Letter From The Directo
January 25, 2012
The past year, 2011, has come and gone, leaving Wesley House with so much growth and wonderful, new opportunities! Let me briefly share what God has done this past year, and what He is in the process of doing here at Wesley House Community Center, Inc…..I pray you really do read this, because you will be blessed and even touched by the gracious God that we serve!
This year, the community donated $45,000 to the Child Advocacy Center, located under the Victim Services Agency…one of the six agencies presently located at Wesley House. If you remember, this was done when we were denied accreditation by the National Children’s Alliance, as a result of Wesley House keeping the crosses on our walls. God provided. ALL of those donations…every penny, have been earmarked for that ONE program, under that ONE agency…other programs located under the Victim Services Agency are the East MS Sexual Assault Crisis Center and the Domestic Violence program. There are FIVE more agencies that have equally important programs as it pertains to helping people to pull out of situations and back into a productive, God-centered, life.
Currently, Wesley House is working with partner agencies in our community and the National Family Justice Alliance, to organize the FIRST Family Justice Center in the state of Mississippi!
What IS a “Family Justice Center”, you should ask? It, basically, operates under the same concept that Wesley House has been using for as long as I can remember….(many years), only it deals, specifically, with victims of sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, elderly abuse and vulnerable adults. Here is how it works…a victim will come into Wesley and will be able to access any service she/he might need right there on the spot! Mayor Cheri Barry and Chief Lee Shelbourn have graciously agreed to providing “on-site” police presence…to be located RIGHT HERE, on campus! There will also be attorneys, medical providers, court teleconferencing, etc.!
Let me say that each participating organization will do what THEY do on a regular basis, we all just contribute our services toward making things better for victims of crime. This comes at a time that OUR community really needs to STEP IT UP. We are so grateful for the support of this city government and community. Something else you should know… there will be NO DUPLICATION, on the part of Wesley House, or any other participating organization. In fact, well…did you know, for instance, that Wesley House has had a 24-hour “crisis line” for 27 YEARS? We were a part of the Domestic Violence Coalition long before we ever had a domestic violence shelter here in Meridian! That’s right! My family never knew WHO Mom would bring home and protect! Haha! She’s amazing! Also, our Christmas program has been in place for 40 years, that I have witnessed, but the program started in 1904…we have offered tutoring for 37 years! Wesley House has done prevention programs in our schools and communities for 27 years, before the grant money was actually there to support it! Wesley House has had a Clothing Center for 40 years and we GIVE our clothing away…we DO NOT sell clothes that others donate to help the needy in our community! Don’t you think that’s pretty AWESOME!!! We have always been lead toward the NEED of our community, rather than to follow/chase grant money, and we always KNEW that God would supply!
SO, here we are…the Year 2012! In spite of the wonderful things that have occurred in the Victim Services Agency, (for example, the Family Justice Center)…. the other FIVE agencies are ALIVE and well….growth happens, but services do not stop during the growth process. This is an exciting time to get involved in Wesley House and we need your prayerful and financial support this year, like no other.
Thank YOU for your help. You have been…ARE investing in lives who would possibly not receive assistance and healing, otherwise.
It might interest you to know, and should, that we have monthly financial statements prepared by a certified public accountant, as well as annual audits. Also, in the year of 2010, 94.6 % of total program revenue was spent on program services…that means, people were being helped by your donations…did not use your money for salaries, or decorations for the building!
Thank you for your heart for this mission…I can tell you that it is, indeed, anointed and belongs to God. I pray blessings on each of you and your families, and that this New Year will spur a new ” breath” as it pertains to your spiritual walk!
God bless and keep your JOY!!!
Love,
Ginger Grissom
The Company of Angels: A Christmas Story
December 19, 2009
Yesterday, an elderly man entered Wesley House and wanted to talk to “the lady on TV”. My staff came and got me…I’d just been on television sharing the work of Wesley House and had shared a story or two. I assumed that was what he was referring to.
The gentleman had a difficult time speaking; he’d suffered a stroke and was walking with a cane. Well, I was ready to open my heart to him and give him anything I could to help him have a more comfortable quality of life when he said, “I want to give you a donation”.
As I listened, I learned that he had been very sick and couldn’t pay his bills for a while. He tucked his head and lowered his voice as he shared that he had, actually, been homeless for 28 days and lived through “shelter-life” as best he could. This had really made an impression on his life as he shared horror stories with me of his stay in various shelters…that’s another story.
A member of his family learned of his circumstances and saw fit to help this old gentleman pull out of the desperate situation that he had found himself in. This nephew had learned through the grapevine of his uncle’s hardships…he had not been asked to help, he just saw need and stepped in and took care of him.
