, she will attend daily devotions and has done so until the recent COVID 19 pandemic hit.
Ms. D understands as does the shelter staff, that if it were not for a place like this, she would be wandering the streets vulnerable to anyone and anything or possibly even dead.
Homelessness Is no Respecter of Background
Ms. C. showed up for the first time at the Christian Shelter in October 2016. She was from the DC area and had never heard of the small town called Salisbury, Md. Alone, unemployed and leery of associating with others, her circumstances brought her to the Christian Shelter. It was time to stop and reflect. How had she gotten to this point? She was raised in a Christian home. She knew of the Lord. “Having a form of godliness but denying its power. “ II Timothy 3:5
Somehow, she found herself living outside of God’s will. Those actions caused her to cut all ties with everyone including her family.
Within two weeks, she was able to find a job. With her background, it would not be hard because she had education and status. In fact, she had owned her own business at one time. She started paying attention in devotions. She then became friends with an older woman who in turn carried her to church with her.
She saved her funds, volunteered. Soon she found housing in a women’s ministry. There she thrived. God opened doors. Her patience was tested over the next few years. She grew stronger in the Lord.
Today, four years later, she has a well-paying job with responsibility and benefits. She has a new vehicle and a nice apartment in a nice area of town. God is using her in her church. The greatest blessing is that her family has found her, and she is in touch with them. She had not seen her mother in years. This is a testament to what God can do for someone that truly believes. In this case, the Christian Shelter was the place that started Ms. C on the road to recovery.