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A fresh start provides us with the hope & promise to see all He has for us.
Psalms51:10-12
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CEO Message - An Update on the Mountain Laurel House | |
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Happy New Year!
As we look back at all we accomplished in 2023, we are all amazed! All of it is because of YOU – our generous donors and faithful supporters that give women survivors of trafficking and exploitation safety, freedom and hope. Our staff is preparing our 2022 impact report and we look forward to sharing it with you very soon!
This new year is off to a great start and because of your gifts of time, talent, and treasure, Mountain Laurel House, our newest home in Allentown is almost ready for pregnant survivors or those with a young child.
Jenny, Trina and Haylie are ready to move in and already dreaming about a new life with their babies at Mountain Laurel House. Haylie will give birth within the next month and recently shared this with me, “It’s comforting to know that I have a safe place at Bloom. Bloom has given me a family that I can rely on for support. I’m excited to be the mom of the first baby to live at Mountain Laurel House and I am so grateful. Bloom is giving me a chance for a new life with my baby. Without Bloom, I don’t know where I would be and I’m looking forward to paving the way as well as supporting other women on this journey.”
We are so close to finishing the needed upgrades to Mountain Laurel House and need skilled volunteers to install cabinets and flooring in the kitchen and mudroom, finish painting several rooms as well as assemble furniture. Please use this link to complete an online form indicating your skillset and availability and we will follow up with more details. And if cleaning and organizing is your specialty, we need YOU too as we organize closets and common areas and do a thorough cleaning before our moms and babies move in.
We still need a gently used vehicle, a few pieces of furniture and household items, as well as new supplies to fill our kitchen, pantry and laundry rooms. Please call our office at 610-866-5755 or reach out via email for more details.
Most importantly we are grateful to God for including us in His beautiful redemptive story. Following Him is the best journey -- His faithfulness is unmatched, and His love can never be exhausted. We are grateful for His ongoing guidance and care and for sending you to journey alongside us as together we believe it’s never too late to start over!
With gratitude,
Carol Andersen, CEO
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January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month | |
Since 2010, January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Department of Homeland Security created its Blue Campaign, which is designed to educate everyone on how to recognize and respond to human trafficking cases. Part of their Blue Campaign is #WearBlueDay on January 11, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. We have participated in this day for the second year with our own #BlueforBloom campaign. We were thrilled with how many individuals and companies participated this year and showed their support for raising awareness of Bloom and our mission. | |
Bloom's 2023 Board of Directors | |
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 some of our participants' milestones and activities they have participated in this past month:
- one participant celebrated 60 days at the Bloom Heather House
- one new resident was welcomed into Bloom on December 22
- two participants celebrated 30 days at the Bloom Jasmine House
- residents participated in Reiki sessions
- the women created recyclable tote bags for My Sister's Closet
- the ladies participated in rock painting with the Bloom staff
- there was a joint Christmas party with program participants and Bloom staff
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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:
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Volunteers to drive residents to appointments, grocery shopping, etc.
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Sign-up to drive residents by clicking here
- Car(s) for residents to drive to appointments, jobs, etc.
- Dressers
- Paper towels, toilet paper, etc.
- Weis/Giant gift cards to purchase groceries for the homes
Call our office at 610-866-5755 or email us if you may be able to help.
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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 of the month: February 13, March 13 and so on.
If you are interested in joining us for prayer,
please email us.
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Loren Rabbat
We’d like to give heartfelt thanks this month to Loren Rabbat, our board member who recently stepped down from her service at Bloom, but whose contributions, in particular to our safe homes and survivors, directly, are sure to have an immense ongoing impact to the lives she’s touched.
Loren’s relationship with Bloom began in 2019, with her discovery of our Bloom Creative Studio in Bangor. “As a local resident in the Slate Belt area, I remember watching curiously as a store front opened in downtown Bangor that offered artistic creations. This piqued my curiosity tremendously! In addition, engaging with the recovery community, I was aware of the efforts to create a place for women to find hope and life-changing strategies through the 12-Step recovery process.”
How did it come about that Loren joined our Board? “The Executive Director, Carol Andersen - such a delightful woman - all she had to do is ask! We knew each other through her children passing through the high school in which I taught them, initially. She approached me and shared the mission of Bloom for Women and it was the perfect moment I'd been seeking - to be of service to women in our local community. It wasn't hard to say, ‘YES’ to both Carol and the mission of the organization.”
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Giving Tuesday Gift Card Campaign - THANK YOU! | |
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We raised $1,000 in Gift Cards in our first Gift Card Campaign for Giving Tuesday! We are so thankful for the local businesses that stepped up to be drop off locations: FOUND the art of home in Belvidere, NJ; Franklin Hill Vineyards in Bethlehem; My Sister's Closet in Bethlehem; and the Bloom Creative Studio in Bangor.
These gift cards will help us purchase the always needed supplies, such as groceries, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and everything else it takes to run our five homes and create an environment where our residents feel safe and loved.
Gift cards are always welcome. If you are interested in donating a gift card, feel free to mail them or drop them off at our office, My Sister's Closet or the Bloom Creative Studio.
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HAPPENING AROUND BLOOM... | |
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We Need Your Help -
Hold a Clothing Drive
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Calling all church groups, women's organizations, businesses or individuals! We are in desperate need for fall/winter clothing, especially tops. Please consider holding a clothing drive for My Sister's Closet. We are looking for gently used or new women's clothing and accessories. Please contact Rebekah Fritchman to learn more!
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It's the perfect time of year to gather your friends for some shopping and holiday cheer. Why not do it at My Sister's Closet where you can shop for a cause! Contact Rebekah Fritchman for more information on hosting a private event at our boutique!
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We love to see our customers wearing their new purchases. Share a photo of you in your recent purchase and we'll feature you on our social media pages. Email pictures to Rebekah Fritchman.
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We are doing our part! We are now bag free. Join us in becoming more sustainable!
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After a very busy December at the Studio, January has been spent cleaning up the studio and regrouping getting ready for 2023.
Ashley R. continues with her jewelry making as well as her shadow boxes. These items were very popular as Christmas gifts so she is replenishing her inventory.
We have several new projects the other women are participating with, one is card making using watercolor ink and then stamping the cards with a variety of images. We hope to be sell some of them soon. This project has been a lot of fun as well as rewarding for those who have tried it. We are also attempting to sew small drawstring gift bags that can be used for Ashley's jewelry or other small items we sell at the studio store. New ideas, new fun.
Many thanks to the many women who helped with our canvas bag project for My Sister's Closet.
They are now for sale at the boutique.
Some possibilities for upcoming classes are: How to use the Cricut that you stowed away in your closet. Paint Night, Handbuilding Pottery, Colored Pencil Drawing Class, Soap Making, and Glass Fusion Night Lights.
We continue to do birthday parties and private events so plan your next outing 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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