WILMINGTON — Leaders from several local refuges for persons experiencing a variety of hardships will offer “Stories of Hope” Monday, Feb. 28 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. via Zoom and Wilmington College’s main Facebook page.

“Stories of Hope” is the spring semester’s second program in WC’s Office of Campus Ministry Quaker Lecture Series. The panel of presenters features Katie Terrell, director of Hope House, a Safe Place for Women and Children; Amber Taylor, assistant director of the Clinton County Homeless Shelter; and Lee Sandlin, director of Sugartree Ministries, Clinton County.

Terrell is a Clinton County native who began serving as a hostess with Hope House in the fall of 2018 when she returned to the county after serving as a volunteer missionary at an orphanage in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. She became house manager for Hope House at its current location, 495 E. Locust St, in June 2021 and assumed the role of director on Nov. 1, 2021.

Taylor is an assistant director with 15 years of experience working alongside the team at the Clinton County Homeless Shelter. She oversees the daily operation of the shelter. Taylor receives daily inspiration from her husband and their four children.

Sandlin gave his life to Jesus Christ in 1995 and began volunteering in youth ministry at Ridgeville Community Church soon thereafter, becoming youth pastor in 1997. He continued to minister there for 10 years, during which time he took yearly foreign mission trips to places like Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

When Ridgeville closed, he accepted an assistant youth pastor role at Fellowship of Praise, where he served for 13 years. Fellowship of Praise opened its West Campus in Middletown, where Sandlin took the job as youth pastor and remained there for seven years before accepting the director position at Sugartree Ministries in Wilmington.