The Capacity to Dream
Pg. 2-3
Empowered to Dream
Pg. 4-5
Equipped to Dream
Pg. 6-7
Spring 2018
Dear Friend,
I am living proof that when God calls you, He will equip you, but I had to seek Him with all my heart. He has empowered me to dream since I was a little girl living with a violently abusive mother, scavenging for food after going days without eating. I’m a survivor of more than physical abuse and neglect, but also of the worst kind—the kind we don’t often find ourselves speaking out loud about in conversations. There've been many times in my life when the “why?” of it all pressed in and weighed on me like a wet blanket, suffocating every dream that might be peering out from behind the ugly. Years ago, “Grace” arrived for an interview. She never made eye contact. Slumped over in the seat, she apologized with every question and tried to assure the interview team that it would be okay if she was not accepted. No trace of confidence. It was so obvious that this girl had rarely had a kind word spoken to her, and those who were meant to love and protect her, had neglected and abused. Her head stayed down, hair in her face, no sparkle…the epitome of a broken and wounded spirit. Grace confided that she couldn’t read…not really anyway…evidence of the lack of investment in the life of this beautiful child grew deafening in the silence of the interview room. When a girl shows up at Saving Grace, she is often feeling desperately lost. Dreams once birthed in the heart of a little girl have been snuffed out like a flame deprived of oxygen. The broken places of her past have cultivated an urgency to simply survive. There’s no capacity to dream. No hope of a future…just day-to-day survival. But then GRACE intervenes, and with it comes, food, shelter, HOPE--the miracle that happens when she feels safe enough to rest. Nourishment for her body and soul. Community and love. There are no adequate words to describe seeing the light that comes back into the eyes of “Grace”. She’s got more grit than any “survivor” you’ll ever encounter. It’s the beauty of saving the girl “Grace”. It’s a privilege to watch these miracles as they unfold this side of Heaven. You’re a part of those miracles. ❤ God’s grateful girl,
Becky Shaffer, Executive Director
There are many ways to give
text
479.316.3020
visit
savinggracenwa.org
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1229 W. Poplar St. | Rogers, AR 72756
@SavingGraceNWA
...be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion! Philippians 1:6
Capacity to Dream Stephanie Davis, Program Manager A year ago we shared the beginning of Alex’s story. At the time she had been in our program for five months and was our first resident in Pink Shirt Phase, a new addition to the program that we launched in January 2017. Pink Shirt Phase allows our residents the opportunity to go from “survival mode” to “thrival mode”. Since our beginning in 2010—when we first uttered the precious words, “Welcome Home, Grace”—we witnessed a pattern. Girls began our program tired, depleted, desperate for change, and unable to think past finding a place to lay their heads—the definition of survival mode. Psychology tells us that in this mode, one is unable to think proactively. There is an inability to think past surviving that very day, much less make a plan for generational change. Implementing the Pink Shirt Phase has given our residents the opportunity to take a long, deep breath, metaphorically. When Grace enters our program, we now ask her to pause… to stop working, striving, and grasping for the next thing she needs to survive. Instead, we ask her to step out of the chaos, to slow down, to begin connecting in healthy relationships with her mentors, staff, and other residents. We ask her to volunteer in the community, to plan healthy meals, and to walk in the sunshine. We ask her to spend time journaling, going to counseling, and dreaming about what she truly wants for the next chapter of her life. It is in this sacred space that she learns new patterns for her life and we see the capacity for her dreams begin to develop. She starts to think about a life outside of chaos, poverty, and scarcity. Pink Shirt directly alters the trajectory of her future. “That time is sacred,” Alex reflects, thinking back to the days that seemed so difficult. “Coming from chaos to adjust to a new atmosphere. Girls need that pause. This is helping girls change and adapt to a new environment.” Today, we see the benefits of this phase in Alex. She is 16 months into our program and is on track to graduate from Saving Grace this summer. She demonstrates concrete markers of change. She has paid off thousands of dollars in debt, works full time, and is climbing the ladder for management in her job. We also see the deeper, Kingdom transformation of her heart. “I can now schedule my life, and I’m not always on my phone. I want to write or read, and I know the value of reflection,” she shares. “I’m loved and I can trust healthy people. I’ve always had this faulty belief that people want something from me, and in Pink Shirt I was able to accept the love and care that Saving Grace gave me.” Alex is an advocate for our program, encouraging new residents to take advantage of the time to reflect and be still. She reminds them that God will bless their efforts to slow down and receive love. Alex no longer hustles for her immediate needs of love and affection or food and shelter to be met. As a result she, like other Pink Shirt graduates, enters “thrival mode” with the capacity to dream. Pink Shirt graduates are empowered to set goals and dream big. They seek out ways to give back to others—creating a ripple of generational change in their own lives, and in the lives of those in this community. ❤
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#mentorforlife
#embracingmycurls
#firstdayatSG
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#nofearnewyear
Empowered to Dream Bri Suitt, Life Coach
