15 Years of Miracles

SafeHouse Ministries is celebrating 15 years of work in the Columbus, GA area and 15 years of amazing miracles in thousands and thousands of people's lives!  You may not be able to bring homeless people into your personal home and feed them meals in your kitchen, but if you'd like to help in a more practical way please consider partnering with SafeHouse Ministries by giving $15 a month to support us so that you can be a part of the miracles that are yet to come.  Today's podcast episode gives just a few testimonials of the blessing that SafeHouse Ministries is in the lives of so many.

Transcript

Phil Shuler: 0:00

HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the Safe House Ministries podcast, where we share stories of the power of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. Safe House Ministries is based out of Columbus, Georgia, and we are a ministry that exists to love and serve people who have been affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. I'm your host, Phil Shuler, the Director of Development for Safe House Ministries here in Columbus, Georgia. Safe House serves over 1, 100 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services including 213 beds for homeless individuals and families, case management for obtaining job skills and long term employment. Over 300 hot meals every day, free clothing, and so much more. One of the most incredible services that Safe House provides is our free 9 12 month intensive outpatient substance abuse program, which is state licensed, CARF accredited, and has no wait list. Almost 100 percent of individuals staying in our shelters who follow our three phase program become fully employed within a few months. And 68 percent of individuals who stay at least one night with us End up finding work and moving into their own home. Thank you for being with us today and listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.

1:13

Good morning this morning, we are celebrating 15 years of miracles that have been done by the Lord through the work of safe house ministries, beginning with the very first miracle. Of Neil Richardson, even being able to get into the Muskogee county jail as the chaplain. For the jail. Neil was a cocaine addict for about 30 years and it was truly a miracle that he was even able to be employed as chaplain. But the Lord worked that out. And from there, Neil began a ministry in the jail, transitioned that ministry to a little shack outside of the jail to help as people were getting out of jail to try to help them get back on their feet. To where safe house ministries is now with multiple shelters. Uh, day center. Uh, seeing about 200 people a night in one of our various shelters, more than 200 people a day coming through to get meals at our day center, hundreds of showers at our day center every month, and so much more. Many many people are being helped every single month. To get clean, to break free of the bondage of addiction. Many people are being helped every month through the rapid rehousing program, to be able to get into their own homes, safe house ministries has grown so much and we are celebrating our 15 year anniversary. And this podcast is going to be the kickoff to a 15 year anniversary campaign. Where we are looking for 1500. New partners who would say. I love the work that safest ministries is doing to help other people to get out of homelessness, to break free of addiction, to find victory in their lives, and to be able to get back to the place where they can be restored. And just. See joy and become a contributors to society and bring value to others. And we would love to have 1500 people who would just say, you know, what. I may not be able to bring homeless people into my home and let them stay in a bedroom in my home. I may not be able to bring in a bunch of people every day and feed them dinner. At my house. But I can give$15 a month to partner with safe house ministries and the work that they are doing to help. So many who are homeless. So many who are dealing with addiction. And just be a blessing. So if you're someone that wants to be a part of helping others, And you've been looking for a way to do that. Then I want to encourage you to listen to this podcast. And hear some of the stories and some of the things that other people have said about what safe house ministries means to them. This podcast only has just a few snippets of some clips that I took from various podcasts. Some things that people had to say about the blessing that safest ministries was in their lives. But if you listen to this podcast every week, you know, just how amazing the stories are. The people that come through and are able to receive help from safe house ministries and have their lives changed. So enjoy this podcast. And if you would be willing, please consider to partner with us. Just for$15 a month. And be a part of the work that is being done to change people's lives for forever. Thank you so much. And God bless you. Enjoy the podcast.

Kristi Haynie: 4:53

So I moved out into my own place. That

Phil Shuler: 4:56

is awesome. Yeah. So, and it kept on getting better from

Kristi Haynie: 4:58

there, right? Oh yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I moved out and I was working a job, and then I remember seeing Jamie Lee. at church on a Sunday morning. She asked me if I was working and I was like, yeah, but I'm looking for a new job.'cause our hours were kind of getting cut at the other place. And she was like, oh, I got a case management position for you. And I was like, I, I want to cry just thinking about it.'cause I remember being in the Trinity House saying, and six months from now I'm gonna be working for the safe house. Really? Yes. so

Phil Shuler: 5:25

you were at. The women's shelter for Safe House. And then you knew at that point you wanted to work for Safe House. Yeah,

Kristi Haynie: 5:31

I wanted to give back to the ministry that helped me.

