Spotlight on Angela I.

Volume 1, Number 9Volume 1, Number 9Volume 1, Number 9Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008 www.reaofhope.orgwww.reaofhope.orgwww.reaofhope.org

By Elaine Secrist

Alumni NewsCongratulations on Continuous Sobriety: Some of our fi rst graduates are coming up on 3 years of sobriety this spring Lois S. has almost 3 years Kendra R. has 22 months Sheila M. has 18 months Threece T. has 16 months Bridget L. has 14 months

These women are enjoying their new lives in sobriety and continue to progress. Four of our graduates are working here at Rea of Hope. They are great examples to the residents here of how wonderful life can truly be. All have jobs they used to only dream about, have their own apartments, are reunited with their families; and very involved in the program. It is gratifying watching them continue to grow in recovery and blossom into the beautiful women we knew they could be!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to:

Cheryl Winter... her mother is recently out of the hospital

Mary Elisabeth Eckerson...who is home and recovering from recent surgery

Angela I. is a very soft spoken, caring, artistic, and talented young woman who has a story that is quite different from many women in recovery. Most women that come here have “hit bottom” in the sense that they have lost their homes, children, and have many legal problems. This is not the case for Angela I. Her personal bottom was when drugs and alcohol became more important to her than her educational pursuits. Angela is a brilliant woman and had received several scholarships for college; losing the scholarships was the turning point in her life. She had a moment of clarity and realized she was desperate and in need of help. Angela came to Rea of Hope as a very scared and tormented girl. The task of chores, job hunting, and living with 9 other women were challenging for Angela to put it mildly. As afraid as she was, Angela did not let these fears deter her; she struggled to do the footwork. She soon was employed and proudly paying her rent. Angela has been a work in progress and I am once again blessed to watch her grow in her recovery. During Christmas, we discovered just how talented Angela was when she volunteered to address the residents’ Christmas cards to the Board Members. She showed us a sample of her artwork and we were very impressed. The cards were beautiful and one of the Board Members liked it so much, she asked Angela to do some artwork for her. Angela successfully completed 6 months at Rea of Hope and we celebrated her graduation. We are very proud of Angela and her accomplishments in recovery. Angela is just another of God’s miracles in the making.

I am very excited to share with you our plans for expansion. Well into our third year of operations, we have discovered a need for a 3/4 house. This need was identified by gathering information post discharge from our outcomes. We responded to this need by fi rst identifying a solution and secondly writing grants to fund the new project. (Even other transitional or government programs do not prohibit alcohol on the premises or its use by their residents.) The diffi culty in fi nding long term living facilities is paramount. Due to the extraordinary generosity of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburghwe received $275,000 in grant funds, the West Virginia Housing Development Fund loan program provided $75,000 and our constant supporter The Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse provided $100,000 in grant funds for this project. We have purchased an apartment building exclusively for Rea of Hope graduates and graduates with minor children. We are accepting bids and have plans to replace all the windows, replace kitchens and baths, paint the interior, provide insulation, replace boilers and hot water heaters, update all electrical outlets, etc. The units are 3 one bedroom, 3 effi ciency apartments and 1 two bedroom. As graduates, the women already have a support system in place, employment and connection to the community. We hope to be able to work with the women to get their credit, fi nes and other fi nancial problems resolved. These prove to be huge stumbling blocks to staying successful in early recovery. Our graduates usually cannot afford to have fi rst, last and security deposits for apartments, utilities turned on, vehicles, insurance, etc. The outcome for them is poor, due to returning to the same or similar environments, which are not conducive to their recovery. The goals of the home are to further assist women in becoming independent and positioning to provide a safe living environment for themselves and their children. The fi rst 6 months at Rea of Hope are dedicated to learning how to remain abstinent, fi nding and maintaining employment, with referral services for parenting skills, job readiness, counseling, etc. The next phase, moving into Rea of Hope New Life Apartments will deal with learning to live independently, with minimal assistance. We will continue to establish long term goals and provide the necessary support to help each resident remove any barrier that may prevent them from becoming acceptable and responsible members of our community. Our goal is to ensure that the quality of life for women who experience Rea of Hope will never be the same. As a result, their economic status improves and they are lifted from the economic and spiritual poverty they had been living in. It is impossible to determine the number of lives affected by one alcoholic and/or addict. The studies indicate that one in every ten persons is likely to be identifi ed as substance dependent. Families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, associates and society as a whole are affected on a daily basis by this disease. Our desire to provide transitional housing to as few as 17 women at a time will affect hundreds, with its ripple effect, if not thousands. Working with other agencies is a priority. The focus on collaboration is a key. Our long-term commitment is to establish and maintain a sustainable program for women in recovery through safe housing. We will monitor outcomes and defi ne the success of our project through information collected by our staff. We will provide an update at our Miracle on Lee Street Dinner & Dance, May 22, 2008. Sincerely, Marie Beaver Executive Director

Dear Rea of Hope Supporters

From the President of the Board of Directors

Many thanks to all these partners in making Rea of Hope New Life Apartments a reality.

As President of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Liz Underwood of Allstate Insurance and Kristi Rhule of Brickstreet to the Board of Directors. Each woman brings gifts that will greatly benefi t the ongoing mission and growth of Rea of Hope. At the same time I want to express my deep gratitude to retiring board members Mary Elisabeth Eckerson and Cindy Black. Mary Elisabeth is the most recent past president and Cindy is the past secretary of the board. Both Mary Elisabeth and Cindy have given tirelessly of their time, commitment, and skill to establish Rea of Hope and give us a sure foundation on which to build. Rea of Hope has a bright future! Under the exceptional leadership of our Executive Director, Marie Beaver, we are expanding our work as we establish a ¾ house in the same neighborhood as the Fellowship Home. We rely greatly on the generosity of the community, the volunteers, and the patrons of Rea. I thank you for your continued participation and encourage you to share our vision with your friends and neighbors.