As the old veteran spoke, it was clear that he was having a hard time expressing his feelings because he had NEVER had to ask for help before. He’d served his country and been in the veteran hospital in Jackson for a time with heart surgery and recovery…now he was back on his feet, although, it was clear that he still had health issues.
So, why was he here and why had he had come so far just to give a donation to Wesley House when, clearly, it was hard for him to get out and travel? He explained that he’d heard me speak of the lady who was very sick with cancer and had been cold for over a month because she couldn’t afford to pay for heating for herself and her two children. It was at this point that he pulled out his wallet and reached for two, one hundred dollar bills. His large, but fragile hands shook as he gave his donation. He looked up at me with wet eyes and said, “Will she really get this?” I looked at him with all of the confidence I could muster and said, “She will get it TODAY!” And she did.
I hugged the gentleman and asked him to please sign the donation book…I really wanted to know where he lived in case he ever needed anything. He could barely sign his name and the county that he was from. He hugged me and I asked if he had a home now. He smiled and said, “I’m blessed! I have a trailer and heat. I just wanted to help someone else this Christmas.”
I will never forget that man. I remember that the entire time I spoke with him, all I could think about was that you just never know when you are in the company of angels…I think that I was, and that precious old gentleman brought the real Spirit of Christmas to me this year.
So, from our house to your house:
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
The Christmas Blanket
December 1, 2009
Not too long ago, a young girl from “the village” shared with me that she was going to have a little baby. She had been so mistreated by her mom and cousins…abuse of the worst kind. She expressed to me her feelings of remorse, but saw this new life she was carrying as a gift…she had always wanted to be loved and needed. This was her chance.
The baby came and had a difficult time getting here. There were times that we thought we’d lose both mother and daughter, but God’s grace and healing hand allowed them to recover. The mother and child were able to leave the hospital a week or so later, but after several weeks at home, her mom felt inconvenienced and asked them to leave. They were forced to stay with friends in what looked much like a closet. The apartment was cold and the baby was very sickly.
The girl experienced some very tough times, to say the least, and felt like an outcast…very alone and questioning God…Where was He, anyway?
We worked with this child-mother and her little baby girl for about one month. Wesley was there for her in an “emergency” sense as well as having helped her chart a productive course for her future and that of her baby girl. She became active in a Bible study where she has been learning of the unfailing goodness and mercy of the Lord.
She appeared to be doing quite well, just one problem area…she had a hard time believing that God could love her. Enter, LOTS of fervent prayer and Annie B. McKee!
I received a message from Annie a day or so ago. She ‘d had felt prompted to crochet a baby blanket for someone…didn’t know who or why. Here’s the really great part…with every stitch, she prayed for this unknown baby! I thrilled at sharing this story with Annie, and then…then, I got to share it with the recipient!
Well! I could hardly keep it together as I told my young friend about the “Christmas blanket” and how God had placed her baby on the heart of another believer…He knew that her baby needed the “physical” covering, and more importantly, that new baby girl needed the “spiritual” covering! I wish you all could have seen the light go on in this young mother’s eyes as she learned that day of the love that the Lord has for her. As a result, her child will grow up knowing that she is loved and has a loving heavenly Father that will never forsake her…ever!
God always has a plan!
December 1, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, we were finishing up the 12 week Life Skills class. As we were winding down, several staff asked if anyone needed prayer. There were 6 that took the invitation. The lady that I prayed with told me that she had no idea that she was coming to Wesley House. She had felt her situation spiraling out of control and had been driving around while pleading with God to direct her. She ended up here. It turned out that this working mother had a very sick little boy. In fact, her little 10 year old will be undergoing heart surgery the first part of January and the bills have been tremendous. She also has a son in college. Her husband left the family because he could no longer manage the stress of watching his little boy fight so hard for a life. As she talked, I learned that her two boys and herself were sleeping on the floor…they had only a roof over their heads but no furniture.
Outcome: we called a local merchant and he donated three brand new mattress and springs sets! We were able to give them household items,
Forget the Toys, Lady…I’m Hungry!
September 17, 2009
As October approached and Wesley House had begun to take applications for Christmas,
a Mom and Dad brought their little seven year old girl in and sat before me. As I took their
information, (it was around 11:00 a.m.) this little girl looked up at me and asked “Excuse me,
Ma’m…what is that I smell?” I told her that the cook was busy with dinner for the pre-school. At
that, she asked if she could have a little…that she was hungry and her baby brother had cried all
night because they had no milk. I looked at the parents and they were visibly embarrassed and
“busted”. The truth was, both of these adults had 4 year degrees from universities but were
victims of Katrina. They had returned “home” only to find their landlord would not repair their
home so they came back to Meridian to get a house and jobs. They could not get housing
because there was no job, ‘couldn’t get a job because they had no housing. They were degreed
people who found themselves homeless. Their family consisted of themselves, their two children
and two grandparents and guess where they were living? In their van. They were at the end of
their rope, wanting their children to have Christmas toys, but like their little girl said, “Can I just
have some food for us…forget the toys, Lady, I’m hungry!”
