2/12/11 Today was our annual walk a mile fund raiser for Open Arms. This year is our 10th anniversary. And by the grace of God, we had more walkers today, than we ever had before, 915. Our goal was to raise $85,000. We raised $101,702.75 Praise the Lord. He is so good.
I've been homeless. I've been in these ladies shoes. I've had to walk every where I needed to go. I've needed to depend on others to help me get my life back on track. I thank God for others who take time to reach out and help men, women and children who need a hand to get back on their feet. Some people say, they can get a job, they don't need to be homeless if they don't want to be. That's not always true.
When I was homeless sleeping in the park by the river, or under the picnic table, hoping the police wouldn't catch me, I had a job. I just didn't make enough to rent an apartment, or a motel room in the town I lived in. My boyfriend had decided to go back to his wife, since I was living with him, I didn't have any where to stay. It was Dec. So it was very cold out. But you do what you have to do. The town I lived in didn't have a women's shelter. I did come to the women's shelter here in Kokomo, but at that time, you could only stay 3 nights. They didn't have Open Arms then. They had the house on Taylor St. This was in 91. The trustee wouldn't help me get housing, because I wasn't from Howard co. I finally found an apartment I could afford in the town I worked in. I had a mattress, dresser, big chair, kitchen table and one chair, cooler to keep stuff cool in. It had a stove in it. But it was home. I had two sets of curtains that fit the front room windows. the bedroom window was a sheet. You know, that place was great. It was warm, it had lights and running water. And it was mine. I never thought I would be without a place to live. It happened like overnight. It lasted two weeks. But two weeks in Dec. is a long time. Things are much different now. Open Arms has many more beds than they did back then. They also have meals on site, where they had to walk to the main mission when they were in the Taylor house. They have Bible studies, case workers... on site. That was things they didn't have in much of in 91. God has blessed the women and children who live at OA with wonderful tools to help them get back on their feet, and to get spiritually healthy.
Without the Walk-a-Mile and all who donate we wouldn't be able to do God's work.
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