Gilead Foundations Charity - Newsletter Autumn 2022

AUTUMN 2022 Christian faith-based Women’s Centre, providing a supported living service on a farm in Devon, for women who have had various life controlling issues such as drugs and alcohol addiction, depression, domestic abuse.

Unlocking people... releasing potential

Life skills support is in full swing at Gilead

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News Inside

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Residents’ stories

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Farewell to Linda and Steve

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Funding for life skills training

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STORIES FROM OUR RESIDENTS: I had always said no to counselling in the past but being here it is not like your typical Counsellors, who sit there with a pen and paper. They do it in a way that you don’t even realise you are opening up. Gilead has taught me how to deal with my past and how I can move forward in life. I feel like I can breathe for once and like a weight has been lifted.

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I came to Gilead from Middlesbrough in May. I am from a non-Christian family.

I came to overcome my addiction with drugs. My drug use led me down a dark path and I felt like there was no way out. I was homeless, my family disowned me, my relationships failed and I lost my children. I was in a really dark place. I felt like I had no hope.

Gilead helped me from day

one of making my phone call. The staff were helpful and encouraging. They even helped me with transport to get here. When I arrived they were very welcoming and understanding, as were the girls and I settled in well. The whole atmosphere was amazing. It was like stepping into another world. The surroundings are beautiful, and it has opened new things to me such as faith, working with animals and learning horticulture.

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After months of trying to get through the doors of Gilead because of barriers with the benefit system, I’m now 4 months into my program. I was living with my parents and was suffering with poor mental health. Wow what a special place this is!

There were times I never thought living a clean and drug free life was achievable for myself but with the love of God and opening my heart to the Lord, keeping my eyes fixed upon Jesus I was able to be set free. From the support of the staff, teaching, and counselling sessions, I have gained the skills and knowledge to live a happy drug-free life. The staff are so supportive and loving I have so much to thank them all for. I have been involved in the cooking and gardening and just recently started in reception, answering the phone and doing some marketing work.

Charlotte

I have achieved so much already. I have gained qualifications, I have regular contact with my children on Facetime, I have new skills and I have now allowed Jesus into my life. I am slowly regaining control of my life and doing things I never thought I could do.

I now have the stability to sustain a positive future.

I am living happily for what seems to be the first time in my life and I have made some amazing friends

along the way. I recommend Gilead to anyone who needs help with their addictions.

God guided me towards Gilead. He pulled me out the darkness, into the stage of realisation and the hope to progress in life. God always has a plan and everybody has a purpose.

Gilead gives you the opportunity to really figure out who you are and what you want to achieve in life.

It gives you that little break from reality to work on yourself and to break that chain which is likely to pull you back into your old ways.

Everybody deserves a second chance in life no matter where you come from or what you have previously done. If you’re feeling like this, contact Gilead because you wont get another rehab like this!

Courtney

Remember Susan?

In our last newsletter she had been with us for only 4 weeks, and now 6 months on she tells her story.

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I’m in no hurry to leave! I was in addiction for 38 years. I have children and grandchildren. I see the world through different eyes now and feel so good. I communicate regularly with my family and have been blessed during the Summer to be able to attend some Christian music festivals; The Big Church Day Out and Creation Fest, camping for both.

I was asked what I enjoy the most at Gilead, it must be planting, growing and eating the vegetables!

The sweetcorn has grown so tall in the poly tunnel and I’m looking forward to harvesting it!

Susan

TOILETS FINISHED!!

Before

FAREWELL TO STEVE AND LINDA In June this year we said our final farewells to this gem of a couple, who gave so much of themselves to the work and ministry of Gilead. Between them they supported and served our residents well.

Thank you to Sports England for a grant to help our residents become more active, including swimming, exercising, and purchasing a defibrillator. This is an outside cabinet which local people have access to.

It has taken a while but we got there! Thanks to grant funding and individual donations we can show you the finished product.

After This is the disabled toilet in a block of 3, the other 2 being unisex toilets. Thank you to Steve who worked tirelessly on this project, volunteering his time and using his skills as an engineer to do an amazing job.

In July we saw a team visit from Oaklands Church in Swansea, to clad and refurbish our Educational Cabin.

Thanks to National Lottery Funding we are now able to use the building for so much more! i.e. IT courses, horticulture lessons, the food store and craft workshops. We have also started a small farm shop which will sell plants and produce which the ladies have grown, alongside eggs from the farm business.

Before

Our Cooking 4 Life project with the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency came to an end this Summer. The skills learnt by those residents who participated will be lifelong, some progressing into employment, following participation in this programme. Our residents learnt budgeting, nutrition, cooking, baking, harvesting the food from the poly tunnel and pickling.

After

We were successful in obtaining another grant after this one finished, called The ‘Innovation for Youth and Community’ Employability Grants Devon scheme. Led

by Petroc College, it is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund, which is managed within Devon by Devon County Council.

The aim is for us to support our residents

TRAINING AREA

SWW, Localgiving (magic little grants) and WDBC all have contributed recently to our horticulture and gardening training area, enabling purchases like water butts to save water, plants and soil, to grow vegetables.

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Into education or training

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Engage in job searching

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Into employment including selfemployment

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Engage in life skills support/ volunteering

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Help access job seeking benefits or prepare or plan for work benefits.

WHAT WE OFFER We offer a supportive residential centre for women from all over the UK. We are Christian based and partly run by donations. Our Bungalow houses 8 residents, each with their own room. We do not currently have the capacity to offer detoxing so every woman that comes to us must be clean for at least 10 days.

Our aim is to support and guide everyone to achieve their full potential and to stay free of their addiction.

We can support with: •

Counselling

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Relapse prevention

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Housing

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Learning new skills

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Gaining qualifications

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Life skills

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Volunteering and job seeking.

If they wish to do so, we give all our residents the opportunity to participate in activities such as: •

Milking the cows

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Packing the eggs

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Helping with the chickens

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Ground work

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Horticulture

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Catering

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Administration and marketing

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Crafts

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Sports and leisure

Our ladies also participate in daily Bible teachings, daily devotional studies and regular days out. We give them the opportunity to do a personal weekly shop at our local supermarket which is supervised by staff. All ladies help with the cleaning of the lodge. We have gym equipment and a TV which they can watch films

on. Every Sunday we attend church so the women can worship within a community, and we also hold our own service one evening a week.

We can support our residents on their journey and help them to move on.

Each lady gets their own support plan and their own mentor. We can help with housing, health appointments, liaising with professionals as a third party i.e social services. Our programme is a minimum of six months long. During this time they will be slowly reintroduced to becoming independent within the community, once we feel they are ready. This starts off with having one day out unsupervised in our local town of Okehampton, which then progresses to one weekend away in a home or suitable safe place. A Managers’ meeting will then take place and a move on plan will be discussed. We will then continue our support as an outreach and point the lady in the right direction of other organisations which can help.

One way to let people know about us is for us to visit your church or organisation.

Please email admin@gilead.org.uk to start a conversation.

HOW TO APPLY

Please look up our `How to apply’ leaflet available on our website www.gilead.org.uk Call or email us if we can support your church, organisation or family in any way.

Other ways to support us Buy a gift from our Amazon wish list

www.Bit.ly/gileadcharity Choose an item off this list to bless our residents.

Contact us For more information or to arrange a visit

Donate through Paypal Giving Fund

01837 851240 www.gilead.org.uk admin@gilead.org.uk

Send a gift through the post

Risdon Farm Jacobstowe Okehampton EX20 3AJ

Set up a monthly standing order paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/203824 (no charge for donor or charity)