ABOUNDING IN LOVE
WOW. This has been Michelle's continued response from day one of her experience with The Salvation Army. Every day she is in awe of the resources that are now available to her and, even more importantly, the amount of love and support she has encountered during her time living at The Salvation Army’s shelter in downtown Indianapolis.
“I never knew anything about The Salvation Army,” Michelle tells us. “By God’s grace, I was led to the Ruth Lilly Women and Children’s Center.” Michelle life was a sad story of hardship and domestic abuse. She was used to feeling hurt, heartbroken, and trapped. Yet when she arrived at the Women and Children’s Center, Michelle was met with a warmth that had never been a part of her adult life. Where before were uncertainty and fear, a sense of love and safety now resides in her heart.
The team at the Women and Children’s Center meets with Michelle on a regular basis and makes sure that she has what she needs to feel safe, warm, clean, and fed. Her gratitude is shared with each person she sees, making a point to thank everyone on the staff for giving her the resources she needs to get back on her feet. Food, shelter, health care, and hope – all have been welcome additions to Michelle’s life.
“They saved my life. The staff gave me love, so, so much love,” Michelle says. “They are not just ‘staff.’ They are loving, giving, strong women.”
Michelle is now in school and credits her new life to her positive experience working with the team at The Salvation Army. She wants to help other women turn their lives around and plans to give back by returning to help women who have been through similar hardships. Michelle recognizes that there are many women who need the same love and safety that she found at the Women and Children’s Center, and she is excited to share her experience with others and encourage them to come to The Salvation Army for safety and care. “I will tell women that someone cares and loves them, and that there is life through The Salvation Army.”