Must we help the whole world? YES!

Many of you know that the clothes we collect that we cannot use are now sold at poundage and sent to third world countries around the globe. This includes clothing that is out of season, stained or overstock. I was telling a friend about this new part of our program, excited at the chance to generate some funding for us while helping others. She looked at me, tilted her head and asked me the following:

"Gayle, do you have to help the whole world?"

Without hesitating I answered "Yes." To which she replied "Good!", gave me a bear hug and then went home to clean out her closets.

I laughed but it got me to thinking... When I started to realize all the ways we help I was very humbled.

We have the online support groups for survivors, family and partners and spouses of survivors. Via the internet we reach globally. Survivors often turn to us because of a lack of local services. This seems to be just as true for the person in their living room in Australia or South Africa as it is for the person down the street from the office. As of this writing, there are over 3000 members in just one of our Yahoo Groups.

But we've also been written about in international publications. The latest has been The Flyer which is distributed globally by the United Methodist Church via the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW for short.) This offers hope to victims everywhere that it is possible to heal and to overcome. Mostly, if offers the reinforcement that no matter what is done to you God will not abandon you.

One of my books, Does God Still Love Me? is also available globally via Amazon.Com, Lulu.Com and other bookstores. It offers many of the most frequently asked questions by survivors.

And now, Hope for Healing.Org has the opportunity to reach worldwide through clothing efforts. We take the clothing that is donated to us and sort it. We keep all we can use. What we can't is sold for distribution as outlined above. Some of it goes to missions and some is eventually resold at a profit for the reseller. It all helps.

Thinking of this makes me wonder...

Years ago, before I even knew who he was I adopted a motto from John Wesley to "do all the good I can for all I can as I can".

It makes me wonder what we could all accomplish if we tried to live by that. I'd love to see us try!

Outreach: Khakis for Carter High Band

One way we made hope happen today:

Each year khaki pants are required for the kids in the band at the local high school. It can be a strain for a parent to provide these on top of flip folders, special shoes and all the other things band kids need. Yet band here is an important part of most kids lives. Several of our clients are students in the band. The camaderie makes them happy when their lives are the worst.

So today, a volunteer, youth coordinator and myself piled our inventory of khakis and took them to band camp. It was fun. We discounted them to $2.50 each. The parents appreciated our efforts and the kids seemed to have a good time picking and choosing.

One parent in particular was glad. Her family is in a really tough spot right now and she was worried about affording things for school. Being there gave us an opportunity to tell her about our other programs such and vouchers and Angel Food and invite her to visit the thrift shop. She seemed reassured to know help is available and said she'd come by.

We're just glad to be here.

Thanks for making it happen!

Success for a Client!

Hi all,

We just got the most beautiful news. A high school client we worked with has been accepted into college! It's hard to write applications while you're in an emergency housing situation so they were a little late. A lot of people believe in her and encouraged her to try. The end result is perfect.

We're so proud of her!

To any others in a similar position take note. Don't give up. You and your future are worth it! Good things happen. Keep reaching for them!

What do you do with all the stuff?

In keeping with our mission statement the first choice of donated items is to serve victims of domestic or sexual violence. If someone is going from shelter to a new home, victims get first dibs. But you have to realize that we are in a pocket area of poverty. The promise held by all that is offered in Knoxville is not easily realized by many people around where we are.

If someone in our zip code is in need (Knox, Jefferson or Sevier) they can get needed items from the stock we have on hand. We do reserve the right to impose a $20 per person maximum value on household items or clothing. However, all needs are met on a case-by-case basis.

The next option is to actually sell the items in our thrift shop (or possibly eBay). We don't charge much. In fact, shoppers here love that our prices are lower than in Knoxville or Jefferson City. Our neighbors love it because they don't have to drive to Knoxville or Jefferson City. Plus, our landlord stays happy since sales enable us to pay the rent. It's an all around good situation.

Finally, some items given to us will be sold to a bulk recycler at a price per pound. This helps us pay our rent (always a good thing). And, it provides affordable clothing in third world countries. Places like Haiti, Africa, Belize, all have received bulk shipments of used clothing from our little corner of the world.

We are exploring the possibility of recycling other things too. Cardboard, newspapers, metals and cans top the list. Some items may be refinished or refurbished as part of an upcoming recycling effort. Look for more information about these items to come in a later blog post.

So if you're asking what we accept the short answer is "Yes!" Bring it on!