"The only thing I can cook is out of a box. I need my license. Do you teach us how to do taxes? I’ve never talked with anyone about my past. I want to learn how to be a lady." I’ve heard these anxiety-riddled, insecure responses over and over while interviewing young women who are interested in Saving Grace. When asked what she hopes to glean from her time with us or what her dreams are, the morale is understandably low. The aspirations are practical and feel urgent. In September, we asked a painfully shy, curly-headed girl the same question. Her eyes fixed squarely on the floor, hands jammed in her jacket pockets. “I want to be a film director,” she said in a surprisingly strong voice. I lifted my head from taking notes, as it wasn’t quite the answer I anticipated from someone who’s bouncing back and forth between living out of a car and the local shelter. Many of our girls come to us willing but unable to dream—needing to focus on basic needs for survival. This young woman, “Grace”, came to us with an incredible dream already in place, but she needed support to help make that dream a reality. It’s been so fun to watch her become a part of the Saving Grace family since that day, and to work with her week by week. I sat down with her a few weeks ago, reminiscing about the early days and reflecting on her capacity to dream here at Saving Grace. Here’s what she had to say; Bri: Would you share with our friends about some of your greatest dreams and goals? Grace: My greatest dream is to become a film director and work with people like Anna Kendrick and Brittney Snow, and also to work alongside great directors like Steven Spielberg. Some of my goals [at Saving Grace] are trying to get my drivers license, finishing college, and learning to finally budget my money. Bri: Who are the people that you count on for support while you’re achieving your goals? Grace: Besides my parents and family, I would have to say my mentors—Michella, Cathy, and Sarah. I really don’t know what I would do without them. The staff and residents at Saving Grace also give me great support by telling me not to stop and keep on going. Bri: What is the scariest part of pursing your dreams? Grace: Oh gosh. The scariest part of trying to make my goals and dreams a reality is that I feel like I’m always going to fail no matter what I do. I get frustrated when I don’t understand all of my assignments, or my accommodations at school aren’t what I was expecting. I’m not really having any problems here at Saving Grace though. Bri: You’re killing it here at SG! Do you feel like you’ve changed much since moving here? Grace: I definitely feel like I’ve grown but not changed who I am, if you know what I mean. This is small, but I really didn’t know that I was funny before I moved here, so that’s been fun to discover. I guess a big thing I’m learning is that I can take care of myself. Before SG basically my parents took care of me until I was 19 and I didn’t think I could do this on my own. I know I still need people’s support but I really do feel like I won’t be on the streets in the future and that I can make it on my own. Bri: I think so too. I’ve LOVED watching you grow. So what gives you courage when you think about your dreams? Grace: I think just knowing there are other people out there with disabilities like me who have had a successful career in the film [industry] helps, and that I have insight into things that no one else does. I also know that I’m someone who can persevere. I think knowing that I’m capable of working and not have to depend on my disability benefits gives me courage, too. Bri: If someone reading this were thinking about pursuing their dreams, what would you say to them? Grace: For me, it helps to know that I have people that are there to support me and tell me not to give up. I would just say, chase after your dreams and don’t hold back on trying to make it a reality. If you just keep moving forward, even if you’re having a troublesome day, your hope can’t get lost. “Grace” is now a freshman in the Saving Grace program and has completed her first semester at NWACC as a full-time student. She continues to take film classes and regularly includes other residents and staff in her film projects. Recently, she was gifted her very own DSLR camera and gear through the generosity of our amazing community here in NWA— which enables her to keep reaching for her dreams. When Grace is not studying and in class, she enjoys going to church with her mentors, volunteering at the cat clinic, watching movies, and cooking up creative and tasty meals. ❤
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Equipped to Dream People often ask about the number of girls we serve or the length of time it takes to finish the Saving Grace program—these two numbers can vary on any given day. We keep track of those statistics, but the success of our program is not measured by them. Once people learn that we exist to empower generational change, they want to know what our program is doing to promote that change. “What does your program look like? How do you serve each girl? How does she know she’s growing?” These are some of the most common questions we hear. We’d love to open up our Program Binder and share a few of the activities and goals that set “Grace” on a trajectory for generational change. The Program Binder and Planner are two tools that each resident receives when she enters our program. These tools give “Grace” the capacity to dream and become the central place for her to monitor program expectations, along with her goals and dreams. Truthfully, we’d much rather share this with you in a tour or over a cup of coffee—so please, once you’re finished reading this, give us a call! We’d love to share more in-depth stories of how lives are changing at our Little House on Poplar. ❤
Dream Work
Each young woman in our program works through 5 phases— Pink Shirt, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior. Each phase has concrete objectives she must accomplish before moving on to the next phase.
