Nazarene Men Complete Local Mission
In just 4 short hours, the Men’s Ministry at First Church of the Nazarene restored the garage at Beauty for Ashes Transitional Home. In just four hours they tore shingles off the garage and made needed repairs, tore out a privacy fence, and re-roofed the Home’s garage.
Only a month ago, the Beauty for Ashes Board had decided to demolish the garage behind the Home. However, community volunteer and handyman John Teague saw a better option: repair the garage. Pastor Mark Diemer & the Nazarene Men’s Ministry accepted the challenge. And, with the Nazarene men’s elbow grease and shingles and roofing felt donated by Indiana Roofing Systems, the restoration was completed at no cost to the transitional home.
Those involved in the project included Don Allen, Jeff Reynolds, Don Strong, Scott Zent, Mark Rogers, John Teague, Joe Calvert, Duane Pickett, Coty Hood, Steve Hood, Cory Daugherty/President of Nazarene Men’s Ministry, Greg Etchison, Quinten Yeary, John West, Bob Smith, Brian Lewis, and Joey Rogers
Alexandria Times Tribune, October 15, 2008, p.5
Successful Volunteers!
Local volunteers raised over $10,000 for Beauty for Ashes Transitional Home in the April 2008 Homeward Bound Walk. The 10 teams of Beauty for Ashes Walkers joined volunteers from 13 other Delaware and Madison County homeless and service providers to raise over $77,000 in the Homeward Bound Walk. In fact, the Chesterfield-based Homeward Bound Walk site ranked #1 state-wide in money raised. The outcome of this Walk dramatically illustrates that despite the economically depressed status of Delaware and Madison Counties, the spirit of community is alive and active.
The Homeward Bound Walk is Indiana's largest grassroots fundraiser with the ultimate goal of ending homelessness.
Beauty for Ashes would like to thank its 2008 supporters and to announce that it is currently recruiting new teams, sponsors, and walkers for the 2009 Homeward Bound Walk on April 26, 2009. Call Sharon at 724-9076 for information.
2008 support from local businesses: Kleenco, Wal-Mart, Armstrong Hardware, Azimow & Culbertson Scrap, Schott’s Auction Gallery, Reflections Hair Studio, Strong’s Alex Market, Picture Perfect Auto Body, Landmark Accounts.
2008 local church participants and supporters: First Church of the Nazarene, Shiloh Friends, Christian Congregation, Bethel Church, Cornerstone Community, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, First Baptist Church, and the Lutheran Church of Our Blessed Savior.
2008 supporting organizations: Meridian Services and AmVets Auxiliary Post 12
The Homeward Bound Walk, a project of the Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues (ICHHI), took place in 8 sites throughout Indiana. State sponsors: The Lucus Oil Family, who also served as honorary chairpersons, Lilly Endowment, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), and Great Lakes Capital Fund.
ICHHI is planning to officially launch the 2009 Homeward Bound Campaign at their 20th Anniversary Celebration which will be held on November 19, 2008 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
FAIR FUNDRAISING
Anderson Herald ~ July 23, 2008 ~ by Brandi Watters
Alexandria—Despite the searing midday heat . . . a long wait, hundreds lined up at the Madison County 4-H Fair on Tuesday to get a plate of homemade chicken and noodles.
“It’s tradition,” explained Jenna Chapman, 19, 9f Anderson who said her grandfather brought her to the fair each year for the noodles since birth.
A line that stretched 200-people long snaked from the tent where the noodles were being served. . . . Despite the temptations of a quick meal without the long line, fairgoers waited patiently for a chance to fill their plates with the chicken and noodles, hearty beef tomatoes and cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans and other homemade food items being served by the Christian Congregation Church of Alexandria.
The chicken and noodles dinner has long been a tradition at the county fair, according to Pastor Jerry Young of Christian Congregation Church. For more than 60 years, he said, people have been lining up to get a full homemade meal for less than $6.
Last year, the not-for-profit dinner raised $20,000, Young said, for five local missions in Alexandria, which sought to feed, house, and tutor disadvantaged local residents. . . .