August Angel Food Menu Now Posted

The Angel Food Menu for August is now available. Visit http://www.hopeforhealing.org/angelfood to download the form specific to us or visit http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ for information from the Angel Food site.

Boxes are $25.00 and must be paid by the deadline of August 10. Orders should be picked up on August 25 between 10:30-11:30. There are no qualifications to get a box and no strings.

We get questions from people who sometimes ask if they or their Sunday School class or co-workers can sponsor a box for the less fortunate. The answer is a resounding "Yes!".

Sadly, many people are caught in the gap between being able to makes ends meet and qualifying for food stamps. Sometimes clients leaving the domestic abuse shelter need help with food. At the school next door to our office almost 60% of the kids are on school lunch assistance.

Donors and recipients are kept confidential. If you are interested in sponsoring or ordering just let us know. We'll be happy to talk with you.

Until next time,

Gayle

Singing and Auction To Help Raise Funds

Stop Domestic Violence
Free Gospel Singing & Auction
Saturday, August 4 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

At the:
Hope for Healing.Org
Secondhand Hope Thrift Shop
2912 Hwy. 11E (Andrew Johnson Hwy.)
Strawberry Plains, TN 37871

Event MC - David Asbury from W.K.X.V. AM 900 Gospel Radio, Knoxville.

The auction begins at 12:00 noon.Perusal begins at 10:00 am.

Comehave some fun! There will be face painting and games for the kids, concessions and lots of fun for everyone!

Featured Singers:

• Anchor Holds
• Touched By Grace
• Danny Tipton
• And more!

To Benefit:
Hope for Healing.Org
2912 Hwy 11E (Andrew Johnson Hwy.)
Strawberry Plains, TN 37871
Phone: 865.933.8769

Hope for Healing.Org is the only 501c3 social service agency serving all of Strawberry Plains, TN. We help victims of domestic violence, distribute Angel Food boxes, train clergy, work with juvenile offenders, raise awareness and we provide clothing, household items and meet other needs on a case-by-case basis as items are available.

To volunteer or learn more about what we do please phone us at 865.933.8769 or view our blog at http://hopeforhealingorg.blogspot.com

We hope to see you at the singing!

As featured in the United Methodist Church Publication "The Flyer"

From the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women in the United Methodist Church, Gayle Crabtree, was featured in the current issue of The Flyer.

From victim to Survivor then Advocate for others, look for Gayle under the section "Women Worth Watching"!

Frustrated by one agency. Angels at another.

Frustration. That was the word this afternoon.

A domestic violence victim called. On foot, scared and alone she had fled to a stranger's home so she could call us. We talked to her and helped her explore her options. She isn't ready to press charges yet. She just wants to get to a safe place where she can think. Once she is free of fear she might be able to do that and formulate a clear plan. Right now, she doesn't have the emotional reserves, money or even transportation. Is there help for her? Where? How?

Our policy is to help a victim find shelter when she requests it. Besides the online work we do our community is made up of parts of four counties. Often a victim just wants to talk and make a safety plan. When they need a shelter helping a victim decide where do go and what shelter serves their county is a very big deal. Victims are stressed and scared. Calling multiple agencies can be intimidating - even under the best of times.

So today, our staff did what we always do. We called the local shelter for this victim's county to see if they had room for one person. Often they don't. This time, instead of answering "Yes" or "No" we ran into a brick wall.

The staff person on the other end said she didn't give out that information. Also, she went on to say that the victim will have to phone their agency herself. They would have to make the decision and she could tell the victim if there was shelter available via their agency or not and if not they could provide her with other phone numbers. - This was a pretty unrealistic scenario for a scared person who sought emergency refuge at the home of someone she did not know.

Our executive assistant couldn't believe her ears when our staff brought this to her attention. Did they really think a victim who was scared and at the mercy of others would be able to make call after call if this agency didn't have shelter? Why would the shelter want to waste time (thiers or the victim's) by giving a run around. Surely this was a misunderstanding. She phoned the other agency to straighten this out.

But no. She was told the same thing. The staff at the agency refused to answer the question.

Not wanting to waste more time our executive assistant phoned the agency in the neighboring county. They were wonderful! They were wiling to do whatever it took to get the victim to safety. If they didn't have space they would create it. Was she safe? Where is she? Does their advocate or shelter staff need to come and get her?

