Ministry provides shelter for needy women
Where do you turn in the midst of life's storms?
For many women in Aiken County, Stand at the Crossroads Ministries has given them a second chance and shown them how to change their future. The ministry has been their shelter in the storm.
Stand at the Crossroads Ministries is a nonprofit organization operating in Aiken that encompasses My Father's House and the Crossroads Community. The entire ministry is dedicated to offering a safe harbor to single women in need.
My Father's House opened its doors more than 10 years ago and has not only housed but has also helped nearly 30 single women get back on their feet and grow spiritually, emotionally and financially. The Crossroads Community began this year as a service to aid single mothers.
"We are a Christian organization who reaches out to women who are homeless. It is amazing how many people things just happen to, and, all of a sudden, they don't have a place to stay anymore," said Deborah Lamb, founder of Crossroads Ministries.
Currently, My Father's House is home to six women, but the vision is to expand and be able to offer assistance to more women in crisis. The house has a full upstairs that needs renovation.
"This was my dad's place," Lamb said. "There was a fire here 40 years ago, and my dad redid the bottom of the house into two apartments, but the upstairs never got renovated. ... I was here helping him renovate one day and he said to me, 'You can do anything you want with this house.' I remember standing outside looking at the house and saying, 'Gee, Lord, that would be a great place for a ministry. I could call it My Father's House.'"
It was not until more than a year later that Lamb began the ministry at the old Victorian home that once belonged to her father.
"The women just started coming. ... I am thrilled to be able to say, 'Yes, I have a place for you,'" Lamb said. "I hate to turn anyone away."
In 2009, Lamb saw the need to offer housing for single mothers and their children. Knowing that the families need more space, she was able to lease with the option to buy property next door to My Father's House. Through donations and the aid of many local churches, the first of three two-bedroom apartments was completed and occupied immediately.
Since opening, both My Father's House and the Crossroads Community have been filled to capacity with a long waiting list. In fact, Lamb recently made space in her office for another bedroom.
"The vision is to provide a safe place for women to get back on their feet. It is not to give them a hand-out but a hand-up, to see them grow spiritually and emotionally and to become productive members of society," she said.
Part of the requirements to stay at the Stand at the Crossroads Ministries are to volunteer within the community, to attend church on Sundays, to participate in weekly Bible study, attend Celebrate Recovery classes and to complete a financial course.
The longest stay at the ministry is one year. During this time, the women are urged to find employment and save money to be able to be out on their own. They provide their own food and clothing and pay a small monthly rent.
"God has been really good. God gives us a purpose in life and when you find it, you are so fulfilled," Lamb said. "I am blessed back by being able to watch the growth of the women."
There are constant needs at the ministry that include household supplies and donations. The lease on which the Crossroads Community now stands has run out. The landlord has agreed to extend the lease for several more months with the hope that the ministry will be able to raise the funds needed to purchase the property.
If the property is acquired, Lamb has big plans to expand the ministry on the acre lot. She hopes to build additional cottages on the property, but she is taking it one step at a time. The biggest concern right now is to raise $120,000 to purchase the land and renovate the upstairs of My Father's House. By completing the upstairs, the home would be able to accommodate four to six more women.
"I just want to be able to continue to reach out and encourage," Lamb said.
The success stories keep Lamb going even when she is faced with difficult times.
Anyone wanting to assist Stand at the Crossroads Ministries should call Lamb at 502-0285.
Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com.