Organizations helped by the fundraiser
The heart of the fundraisers, according to Young, is the volunteers. For five full days, volunteers at the chicken noodles supper labored in the kitchen as the line of customers grew longer. “I just can’t say enough about the people that give so much.”
State Rep. Terri Austin tours Beauty for Ashes during visit
January 23, 2008 ~ Alexandria Times-Tribune ~ Lisa McBride
State Rep. Terri Austin (D-Dist. 36) paid a visit to Alexandria on Jan. 11 and made a stop at Beauty for Ashes, a transitional home for women since 2001.
Recently sworn into the position of 2008 State Director for Women in Government, Austin is working on issues affecting women.
After a brief introduction to Directors Jan Busby and Sharon Renfro, Austin had an immediate suggestion. “Anderson University has a School of Social Work and School of Business whose students need somewhere to complete an internship. These students could do the legwork necessary for acquiring funds and assist with publicity.”
Austin learned how the Beauty for Ashes’ programs work for residents [currently] ranging in age from 35 to 61. The typical resident is like the woman they had who had three children, was not married and had no earned income. Living in the home was the first time they all had lived together. Through Beauty for Ashes programming, the woman now has a job, the family lives on their own.
Clients are referred from several sources including Rockville Correctional Facility, . . . probation officers, and emergency and domestic violence shelters . . . The average stay is a year, but programs range from six to 18 months.
When women first arrive, they are allowed a week to become accustomed to their new surroundings. Many come from places where they have been in a state of confusion and need time to get settled to handle the positive changes ahead.
The next step is to assist them in finding a job. Younger women have more energy and want to work. Often, older women are ready for retirement, but have to work to support themselves. The last step is to arrange for [independent] housing.
Through all this time the women attend classes on life skills, including parenting, communication and home décor, and self-improvement classes on boundaries, Bible studies and [others].
Some of the women have histories of drug abuse. Clients have come from the [the Anderson Center, a St. John’s Hospital facility]….
Austin was very impressed with the organization with which Beauty for Ashes is being run. “I like the peaceful feeling of the house,” Austin said as she toured the home. She also like that rules were set forth and clearly stated by which each client must abide.
As the tour was ending, Austin said, “Let me throw out an idea. There are a number of new companies just starting in Madison County. With women in these situations the biggest impediment in getting back on their feet is job opportunities.” Austin said she and others in the legislature were thinking of forming a group to use a collective approach with Nestle and other companies to see if they would assist places such as Beauty for Ashes and Dove Harbor. They would hire a certain percent of workers from the homes. Asked if they thought women would be interested, the directors said most definitely yes.
[Austin also noted] the Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit that can be taken by the head of a household when filing taxes. Many people do not realize they qualify for these credits that can add a large amount to tax checks. Austin does not like that over $2 million goes unclaimed each year. She is in the process of launching a public campaign.
Austin also wanted Busby and Renfro to make sure their clients sign up for the new Hoosier health plan, Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). Health insurance has been a big issue with under employed women. . . .
The last thing Austin wanted o know was when the women decide it is time to leave. Renfro said they leave when [the program and staff at] Beauty for Ashes has done all they can for them. . . . Most of the women have a job . . . and move into a home of their own, ready to begin a successful life.
The Heritage Quilt Guild of Frankton made two twin bed size quilts for the Beauty for Ashes Transitional Home in Alexandria. The quilts were presented to Sharon Renfro, [Assistant] Director of the home by Ruth Fox. Elna Lawler of Alexandria, also presented Renfro with a baby quilt.
By MARY JANE FUSCHETTO
Alexandria Times-Tribune
At first glance it is hard to believe that the residents of Beauty for Ashes Transitional Home for Women and Children in Alexandria, have ever had difficulties in life.
A neat line of shoes sits near the doorway. Carefully decorated cupcakes are on the kitchen counter. Nicole Cox feeds her tiny newborn son as adorable three-year-old Tristian Moore plays with his toys nearby. Tristian’s mother Jacqui Mattingly sits on another sofa playing with her laughing five-month-old daughter, Kailey. A “happy birthday” banner is hung over a doorway. The house is immaculate, quiet, peaceful and obviously filled with love.