With gratitude,

The Rev. Cheryl Ann WinterBoard President

(Above left) L-R John Price, President Federal Home Loan Bank, Pittsburgh, Marie Beaver, Rea Executive Director Donna Sellers, United Bank and Congresswoman Capito. (Above right) L-R Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, Sherry Bossy, West Virginia Housing Development Fund, Kelly Cielensky, Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Laura Ellis, Rea Board Member Nancy Perkins, WVHDF, Marie Beaver, Rea Executive Director, Threse Cox, Rea Board Member, Mary Elisabeth Eckerson, District Director for Congresswoman Capito and Rea Immediate Past President, and Elaine Secrist, Rea Program Coordinator.

Special thanks to the Diavolo Dance Companyfor visiting Rea of Hope. The dance company was performing at the Clay Center and offered an afternoon of trust building exercises. Becky Jarvis called us to ask if we were interested and of course, we were. Erica Juergens-Bow and Ken Arata challenged the girls to trust one another; it was a wonderful exercise for them and they loved it. Thanks for including us in this special class.

100%

Residents’ SobrietyAchievements

Other Goals Met

Monthly Needs ListBath towels (white)Hand towels (white)Wash cloths (white)Toilet PaperPaper TowelsBleachPine SolFurniture PolishDishwasher Detergent

Board Members & Offi cers

Girls Night OutGirls Night Out

Air FreshenerLysol Kitchen-AideSwifter padsSwifter Hardwood Floor CleanerMopsWashing PowderDryer Sheets

Thanks to all who continue to help make our monthly Girls Night Out a huge success. I have said before that “FUN” is essential to a healthy, balanced life and we can all attest to the fact that we have had “FUN” on our last 3 Girls Night Out. December GNO consisted of Marie, Billie and I hosting a lovely dinner for the girls. I think the girls enjoyed watching Marie, Billie and I cook, set the table, and clean up as much as they enjoyed the meal. After our meal, which, of course, included dessert, we waddled into the living room to open gifts. We had each resident make a wish list with 3 items on it. We told them they would receive one of their wishes. Thanks to Todd Goldman’s Christmas donation, we were able to buy all 3 of their wishes. Marie and I had a blast shopping for them, and anyone that knows us also knows that we love to “SHOP TIL WE DROP”!! After presents, we took off to the movies and saw “This Christmas”. The night was so festive and fun; several of our girls were celebrating their fi rst of hopefully many sober Christmases. January’s GNO was the fi rst GNO that was 100% successful in the fact that everyone loved it. We all went to the Clay Center to see the musical “Stomp”. Our seats were great and the show was fantastic to say the least. Pleasing women from ages 20-50 is no easy feat; however, this musical did just that. February’s GNO was the AA Roundup at Cedar Lakes. Of course, several of the ladies were not looking forward to this outing, but once they were there - they loved it. All of the speakers were awesome and each had a different story, but the common denominator was “what happened” to get them on the road to recovery. Closing the meetings was so powerful with about 250 people saying the Lord’s Prayer. Needless to say, everyone had a great weekend. We look forward to all of our upcoming GNOs. Thanks to all of you who help support this event.

(Bold names are new to offi ces and/or new members)Rev. Cheryl Winter, President Barbara Koster, Vice President Nancy Daugherty, Secretary Rick Wolford, Treasurer Sarah Holroyd Laura Davis Ellis Sally Holliday Therese Cox Rev Dana Holter Kitty Haviland Mary Selinger John Maier Jim Weimer Jeff Joseck Liz Underwood Kristi RhuleNick Casey, Legal Counsel Staff: Executive Director, Marie Beaver Program Coordinator, Elaine SecristProgram Assistant, Shelia McGonagleBillie Bennington, part time bookkeeper

By Elaine Secrist

Special Thank You to

Donor’s Name ____________________________________

Address _________________________________________

________________________________________________

Phone ___________________________________________

E-Mail __________________________________________

One Time Gift _______ Annual________ Other _______

LEVEL OF GIVING ________________

ELITE PARTNER $500 for 5 years

1429 Lee Street, East Charleston, WV 25301

Non-Profi t Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 2784Charleston, WV

Longaberger Basket Bingo was a huge success as we raised over $1,400 at this event. Special thanks to Robin and Jim Snyder for their “Bingo Expertise” and to Debbie Flinner for her “Longaberger Expertise”. We also thank Sacred Heart for the use of their cafeteria where we held the bingo. All of the residents, some of the graduates, and Marie and I had a blast helping with this fundraiser. We learned a lot about Longaberger Baskets as well as Bingo!!

Genesis Church for their continued support of bringing supper to the residents the fi rst Wednesday of every month.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for their continued support of supplying supper every 3 months.

The Rea of Hope Board Members outdid themselves this past Christmas with the wonderful Christmas Party they gave the residents. It was held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church- thanks Dana. The food was delicious and plentiful. Bruce Eckerson was responsible for cooking the pork tenderloins again this year- you have a standing job every Christmas now, Bruce. The highlight of the afternoon was a surprise from the residents as they sang and performed an interesting rendition of “The 12 Days of Rea of Hope”. Their voices were beautiful as they sang as a group and Beverly treated us to a solo. Their talents never cease to amaze me. Mere words cannot express how great this rendition was. It was hilarious, touching and inspirational. We were so impressed with the dedication, hard work, and sincerity put forth by the residents. The Christmas Spirit was certainly upon us as we enjoyed this blessed afternoon. Thanks Ladies!!