I’m truly inspired by how God uses the Star of Hope and its supporters to touch lives. People are led to our doors in need of assistance, to get on the right path to a better life. I love when I meet people who have volunteered and donated to the Star of Hope because they share how great their experiences are! I also enjoy meeting people who used to live at Star of Hope because it gives me an opportunity to hear a strong testament to how God can take a life … broken and in despair … and transform it through the power of His love.
A long-term success story that I’d like to share with you is one of a homeless mother, Renetta, and her daughter, Barbara, who once lived at Star of Hope.
After Renetta’s husband passed, she married a man who turned out to be very violent and abusive … even when she was 7 months pregnant with their child. She had to get out.
“I remember we were driving down Kirby Drive. I had just received my paycheck and wanted to get some coats for the kids because it was cold. And he said, ‘No! No!’ Then he tried to take my purse. We were stopped at a light, and I jumped out of the car and ran into a building. A lady security guard helped me. She asked me where I wanted to go … I said Star of Hope. And she gave me a ride.”
They picked up her children from school, and she fled with them to Star of Hope, leaving everything behind. Her husband was unaware they had even left.
“If I hadn’t heard about Star of Hope on Radio KSBJ, I would probably have stayed with him. We just thought that was how it is.”
Star of Hope provided all her family needed, including clothes and a room for them.
“We had never experienced anyone who just wanted to help. It was like a retreat because everyone was so optimistic and full of hope,” she said. “It didn’t feel like a homeless shelter.”
Barbara was only a child when she lived at the Star of Hope with her mother, but she believes that time in her life positively shaped her into who she is now. “They said, I don’t have to stay a victim. I can choose to do something better … it is about who you want to be … not what you have been through.”
Renetta’s family now sees that tragedies of abuse and homelessness can happen to anyone. Renetta donates clothes to Star of Hope every year. “We want to give back. Lots of others are in the situation we were in.”
Renetta and Barbara shared their story on our Star of Hope podcast, A Moment of Hope! I hope you are inspired by how the love and assistance shared with Renetta and Barbara, at such a traumatic time in their lives, have left a positive imprint on their hearts.
But none of this would have been possible without your generous support. Thank you all for your continuous help, love, and prayers for our homeless families.