“Hi, I’m three,” Tristian says with a winning smile.
For Beauty for Ashes directors Jan Busby and Sharon Renfro, the house is as it should be – a haven for those who are wanting to change their lives.
No longer a maternity home, the home on West Washington Street in Alexandria was purchased over a year ago from the New Horizons Maternity Home and was immediately converted to a much needed home where wounded, hopeless women could get their lives back on tract.
“We are a ministry that is part of Bountiful Harvest Ministries, Inc.,” Renfro said. “A lot of what people don’t understand is what we aren’t. We are not a rescue shelter, or a homeless shelter for domestic violence victims. We are no longer a maternity home, although we currently have four families living here, including six children of various ages up through 13.”
“What we are is a home for women who have been forced to sacrifice their integrity and dignity to survive, or women who may have been damaged physically, sexually, or emotionally. We help women who have not had strong support in their lives, who have missed some of the fundamental life skills, spiritual support, basic parenting skills, coping mechanisms, moral role models and education needed to manage their lives emotionally. But most of all, we help women who sincerely want help to change their lives,” Renfro said.
Many of the residents of the home have experienced breaks with their families, made bad choices in male partners, psychological or physical abuse, criminal issues, substance abuse, or homelessness. “We take in the homeless, but we are not a rescue shelter. Women come to us after they have made an initial transition or had some sort of domestic violence training or alternative housing. We are the facility that trains them for permanent life changes.”
Change is a requirement of life inside the home. Beauty for Ashes has solid boundaries for the residents. “We provide food, shelter, educational opportunities, rehabilitation programs, jobs, parenting classes, Bible studies, anger management classes, money management, job-marketing skills, social skills and spiritual and emotional resources,” Renfro said.
“The girls work – they hold jobs locally – they must complete their education. They must raise themselves and their children. We just give them the guidelines, support and assistance to guide them in the right direction. Residents sign renewable six-month contracts, pay a percentage of their income for programs, and create budgets that enable them to save money for permanent housing after two years. This is not an easy, free ride. They must be accountable and responsible. For most of them, this is the most stability they have ever had.”
Both Busby and Renfro are proud of their residents. “People do not realize that it takes strength, courage, self-discipline, self-control and self-sacrifice to make these life changes. It is very hard work for these women. We are so proud of them when they succeed.”
And devastated when they fail.
Both women quietly express remorse over one family with three children who could not cope with the boundaries of the program and left after only one month. “It wasn’t a failure,” Renfro says. “It taught us a lot and we could see changes in the three children after only a very short time. We just keep hoping we have made some sort of difference in their lives, however small.”
A “life shaper” poster is displayed on a wall. It lists three categories of skills the residents are expected to learn while living at Beauty for Ashes: Life Skills Resources, Spiritual Resources and Emotional Resources.
Included in the three categories are a large majority of emotional skills such as accountability, responsibility, honesty, forgiveness, stewardship, anger management, conflict resolution, relationships with friends, family, spouses and children, alternative decisions, self-confidence, self-assertiveness, boundaries such as privacy, independence, healing, empowering, encouraging, and respect.
Other life skills include such diverse topics as manners and etiquette, dress and grooming, home care, parental skills, social communication skills, nutrition, exercise, rest, safety and even home décor.
“This home is truly a labor of love,” Busby said.
Working as volunteers every day, 12 to 15 hours a day, the volunteers receive no pay except the blessings of seeing lives change.
“These are women who have missed the basics, who have not been able to accept authority, who might see their past lives as normal because they have never known anything else,” Renfro said. “Many have had their lives messed up since childhood. They may have made bad choices or had generations before them make bad choices. They have not learned skills that the rest of us learned from our parents – things we assume are common sense.”
As proof the life skills classes are working, two residents of the home have enough self-confidence to agree to be photographed on the condition they have time to do their hair and make-up. A few moments later they are gathered with their children around the dining table, showing every evidence of exceptional parenting.
