For the last five years one of my BFF's and I have been planning, plotting, and working toward a particular goal. The fruits of our blood, sweat, and tears are finally beginning to bud.
The concept is a non-profit organization. A half way house for female victims of domestic abuse, and their children. This is NOT the normal "safe" house that is a temporary stop-gap or a proverbial band-aid, like can already be found all over the nation. This will be a place where victims can live with their children and learn to not be enablers, learn not to take abuse, gain vocational and adult daily living skills they individually need.
We have vision of each person having their personal treatment program, to meet THEIR needs - not a general program all go through as if they are jumping through hoops to get generalized help. The further vision is of apartments that each family lives in independently (and their rent/expenses will be a cost) and learns to handle it on a daily basis. With help, of course, but also in a sink or swim type of way. Any help an individual would need would be offered, or found with/for them.
But the focus will be on building the individual where they feel confident and capable to do it on their own. This is the "teach a man to fish" philosophy, VS the "hand a man a fish" feel good concept. We want to keep it real, and applicable to a persons real life, not a hand out to get them through a rough time. We want to see change in these lives.
The entire environment will be therapeutic. Especially for the children. We have plans being enacted as I type to have a ranch type area where the children will have opportunity (as part of their therapy) to care for abused animals. I mean. . . imagine it. . . these kids who have been abused (emotionally, mentally, and probably physically) themselves must WORK to get an animal who has been abused much like themselves to TRUST them enough to let them take care of it - to HELP the animal itself. Can't you just see the healing taking place? I can. When I think of how that works, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course there will be other therapies, but that's the biggie for the kids.
After five years of planning and working toward it, it's weird now that it's actually happening. I've got that whole "pinch myself" thing going on.
We have been given the opportunity to be backed by a man who has a ridiculously large amount of money he wants invested in the local area where the halfway house will be - and he wants it invested in non-profit organizations. How fortunate for us! This man is certainly following through on his promises, thank God.
The papers for the org have been filed and accepted. The land the org bought last year is secure, and five of the lots around that land are in the process of being purchased - they close on the deal today. The construction as well as the renovation of the already standing building has begun on the original land. It's such a gorgeous piece of land. It's going to be THE perfect place for carrying out our plans. Open and green, with plenty of room for the apartment complex, the central building, and the barns, the riding trail, ETC. that will be needed. There's even a new person involved that's willing to work to get sponsors to fund individual pieces of equipment for an on sight playground. How cool is THAT?
It's all so very exciting and promising. T and I are expecting no later than fall for me to be moving there and actually accepting clients, but more likely before then with as fast as things are happening in reality. And, I keep reminding myself that we were both right about the timeline of this latest stuff that's happening. We both figured spring of '08 for thing to start taking off, and here we are. Right where we figured we would/could be.
It's all falling into place.
