Providing ‘Hope’ with mercy and grace

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Dear Friends of Clinton County,

I am the Board President of Wilmington Hope House, and I greet you in love, joy, and peace.

I am writing to you because many of you don’t know about a local ministry called Hope House. This housing ministry is filled with the gift of God’s loving mercy and grace.

This grace is displayed as the hostesses greet women in and welcome them from the streets. The love comes from people who prepare meals and drop them off so our friends can sit and eat the gift of a home prepared meal.

The grace comes from community members who believe in the gift of God’s tender care and are constant donors of supplies, tasty treats and financial assistance.

I am grateful I live in a community where we have an emergency shelter for woman and children; a place to spend the night in safety.

Hope House is clean, cozy, and warm on brisk winter evenings and cool on hot summer days. It is a beautiful symbol of welcome and meets the immediate needs of people in trouble.

It is a place where individuals are reminded of their worth every time the door opens. When our “community family” is reminded of their worth a beautiful circle of hope and love is formed, radiating to others.

Hope House works in tandem with the Clinton County Homeless Shelter and Our Father’s Kitchen.

I am grateful these ministries work together to inform and assist when the need becomes too much for any individual shelter. I am grateful these ministries work tirelessly for those who are in need of assistance.

I want to add this Facebook posting written by our Director, Katie Terrell. “We have 9 guests at Hope House tonight. Some are already asleep. Most are in the kitchen making dinner and chatting about their days. The others are taking turns in the shower. Familiar guests are making new guests feel welcome. Including the service dogs. It is quiet, it is hope-filled. We are all grateful to be here tonight. Thank you for all the ways you support Hope House to make nights like this possible.”

Friends, Hope House is important to me for many reasons — one being my mom.

My mother was an individual that experienced domestic abuse. In our little midwestern community, no one would ever have suspected any problems – our family was under cover because we were neat and tidy, and did not let go of the secret.

My father suffered with mental health issues, all undiagnosed, as he refused to get help.

One night my mom fled with the youngest child and the clothes on her back; she fled for safety. Thank God she had reliable friends that assisted and offered aid to her.

She never had to spend the night in a shelter, but one thing mom had in common with our Hope House guests is, she felt the stinging pain of judgment.

Friends, Hope House is the “reliable friend” that many women need. They need you and they need me at this very moment.

They do not need our judgment, but they sure could use our loving care as we provide a safe and clean place to sleep. I know they appreciate the food that satisfies their stomachs, and I am convinced they love experiencing the comfort of putting on clean pajamas and freshly washed clothes the next morning, to greet a new day.

Our director, Katie, or a board member would love to visit your organization to inform you of any current needs as we move forward helping one another become restored people.

If you would like to make donations, it is always better to call and see what the ministry needs.

If you would like to be trained as a volunteer hostess, call Katie at 937-366-1123.

To donate: Make checks payable to: “Wilmington Hope House”, mailing address 495 E. Locust St., Wilmington, OH 45177.

To volunteer: Visit https://forms.gle/ZNnF3j8o86nWLSj56/ or go to Facebook “Wilmington Hope House: A Safe Place for Women and Children” or email [email protected].

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Nancy McCormick

Guest columnist

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