HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - The Hope Movement has officially opened its new home for women seeking to bridge the gap between recovery and independent living.
The Hope Movement was created to help women in Hot Springs who were recovering from drug addiction but often found themselves struggling even after successfully completing rehabilitation programs.
The faith-based, nonprofit organization hosted an open house on June 25 at the new living community where women can stay for up to a year while working on their personal recovery journey, The Sentinel-Record (https://bit.ly/2sVfhrx ) reported.
Each resident has the option of having her own room and private bath, with one room available to hold two occupants for newly recovering women who might need extra support from their peers.
“We don’t have enough places to put men and women in a transitional-type environment that will allow them to make slow progress toward living life on their own terms. That’s why I find the Hope Movement so unique,” Garland County District Court Judge Meredith Switzer Rebsamen said. “It’s such an amazing mission and such a success for Garland County, because it does give us an opportunity to place women in a safe environment where they are going to be given programming they need for success and learn life skills.”
The organization’s mission is to help women move forward from a lifestyle of addiction and become devoted followers of Christ. They take in women who have previously completed some type of drug rehabilitation program who are looking to further their recovery journey with faith-based guidance. The home offers women a safe living environment, gainful employment, life skills training and Christ-centered counsel.
“Shalom helped me build the foundations that all my life is built on now and this place will help me reintegrate into society,” said Wendi Barfield, a current resident of the house. “I’m not having to transition from a very structured program to the freedom of the world. I really needed something to help me in this intermediate period, and that is what the Hope Movement does.”
The Hope Movement began four years ago when Greg Bearss, pastor at LakePointe Community Church, and his wife, Kristi Bearss, saw a need in the community that needed to be filled.
“Greg and Kristi would see these women coming to the church and filling out our visitor’s cards for prayer request, but they noticed most of them only attended church for a short time. They found out the reason was because these women would complete a program and have nowhere to go after that. This is that ’after that,’” said Desiree Skeya, director of the Hope Movement.
LakePointe members began taking recovering women into their homes, teaching them life skills, helping them transition back into society and sharing the love of Christ. From there it grew into the Hope Movement, and in January they were able to purchase the Lary Street house for their base of operations.
Several donors and organizations transformed the home, once just a vision, into a reality, including one out-of-state donor who solely funded purchasing the house. Everything from the sofas to the towels in the bathrooms are there because generous members of the community truly care about those attempting take the next step in life after addiction, organizers say.
“Most of the time I think the judicial system is stuck in a train going around and around the same mountain. Don’t get me wrong, there are very, very serious criminals that need to be locked up for our protection, but most people just fall into the depths of addiction and just need assistance getting out,” said Garland County Prosecutor Michelle Lawrence.
“That’s why I am so tickled to be supportive of the Hope Movement, because it offers that assistance that is so badly need in our community,” she said.
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Information from: The Sentinel-Record, https://www.hotsr.com
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