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I will give thanks to the Lord
with my whole heart. I will recount
all of Your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1
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Celebrating Our Survivor Leaders | |
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Two of our courageous survivors, Kelly M. and Virginia P., were the 2022 recipients of the Lehigh Valley Anti-Trafficking Awareness Week Survivor Awards. On November 10, these women were celebrated and commemorated for their bravery, their courage, and showing others how to be leaders of their own lives. Congratulations to these special Bloom ladies!
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Give Back through Gift Cards this Holiday Season | |
The holidays are about sharing, caring, and spreading joy. This year, we are holding a Giving Tuesday "Gift Card" campaign to help support our mission and purchase the essential items needed to operate our five homes. | |
If you are interested in partnering with us to serve as a drop-off location for these gift cards, please reach out to Vickie Nisbet. | |
We're Hiring: Full-time Caseworker | | |
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We're looking to hire a full-time Caseworker to assist at our Heather House and eventually our new home, the Mountain Laurel House. For more information, click the button below. | |
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:
- First pregnant survivor was welcomed to Bloom
- Completed the Equilibrium equine therapy program
- Accepted to Heroes Program for HUD housing
- Completed 90 days at Bloom
- Purchased a car
- Got a promotion at work
- Onboarded as Heather House's House Coach
- Started a new job
- Applied to college
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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 (spackling/filling holes)
- to provide cleaning services for our Jasmine House garage
- to help with gardening around our homes
- to provide help with life skills like cooking, nutrition, and wellness; as well as job readiness and interview skills
- A van to transport our survivors to group activities
- Car(s) for residents to drive to appointments, jobs, etc.
- Household supplies, such as paper products (i.e. paper plates, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, tissues) and laundry detergent and dryer sheets
- 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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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: December 12, January 9, February 13, and so on.
If you would like to be added to the list to receive monthly reminders,
please email us.
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Mary Ann "Mame" Cadden
Mary Ann Cadden, better known around Bloom and My Sister’s Closet as “Mame” is not just a fill-in sales associate at My Sister’s Closet, but volunteers on many levels for the organization.
“I became aware of our mission about eight years ago when I sauntered into My Sister’s Closet at our former Bath Pike location after a business appointment. A year later, I retired from my business and applied to be a fill-in sales associate."
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Welcome Home Campaign
We're almost half way! We still need your help 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.
In this new home, 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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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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Thankful Sale
November 21-26!
Get 15% off.
(Exclusions apply)
| We will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday! | |
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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Donations:
We are accepting fall and winter clothing only! We are especially looking for purses!
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Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for volunteers for Mondays and Thursdays! Contact Rebekah Fritchman if interested!
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We are doing our part! We are now bag free. Join us in becoming more sustainable!
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Our annual fundraiser is here: Grow Love, Grow Beauty, Grow Recovery. The Love Bulb - Royal Dutch Amaryllis is a perfect gift this holiday season. For $29, this potted Amaryllis bulb comes in a 6x6" pot filled with soil, topped with moss - all ready to begin watering and blooms in weeks.
The Love Bulbs are grown in memory of a girl who loved to grow all things beautiful! Your purchase benefits women survivors of trafficking, trauma and addiction.
| The Bloom Creative Studio is a social enterprise leveraging art as a healing tool and providing employment opportunities to program participants. The Studio has a gift shop, DIY crafts, pottery and glass fusion, as well as provides a meeting place with family and children as well as recreation. | Our handcrafted items are made with love and purpose. Items include: jewelry, shadow boxes, holiday gifts, art kits to go, "Art Heals" apparel, etc. Your purchase empowers and heals. | |
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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