M I N I S T RY | P R O F I L E
Rebuilding Walls of Safety Emily Houser and the Smoky Mountain Dream Center By GEORGE P. WOOD
T
he Great Smoky Mountains of central Appalachia offer tourists some of the most picture-worthy vistas in the United States. Like many beautiful places, however, they hide an ugly reality. This is especially true for women in the region who have experienced poverty, abuse and incarceration. Cindy* is an example. In 2014, she approached Emily Houser for help finding a place to live. The two women had met while Cindy was serving
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time for drug possession in the county lockup and Houser was doing jail ministry. “I can live with this guy who’s down the street,” Cindy told Houser. Houser knew that was a bad idea. Such arrangements often lead to domestic violence and sexual abuse. Cindy’s 12-year-old niece, Andrea*, would be *The name is changed to protect privacy.