Beauty for Ashes resident Nicole Cox gently rocks her black-haired son as she says, “I don’t know where I would have been without this place. I was pregnant with Zave,on when I came here and I had nowhere else to go. I have learned so much here. It has really made a difference in my life.”
Jacqui Mattingly cradles her inquisitive infant daughter Kailey while her toddler Tristian wanders off to read a book. “This home has really made a difference. It is working for us. It is really good here.”
Both Renfro and Busby smile with a wistfulness in their eyes. “This is our blessing, our payment. These are our successes,” Renfro says quietly.
Busby adds, “Do you know what my blessing was this week? I walked upstairs and as I passed an open door there was a mother sitting on the bed helping her son with his homework. Before that mother came here her children were all scattered in different homes. So to see them all together, working out things calmly together, it was a true blessing.”
Serving all of Madison, Delaware and Grant counties, the Beauty for Ashes home receives its residents through social agencies, the courts, referrals, churches and word-of-mouth. Already the home that seemed so big last year is at full capacity. “There is such a need,” Busby said.
The home has other needs also. Volunteers are needed for a wide variety of opportunities. People of all ages are needed to teach life skill classes, help the girls learn to budget, mentor a family, grounds and automotive maintenance, music and devotional programs, workshops, transportation, Bible studies, babysitting while the girls attend classes, reception and office work, a night staffer, grant writing, mailing assistance, marketing and public relations, and fund-raising.
Teenagers who want community service hours, church groups and others willing to help are encouraged to call the home at 724-3454. The home keeps a list of projects that need to be completed and another list of items that are needed in the home – everything from light bulbs, spices, and pillows, to a non-stick skillet. Financial support is always welcome, as are donations to cover utility bills.
“National Homeless Awareness Week is Nov. 13-19,” Renfro says. “Every night in Madison County alone, there are at least 150 homeless people living in shelters and even more who are homeless and not in shelters. Working with the Madison County Homeless Task Force, Beauty for Ashes hopes to be a Christian solution that nurtures, disciplines and educates to change hopelessness to empowerment and success. Teaching women to take back their dignity and integrity, to turn to spirituality, is the way we hope to permanently eliminate homelessness and desperation that may have been passed from generation to generation.
Suddenly a grinning teenager bounds in from school, takes her shoes off at the door, and excitedly proclaims to the others that she is being moved to a higher math class. Then she gently takes Zave,on from his mother’s arms softly giggling as she rocks him. Tristian climbs into Busby’s lap for a hug, Mattingly and her infant nestle into the sofa. Refro comments on how pretty the decorated cupcakes look. Then she smiles. Things in the Beauty for Ashes home are exactly as they should be.
AMHS students recently collected household items and held a hat day that raised $165 for Beauty for Ashes in honor of National Homeless Awareness Week. Morgan L. Smith and India Clifton presented the proceeds to Sharon Renfro of Beauty for Ashes.
Alexandria Times-Tribune, Wednesday, December 7, 2005
By SARAH HOLTSCLAW
Former Alexandria business, Legends recently donated $263 to Beauty for Ashes.
Legends was a bar and lounge located where Hoadley’s is now on the corner of St. Rd. 28 and St. Rd. 9. When Legends was open they had a bad word bucket and every time someone said a bad word they were to donate a quarter, others donated money as well.
Jody Fowler and her now deceased husband Steve Fowler, who passes away Nov. 22, 2005 owned Legends and family members including Bill and Sherri Marling helped run the business.
The money was donated to Beauty for Ashes to help replace the windows shown from the front porch with storm windows. Along with the money donated, Beauty for Ashes is also seeking other donations to assist with a $30,000 grant they are applying for that would be used for general operations.
Fifteen thousand dollars would be received in 2007 and $15,000 would be received in 2008. Beauty for ashes must match the $30,000 grant by July 1, 2006 in order for it to be received.
Jody Fowler and family would like to thank Dan Kellum for locating a worthy charity for them to donate their bad word money to and everyone who came into Legends and donated money to the bucket. They have not forgotten about you.
Alexandria Times-Tribune Wednesday, February 1, 2006
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