Safe Housing for the Vulnerable — With The Well CDC!

RAHAB is thrilled to announce a new partnership with The Well CDC (of Akron) to provide affordable housing to participants in The Oaks transitional housing program!

Thanks to this program partner, we are able to kick off Phase 1 for the 18-24 age group and provide safe housing right away — a part of the program in which we cover 100% of a survivor’s rent. This allows our participants and their case workers to establish long-term stability — things like securing a job, building life skills, and connecting with the community.

Because this age group is so new to adulthood, they often join our program with very few resources for themselves. They are in need of everything from housing, furniture, cars, jobs, and more. Yet all these things work off one another — and must work together for the young adult’s good: It is difficult to get housing if you do not have a job, and difficult to keep a job if you do not have safe, stable housing.

As each participant moves forward in the phases of The Oaks program, they will become responsible for larger percentages of the rent until they are able to fully support themselves. This allows for a healthy and stable transition into independence and lasting freedom.

We have had the privilege of moving our first young adult participant into housing already … and we are so happy she is now in a safe place. We look forward to walking with her as she gains independence and heals from the inside out. Thank YOU for being part of her journey through your support and prayers!

The Body: Working Together for the Kingdom

By Katie Sponseller

One of the most beautiful concepts of the church to me has always been the idea of “the body.” It’s amazing to think about the ways we were created in the image of God to do His work. We were all given different talents, and each gift is beautifully unique.

Woven all throughout Scripture, we see two commands as believers: to love our Father and to love one another. One of the greatest joys at RAHAB Ministries is that as “the church,” we together get to love others well and give what we have of ourselves for the Kingdom, ultimately loving God through how we care for the women we serve.

So how do we use our arms or eyes or hands for Kingdom work? As believers, we are commissioned to care for the oppressed, and to fight injustice. We are told in Deuteronomy 10 that God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. We know that God cares about all His children and asks us to fulfill our calling in taking care of those who are lost.

RAHAB’s continuum of care is so wide that it allows for anyone to use their own unique gifts! Whether you love to cook, sew, or garden — write notes of encouragement, desire to share the Word, or build shelves — there’s a place for you here!

When entire bodies of believers come together for a common purpose, the enemy doesn’t stand a chance! If your church is not an active partner with RAHAB Ministries, would you consider joining us in bringing women out of darkness into the light of hope and healing?

If you are a member of an organized church, you know it’s nearly impossible to pull off a Sunday morning service without a plethora of volunteers.

  • The church can’t hire for every single needed position. It wouldn’t exist without the concept of volunteerism.
  • Without the financial generosity of believers, the church couldn’t run. The church isn’t designed as a money-making operation, but rather is sustained by your giving.
  • Overseas missions wouldn’t function, nor would local missions.

When you give to your church or to RAHAB, you’re giving to something bigger than any one of us can imagine. When you put your time, money, and energy into Kingdom work, it delights the Lord …

And like the local church, we need you too!

When the church partners with RAHAB, you have a front-row seat to God’s mighty work and Spirit-lead encounters on a daily basis. When you partner with RAHAB:

  • You may get to help gift a teenage girl her very first birthday party.
  • You might have the opportunity to bless our women at the Drop-In Home by providing meals and a new picnic table to gather around.
  • You may get to share the Gospel … or wipe away the tears of a woman having the worst day of her life.

You never know who God is going to bring to you, but the amazing thing is: He does, and He has already equipped you!

We may never see the fruition of the seeds we are planting now, but we know that what we do on a daily basis matters on an eternal scale. Please consider getting your church involved with our efforts to end human trafficking! Email Brittney Bush for more info today at [email protected].

You pointed her to Jesus!

 

She was battling significant addiction and mental illness a year and a half ago when we met her …

She became a friend who began coming to RAHAB for help — to work toward sobriety.

We got to see her last week, and she expressed how much she has been enjoying sobriety, going to NA, and learning about Jesus at our Drop-In! If you could see her yourself, you’d know with one look this woman is happier and healthier than she’s been in a long time!

Our precious friend’s journey didn’t happen overnight, of course. It was a process. But getting sober is a huge step forward, and we are so glad she has decided to take that journey. We are also grateful she has chosen to include us in her walk of faith and healing!

With your prayers and support, RAHAB staff and volunteers get to celebrate all kinds of moments, big and small, with the vulnerable women we serve. May God bless you for reaching out to them in love — pointing them toward the hope that’s available in Christ alone.

20 Moments for 20 Years — #10

 

In honor of RAHAB’s 20th anniversary, we’ve asked staff members to look back and reflect on the moments that mean the most … and to share their thoughts as they look toward the future!

Meet Brittney Bush, our Development Coordinator, and hear firsthand why she’s able to keep her mind and heart set on hope for the women and children we serve and in the work she does daily as part of our Church Relations team: