|
|
Serenity Pointe, a local nonprofit organization, celebrated the launch of its new facility for women recovering from abuse and addiction with an open house on Saturday, November 7. The house at Serenity Pointe is a Bible-centered home near Whitwell which accepts women who are ready to change their lives once and for all, said Coordinator Debbie Morrison.
“Donors, volunteers and supporters from across the Sequatchie Valley gathered together under brilliant blue skies, with the sun shining bright and the last of the fall color clinging to the trees,” said Morrison. “They enjoyed food and fellowship while listening to live gospel music.”
The music was performed by “Free on the Inside,” a group of singers from the Sequatchie County Justice Center, along with other musicians.
Serenity Pointe’s residents spoke at the open house, telling of their experiences and journey to Serenity Pointe.
“One of the residents, Brandy, told the crowd how she had been sober for almost a year when chaos returned to her life,” said Morrison. “She had thought she was doing well with a job and a car, and thought she had finally beaten her 18-year addiction to prescription pain pills.”
After relapsing again, the new Serenity Pointe resident went to a party in Nashville where she was abandoned. She contacted a friend in Grundy County who suggested the new Serenity Pointe home, and has since been a resident battling her addiction, said Morrison.
The House at Serenity Pointe is the only program of its kind in the Sequatchie Valley. It offers women a safe place to live while they rebuild their lives. Residents take classes in financial responsibility, anger management, parenting and household management. Morrison explained, the residents share housekeeping duties and participate in group and individual counseling. The daily routine includes time for Bible study and prayer.
The program is staffed by volunteers and funded entirely by donations from the community. Volunteers teach classes, provide professional counseling and mentor the women in basic life skills like cooking, sewing and cleaning.
“The House at Serenity Pointe would not exist if it weren’t for the love that the Sequatchie Valley has for people in need,” said Morrison.
Over the summer, dozens of local churches, individuals and businesses volunteered their time, tools, materials and funds to help renovate a four-bedroom house for the program.
Among those volunteers were several trustees from the Sequatchie County Justice Center. They helped with construction, painting and cleaning. One of those trustees is now a resident at the house, noted Morisson.
For Chaplain Lenard Sutherland, who oversees the trustee and ministry programs at the Justice Center, the House at Serenity Pointe is the answer to a prayer.
“When they leave the jail, many of these women have no place to go. They face the same problems and go back to the same friends and behaviors,” said Sutherland. “That’s why Serenity Pointe’s program is so important. Now, these women will have a place to go where they can learn and take care of themselves in the real world.”
The House at Serenity Pointe opened its doors in September and is currently home to five women, including three who came directly from the Sequatchie County Justice Center. Morrison’s family lives at the house full-time and manage it like their own household, she said.
“We regard the women here as family,” said Morrison. “We love these girls like they were our own flesh and blood. People ask us, ‘aren’t you afraid of living with those convicts?’ No, I’m not. I have seen what God can do for someone who is ready to change.”
Morrison stated, the women living at Serenity Pointe want to become productive members of society and good mothers for their children.
The Morrisons founded Serenity Pointe in 2008 to provide a hand-up, not a hand-out, to those who have nowhere to go and nowhere else to turn. In addition to the recovery program, Serenity Pointe offers emergency assistance to those in need. It has helped more than 300 men, women and children in the Sequatchie Valley get access to shelter, clothing, food and treatment programs. The agency is working to develop more affordable housing in the area, she noted.
Volunteer opportunities are available with Serenity Pointe, and anyone interested should visit www.ser-enitypointe.org or call 949-7068.
|
|
|
|