Here’s what happened next…I picked up the telephone and found one of our “Fishes and
Loaves” constituents who volunteered to put them up in a garage apartment until they could
afford to move out on their own. (It took them one month!) Then, I called a computer company
that we have done business with and told them that I had a guy who needed a job. The truth is,
THEY really needed him. Isn’t that GREAT?! It gets better…one of our Clinic doctors was open
to giving the Mom a job as a nurse! See! That’s your Wesley House, community-faith based
mission. You’ve got to love it!
So here’s the thing…as Christians, we need to continually pray God’s guidance in the
service of others. There I was, focused on toys for the children in this hurting family, when God
had sent them to Wesley House to be fed, clothed, nurtured and loved. Sometimes, as Christians,
we force others to listen to us yammer on about our agenda for their lives, when all they want is
to be fed! It’s hard to ask people to listen to guidance when they’re hungry. Do you ever make
that mistake, missing opportunities to really make a difference in the life of another person
because you’re in the way? I learned a lot about myself that Christmas and I don’t think I’ll
forget the little 7 year old child’s words to me…forget the toys, Lady…I’m hungry!
How Great is the God We Serve?
September 8, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, I stepped into our foyer and inquired as to how everybody was doing and if anyone would like prayer. A lady tearfully responded that she did. As I inquired as to what was going on with this young lady, she disclosed that she had no idea that she was coming to Wesley House at all. She had felt her life situation spiraling out of control and was driving around while pleading with God to guide and direct her path. She ended up here at Wesley House.
As it turned out, this working mother had a very sick little boy. In fact, her little 10 year old will be undergoing heart surgery the first part of January and the bills have been tremendous. She also has a son in college. Her husband left the family because he could no longer manage the stress of watching his little fellow struggle so hard for a life that had become a moment by moment fight with each breath.
As she shared her story, I learned that she and her two boys had been sleeping on the floor…this family had only a roof over their heads but no furniture. I called a local merchant who donated three brand new mattress and box springs sets! We were able to give them household items, food, clothing, school uniforms and assigned a “mentor” to that family who reports needs as they arise and provides home cooked meals for the family from time to time.
As we know, God gives to Wesley House in many ways, but always has the receiver in mind. This young lady’s answer to her prayer was in place before she even verbalized it. How great is the God we serve? That great!
Lessons from a Box
March 20, 2009
A couple of days ago, I noticed a disruption outside my door. In preparing the “Community Closet”, my co-workers had emptied the clothing from wardrobe boxes and placed them by the dumpster with the intention of cleaning them out and disposing of them. Upon further inquiry, I learned that the boxes had stirred the imaginations of some neighborhood children who had emptied the debris inside the boxes onto the ground around the dumpster and were building a cool fort on the Housing project playground area. I overheard the staff and visitors complaining and did not say a word, but got up and walked to the said area where the children were…I found them with the mega-boxes! Their eyes grew as big as saucers as they saw me approach and realized that they were “busted”.
I said, “Okay, this is how it’s going to be…I will give you 10 minutes to clean up the mess that you made by the dumpster or I am reporting each of you to the Housing Authority. One little boy said, “You don’t know my name, Lady!” I told him to try me as I walked away.
Truth…I only knew a couple of those children, but I came back to the Center and wrote a short accounting of what they had done. Out the door I went, paper in hand, and saw my little munchkins finishing up the task at hand. I read the incident report that I had written to them and told them how disappointing their behavior had been…after all, “This is your neighborhood!” I said. I explained that Wesley House is here for them and how much I need their help to keep it clean.
Several apologized. I asked them how, given the same situation, they could do better. One little girl said, “I would empty the box in the dumpster first, then ask for the box.” “Right! That is exactly right! Or you have my permission to take the boxes as long as you don’t make a mess.” Then, I wrote as they watched, “The children have now cleaned up their mess beautifully!” Each was asked to sign their first and last names underneath the statement. I asked if they wanted the boxes for their fort and they nodded, “Yes.” “Well, then, take them”, I responded. They smiled and went on about their business of fort-building!
What a great moment that was for all of us. A seemingly, bad and intense situation that God used to uplift and build… Imagine that! In evaluating the moment, I realized that those children live in small little apartments with their families and the living space is so close that it does not allow for alone-time and creativity. Those boxes provided a little privacy and lots of creative fun for those little kids! What a relationship building moment it was for all of us. I am learning that situations and/or events may often appear to be a nuisance, like this one, but blessings are waiting if we just look for them!