We knew she would be in safe hands. With permission, we gave this agency the phone number for the victim. When our executive assistant phoned the victim to let her know they would be calling she said they were already on the other line.

She hung up knowing that this time this victim would be safe. An agency of angels. Thank God for them.

Serving Juvenile Offenders

We got a call today. I didn't know whether to cringe or not. It tells me we are making a difference. At the same time it shows us how far we have to go.

A few months ago a teenager came to us to perform community service hours. He is a good kid. Respectful and polite. He did what we asked without a complaint. When it came to cutting glass and making mirrors he seemed eager to learn the new skill. You could tell he liked it - even to the sanding and painting for the frames.

What he seemed to appreciate most was the attention. We're not talking about the cheerleading kind of attention but the kind where an adult talks with him and treats him with respect. Where an adult regards him as a person of equal worth and value.

At Hope for Healing.Org we believe that each person is created with sacred worth as individuals. Our Youth Coordinator has a T-Shirt that reads "Be the Moon. Reflect the Son." We feel that no one is beyond God's loving grace. Without preaching, our staff and volunteers try hard to reflect this and make each teen feel valued. Some of these kids have had few if any positive experiences with adults. Others don't feel they have anyone to talk with. While they are with us we try to make each teen feel loved and respected.

This teen has few people he can talk to and some of his friends are questionable in the dependability area. He seemed to click with our staff who found him good to work with and easy to encourage. When he asked if at the end of summer could he come back as a volunter. Our answer, "You betcha!"

Today, we got a phone call from his mom. If we'll have him we'll be seeing him before the end of summer. He got into trouble again and is ashamed to tell us the news. Could he come back to us to serve his additional hours? He seemed to resonate with us and she felt we were a positive influence but he feels he let us down. Would we be willing to take him back again?

Our answer, "You betcha."

See, we all make mistakes. While we are a little disappointed that he fell back to an old behavior we are glad that we impacted his life enough that he wanted to come back here. It's out of the way for him - especially now that he no longer has his license and is relying on his parents. There are several other places that are closer to him where he could serve the hours. Yet, he wants to come back here if we'll let him and we will.

We know it takes hard effort to learn new patterns of coping. We also know that he and the others who come to us are worth every ounce of energy it takes turn lives around. That's part of why we're here and I think he knows it.

Hope for Healing.Org Back Up and Running After Storm

We're back up and running! We appreciate everyone's support. From the workers at KUB and Bellsouth to our volunteers and tent companies we couldn't have done it without you!

Jimmy, with Uncle Easy fireworks, even gave freebies for us to pass along to our volunteers and helped haul off the trash. His tent was the big one that came straight down. The small tent owned by Liberty FIreworks was the one decorating the phone lines. I have to say Liberty had good communication throughout.

Rachel, Aaron, Charity and Sam tried to salvage what they could. Martha, John, Allie and Gwen pitched in with the clean up. We've still got final pick up work to do and more volunteers are coming next week but we're almost as good as new. What a real tribute to everyone who helped!
Thank you all!

Storm Takes Out Hope for Healing.Org Phone Lines

Bellsouth/AT&T is working on the lines as we speak. (These guys are heroes!)

The tent company that put the fireworks tent up should be here later today. We hope to be up and running soon! Thanks for your patience!

Hope for Healing.Org Closes Tomorrow 7/6 Because of Storm

We've had a little wind today and may not be able to open tomorrow. If you are scheduled or want to shop please give us a call first. Here are a few pictures of the fireworks tent that was in front of the building. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Domestic Violence Task Force, Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church

http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2730397/apps/nl/content3.asp?content_id={420CE66A-0BD1-4E93-A177-EDAB0FBBEA55}¬oc=1

The Call is the newspaper of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. The resolution put forward by the Holston Conference Domestic Violence Task Force is quoted prominently in the article about the conference. As a member of the Task Force I am thrilled that the conference not only chose to support victims but that The Call chose to give such prominent support in the article.

The time is come that victims are finding voices. We are banding together, speaking out and changing the world. This comes one person and one victim at a time. It has not come without hardship or pain but with the steady persistence that we all can make a difference and together we are making that difference.

My hat is off to each and every survivor of sexual or domestic violence; to our friends, families and loved ones I welcome you to the beginning of a new era. This is one where the church doors will swing wide to acknowledge our pain and welcome our brokenness.

Until healing is complete for us all,

Gayle Crabtree