REAL HOPE through Christ for women in need

Here’s a question you’ve probably never asked:

“The choice I’m about to make…

Will it help me survive?”

For many of our neighbors, living in deep poverty, this is a question that must be asked — not just once in a while, but every single day.

Until you’ve lived in it, chronic poverty is almost beyond imagining.

In the dead of summer, you’re going without air conditioning. When an appliance breaks, you learn to get along without it, maybe for years. You ration your meals day to day, week to week, knowing money is tight and you’re going to run out.

A friend I’ll call Leah has lived in chronic poverty much of her life. She describes it with a single unnerving word:

“Survival.”

Leah hit rock-bottom years ago. Out of sheer desperation, she turned to prostitution, then addiction. She suffered abuses too horrible for me to share. She nearly died — more than once. She’s been on-again off-again homeless for much of her adult life.

But the story of Leah’s life doesn’t end there.

By God’s grace, and thanks to a caring friend like you, there’s a place called Hope Women’s Center … and Leah heard about it.

Here, a light began to dawn in her heart….

Through Bible studies, prayer with our staff, and her own deepening prayer life and Bible study, Leah has been welcoming the Lord’s influence into her life. She’s taking classes that support her healing. She’s in an addiction recovery program. She’s seeing a doctor, embarking on a journey toward physical health. Her progress has been awesome!

For the first time ever, she has hope. With a huge smile, she exclaims, “I’m so excited about this new direction for my life!”

But Leah couldn’t have come this far without you. Your generous support for Hope Women’s Center empowered our “Hope Credits” program….

It’s not a “freebie” — not a giveaway: We offer “Hope Credits” to a woman for attending classes — classes that give her the skills and insights she needs to become strong and self-sufficient: budgeting, abuse recovery, anger management, English if needed, and more.

Then she can redeem her Hope Credits for help with — for example, her utility bill. One class = 10 credits = $10 of aid. Leah earned points to receive food, toiletries, utility assistance, and more. Each time she participated in a program, she earned points to shop for those necessities. A client can easily get all she needs per week by attending a few classes.

Every month, with your strong support, we’re helping 350 women.

But the challenges are serious. Because of the pandemic, we had to cancel the Annual Gala we usually present in September. Our Gala brings in $150,000 every year. This year, without the Gala, we have a huge $150,000 need.

So I’m asking you, and every friend of Hope Women’s Center — especially friends who love to attend the Gala and make a special Gala contribution — to give an extra-generous gift today.

From the beginning of the COVID outbreak, we have never stopped serving women in need, here in our community. But to keep going strong, we need your special help today.

I also invite you to give generously because Arizona law provides a credit for cash contributions made to Hope Women’s Center: up to $400 filing singly, $800 married. Make any donation up to the maximum, keep a written receipt of your gift for your records (no need to itemize), and use code 20256 when submitting your tax credit.

Thank you so much for whatever generous gift you can give today! God bless you!

Offering help and hope,

Tammy Abernethy
Executive Director/CEO

P.S. Hope Credits mean survival for women like Leah, living in chronic poverty. Please be as generous as possible. Thank you again for your Christ-like compassion.