Self-Care Health & Wellness
Generational change is holistic—from relational development and goal setting, to self-care and healthy eating. Many who grow up with food insecurity lack an understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and how exercise impacts overall health! By cultivating healthy eating habits, we see “Grace” branching out to try many new nutrient rich foods—ultimately honoring the body that God has given her.
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In Pink Shirt phase, each girl is required to attend six sessions of counseling. We know healthy relationships are the catalyst to generational change. Processing unmet expectations, setting healthy boundaries, and healing past grief are things often explored during this time. The goal is to help Grace prepare for and engage in healthy relationships now, and in the future. About 90% of our girls choose to continue counseling after those first six sessions.
Healthy Relationships Each resident in our program is connected to a “cord of three”—Three women who have chosen to mentor-for-life. In Pink Shirt Phase, “Grace” is introduced to her own cord of three and begins to engage with them in healthy relationships— learning life skills and practicing the art of celebration! These things are the catalyst for good experiences that heal bad experiences.
Today, you can join us in empowering generational change. Throughout the last few pages you’ve read stories about what is possible when we dream together. It’s in these stories of hope that we get a glimpse of what is possible when a community unites together to empower young women— creating space for them to dream about the future for the very first time. Cycles of poverty, homelessness, abuse, and hopelessness are broken for generations to come! By financially supporting Saving Grace, you’ll become a partner with us in this life-changing work—making it possible for us to serve the young women of NWA, now and in the future. Would you consider a one-time or monthly gift today?
No Fear New Year
We love to start the year with the girls in our program celebrating accomplishments from the previous year and equipping them with tools for success in the upcoming year. We take time to set clear expectations, giving them the opportunity to commit to the hard work and dedication it will take to accomplish their goals. We do this in a space where cell phones are off and all that competes for their attention is quieted down, opening their sweet hearts to direction and the capacity to dreamgiving them hope of a future.
We’ve included a few examples of how your financial gifts empower “Grace’s” dreams. ❤
LIFE SKILLS CLASS SPONSOR
COUNSELING SPONSOR
Director of Development
PINK SHIRT SPONSOR
FRIEND OF GRACE
$300 $500 $1,000 $5,000 or $25 a month
or $40 a month
or $83 a month
or $416 a month
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Saving Grace NWA
Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Permit #14 ROGERS AR
1229 W. Poplar St. Rogers, AR 72756 | (479) 636-1133
“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.” ~ L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Investing in Dreams Meet the Hayward family! This tribe of gutsy women has chosen to invest in the future generations of “Grace” and have invested in the mission of Saving Grace since our first year of operation. Brandie Hayward, a Saving Grace mentor and donor, first became involved in 2010. “Growing up, life wasn’t so easy,” Brandie reflects. “I have been able to share [Jesus’] hope with my sweet mentee. From the outside looking in, you can see that Saving Grace becomes the family of love that so many girls need, just like the generations of Hayward women have been for me.” As Brandie began to live out the mission of Saving Grace, she shared it with her (in-laws) grandma, mom and sister, who now empower “Grace” through their continued support. As the Hayward women dream big with their time, Larra Hayward-Donaldson, Brandi Hayward, Von Hayward, Lonna Hayward
treasures, and talents, they are equipping Grace to dream, too. They exemplify our value that we are truly all
in this together!
Photo contributions are generously donated by Main Street Studios-@main_street_studios, Shelby Mooty Photography-@shelbymootyphotography and Elizabeth Salazar Photography-@esalaz05