Sojourner Truth House Inc
Sojourner Truth House is a ministry of hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Through hospitality, advocacy, integrative services and collaboration, participants improve their quality of life and that of the community in a safe, trusting environment.
A small home in Gary, Indiana, housed Jasmine and her three young daughters. It was crowded and chaotic, but more or less stable. That all changed the day an electrical fire ravaged the home. Thankfully, no one was home, but the home was a total loss.
Obviously, Jasmine and her three girls needed to find a new place to live. With little education, no transportation and no employment, Jasmine first turned to friends who offered sympathy and a couch for a day or two. But when that ran its course, there was only one place for Jasmine to turn: a local homeless shelter.
“Although I had seen some tough times, I had never had to go to a homeless shelter before. I was in a state of denial,” Jasmine remembers. “My kids were young, and I kept telling them everything was going to be okay, but deep down, I had no idea what I was going to do.”
Jasmine put on a brave and cheerful face, but inside she was experiencing the depths of despair. She had no prospects, no money and no hope. One day, a van from Sojourner Truth House showed up at the shelter, and some other women encouraged her to check it out.
“At first, I really wasn’t too sure about being at Sojourner,” Jasmine remembers with a smile. “I just didn’t think anyone could help me. But they were so welcoming, and they really cared about me and what I was going through.”
After a short while, Jasmine began to find the emotional strength to begin hoping again. “Because of bad choices I made, I had no self-esteem at all. The group leaders at Sojourner taught me that I couldn’t help my girls until I learned to love myself.”
With her emotional recovery underway, Jasmine clung to her faith in God and her new support system at STH.
But STH was able to do even more than that as we fulfilled our mission of helping women improve the quality of their lives. Through your support we are able to offer advocacy and services, helping Jasmine move out of the shelter and into an apartment of her own, furniture and beds included.
Life still has challenges for Jasmine and her girls, but through all the ups and downs, the care and support from Sojourner Truth House remains a constant source of stability and strength for them.
“I now have so much hope for the future,” Jasmine says proudly. “I’ve started a small housekeeping business, and I want to go to nursing school. I love Sojourner Truth House and so do my girls. Sojourner Truth House is our family.”