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For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
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Celebrating Our Graduates | |
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On Sunday, September 18, the room at SteelStacks was packed as we celebrated three brave and inspirational women as they graduated from our 2-year residential program. We heard from all three women as they shared their stories, as well as from past graduates who continue to thrive and support the program.
A common theme for all the women was that they were broken and when they were told about Bloom they never thought they could make it through two years, but they gave it a try and they made it!
They shared their heartbreaking stories of trauma and also their inspirational stories of climbing out of the darkness. One said, "I was done and broken... It is easy to love the lovable but not the unlovable."
But she continued her story saying that at Bloom "The best thing I gained was relationships and an extraordinary network of women." During each phase of the program she grew more and met more people and wanted to be better for them.
Another graduate shared how she never stayed in one place long, including jail, rehabs, etc. She knew she needed to stop living the way she was living. "I got honest about myself and my feelings... Slowly I learned to love myself...and not hating what I did that day." The community at Bloom "Loved me when I couldn't love myself."
Our third graduate said when getting to Bloom, "I just remember love." And, she is where she is because of the people that were put in her life.
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Standing ovation for our three brave graduates. | |
The Bloom staff celebrating our graduates. | |
What's Happening in our Homes | |
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Each day in our program is a huge accomplishment for our residents as they work hard to make a better life for themselves. The following are just a few of our residents' most recent accomplishments:
- One celebrated one-year clean and passed her GED test
- One completed summer classes at community college with a 4.0 GPA
- One celebrated one-year clean, is off probation and paid her debt off
- One celebrated 18 months clean
- One celebrated one-year clean and is off probation
- Three residents successfully completed the Equilibrium program
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Current Needs for our Homes | |
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It takes a lot of resources to operate our four (and soon to be five) homes and ensure we are providing our survivors with what they need to heal and rebuild their lives. Currently, we are in need of:
- Volunteers to
- drive residents to appointments, grocery shopping, etc.
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take care of small repairs in our homes
- to help with gardening around our homes
- to provide nutrition and wellness
- A van to transport our survivors to group activities
- Car(s) for residents to drive to appointments, jobs, etc.
- 3 bedside tables
- 3 dressers
- 1 small desk
- Gift cards to Giant, Weis, Dollar Store, and Target
Call our office at 610-866-5755 or email us if you may be able to help.
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Keeping Katie's Legacy Alive
On Sunday, September 11, Katie Renner's family held a brunch in honor of their mother who loved the mission of Bloom. Upon her passing last year, her family set up "Katie's Place Fund" to be designated for the Lilac House, our transition home in Bangor, Pa. We are so thankful for Katie's support in the past and her family for keeping her legacy alive and helping us to provide safe spaces for women survivors to heal and begin a new life of freedom. The event raised $5,280. Thank you Renner family and all those who came out to support our mission.
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Registration is now closed. | | |
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Regular Monthly Prayer Meetings -
Time has Changed!
The sessions will now take place on Zoom from 12:00-1:00 p.m. the second Monday evening of the month: October 10, November 14, December 12, and so on.
If you would like to be added to the list to receive monthly reminders,
please email us.
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Alyssa Santana, Case Manager
Members of our incredible staff here at Bloom come to us from all walks of life. Our staff members run the gamut from being the newbie fresh out of college, armed with a passion for social justice, to the seasoned professionals, some of whom were the warriors who started out in the trenches of what was then Truth for Women and Bloom in Bangor, with a dream of creating a sanctuary in the Lehigh Valley for survivors of human trafficking. Each brings a unique perspective to their role in furthering our mission.
We’d like to give thanks this month to Alyssa Santana, not only for the devotion and diligence she brings to her job as case manager, but especially for being a role model of perseverance and hope for our resident survivors. Alyssa is receiving her professional training from Kutztown University. Perhaps more importantly, though, her empathy and compassion for our survivors comes from her unique perspective of having been a trafficking survivor, herself.
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Welcome Home Campaign
We need the help of our amazing commUNITY to reach our goal of raising $300,000 for our new home, the Mountain Laurel House, that will allow us to expand our services to serve pregnant survivors of sex trafficking. Pregnant survivors will receive two years of safety while they heal, deliver and care for their baby, attend parenting classes and receive mentoring and vocational training. Graduates will have a plan for living independently beyond their time at Bloom. Our goal of $300,000 will cover capital and operating costs of the Mountain Laurel House for the next two years. For more information on the "Welcome Home" campaign, click the Pledge Form button below.
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HAPPENING AROUND BLOOM... | |
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We love seeing happy women wearing outfits they purchased at our store! Submit your outfit today to be featured on our Facebook page.
Email you pictures to Rebekah Fritchman.
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Fall Sale
September 19-24
15% Off Entire Store
(Exclusions apply)
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Donations:
We are accepting fall and winter clothing only!
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Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers for Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings!
Contact Rebekah Fritchman if interested!
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Starting to think about the Holidays? Maybe you could create a special gift for a special person!
Bloom Creative Studio located at 34 Broadway in Bangor, Pa. is looking for you to come in! Try your hand at one of the many unique projects we offer. Glass Fusion is fun and the kiln does the hard work of fusing your design together. Give it a try and make several new ornaments for your tree or someone else’s tree.
Maybe you know someone who likes to keep a little light on at night, you could make a glass fusion nightlight. We think you will enjoy and be surprised how easy the process can be. We are there to assist you so your experience is enjoyable and rewarding.
Come visit us at Bloom Creative Studio
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As we welcome new survivors into our homes on a regular basis and are in constant need of restocking essential items for them, we have created an Amazon Wish List. The online list makes it easy for you to pick out items that our survivors need while staying in our homes and have them sent directly to Bloom. All donations are greatly appreciated. We ask that when you make a donation to please include your name in a gift message so that we can properly thank you for your donations. | |  |
Do you frequently shop on Amazon? Why not make a difference with each of your purchases? Simply choose "Bloom for Women, Inc." as your organization of choice on Amazon Smile and a portion of all purchases will be donated to Bloom. | | |
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Bloom is a faith-based non-profit organization with the mission of providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ women survivors of sex trafficking. As part of its mission, Bloom offers emergency response, a two-year residential program, and an independent living program in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Bloom follows the model and is a sister community of the remarkably successful Thistle Farms Nashville program. In addition, the Bloom Creative Studio, located in Bangor, Pa., is a social enterprise to leverage art as a healing tool and provide employment opportunities for survivors. Bloom also has a women’s upscale, resale boutique, My Sister’s Closet, based in Bethlehem, Pa., providing employment opportunities for survivors and financial support for the organization.
Bloom
1425 Mountain Drive North
Bethlehem, PA 18015
610-866-5755
info@bloomforwomen.org
www.bloomforwomen.org
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