Amanda: 5:33

Pastor Eric is actually the first person that I met at Safe House. Yeah, I love Pastor Eric. Yeah, he's great. And, so I talked to him and I was just, I was so scared. I didn't know anybody in Columbus, and So Brandy from Damascus Way, she told, she got, she was talking to Pastor Eric. She was like they kicked her out of our program and he was like, Oh, so you want to bring her over here to contaminate our program? And I was like, I said, Sabotage, huh? I was like no. I said, I don't want to contaminate anything, Pastor Eric, I really, I was doing it on my own, so I wasn't mandated. I wasn't, I wasn't forced to be there. And I thought that Damascus way was, I thought that was God's will. That was where I was supposed to be, and then when I left, I was just like, God, what am I doing? What am I doing wrong? But the safe house turned out to be exactly what I needed. It was just, I absolutely loved that program. Wow. And, Tomorrow's Hope and... It was exactly what I needed. So I feel like at that point, God knew what I needed better than I did. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

Keith: 6:47

When I was in the Transition Living Program, the first thing I did, I had to get ID, birth certificate, so I went to Safe House. They helped me get my ID, they helped me get my birth certificate, and I had signed up for the housing program. Yeah. That's when I had met Drew

Phil Shuler: 7:06

so Drew helped you get into that, the rapid rehousing, and you got into an apartment.

Krystal: 7:11

I was in Atlanta but they had to move me to Columbus to this shelter which they asked me like a couple of places that I could go and I thought, Columbus, it was home before. Yeah. And it's familiar, I got family here in Columbus. I was there for 30 days. I went to the safe house. fRom, to get help because I was trying to find a place and they helped me. They was like, they was able to, if I would just do these, this, that, and the other, then I could they could help me with my rent and deposit. And they did, it was actually, they was great, and then I would. I went and did a lot of things because they was telling me to go get this and that. I was trying to get my last name back. My maiden name from my divorce. I got that changed over. It's just, they was amazing. They've been a blessing. And they helped me pay my rent for a couple of months afterwards as I was getting on my feet.

8:13

And, I left that morning. Went back to where I was sleeping at in the woods, right down the street from the Freedom House, and Drank a beer that morning. Went, ate breakfast, came back down after breakfast and had bought two more beers. And a bag of tobacco. And I was sitting in the woods and looking at all the trash around me. And I said, God, what am I doing? I stepped, I just stood up off the log that I was sitting on and walked back up to the safe house. I was there 45 minutes. And Miss Amy, I believe her name is, came down to the dining room at the safe house and said, Mr. Ness, you're going to the Freedom House. Within 45 minutes of coming back in the building. I'm glad you guys are here. When I found safe house last year, I was a little worried. I was a little worried at first, but the reality was is you could see God everywhere. Even if it was just a simple person sitting there at the safe house on one of the benches, there was a look or smile or something going on that was positive.

Trixy Jones: 9:13

I got locked on October 2nd, and I didn't leave there until February 6th. Okay. So this was like two weeks before the sixth. My advocate came and seen me and she was like, well, your D r C program didn't go through your drug court. Didn't go through, um, what's next. I told'em like, at this point, I don't know, just prison, whatever, let's get it over with, you know? And then, um, I thought about, I'm like, well, what about a rehab? I never tried to rehab. She was like, we can do that. I can ask the judge for that, or whatever. So putting your applications within two weeks time, me putting in three applications, I had like eight people ahead of me, so that mean it could have been months before a bed was open. I was still been there. I got upset with her. I left and slammed the door with her. Like, you come wait out here to tell me this. You know, I'm ready to get out. Went back up to my room and I cried a little bit. I'm like, Lord, whatever you got, I remember this so good. I was like, whatever. You got for me. I understand and I'm willing, but please move me. That's what I said. Move me. Move me. So two weeks later, I didn't hear nothing for two weeks though them didn't move me too. It was two weeks later and she came on a Friday. They popped my door and I had a whole attitude this morning. I don't know why I wouldn't take my meds or nothing. I'm like, wouldn't come out my room for nothing. They popped my door about three times, like, Jones, get out here now we need you, your advocate here, speak to. I'm like, I don't want talk to that lady. You know what I mean? I was like, all right, I'm coming. I went so upon me, gone see her. I get down there, she start talking, I got good news for you, blue. The video went out. I'm like, oh my, what the world. So she sat it up for 30 minutes later. I, they sent me back to my room. I went back down. She's like, Joan, I got good news for you. The other three, um, rehabs you want, you know you got a weight line, so I got one for you. It's outta Columbus area. Do you, are you familiar that I said, no. And she said, she was like, well, it's about three hours away from here where I'm from. Do you want it? I was like, yeah. She said You're fine. We're going three. I'm fine. We're going three hours away.'cause none of the other ladies wanted it. Yeah. And I didn't want to go. A lot of'em. I know. And I didn't wanna go to the same rehab.'cause I know how you know somebody, you know? Mm-hmm. We get together, we'll be pew. We go. Yeah. So I'm like, I'll take it.

Phil Shuler: 11:14

There was no waiting

Trixy Jones: 11:15

list with this one like that. No waiting list. There was on a Friday morning, Monday morning at 6:00 AM they popped my door Jones pack, pack it up. That quick. Wow. And that's how I end up here. So,

Phil Shuler: 11:26

and that program was Tomorrow's

Trixy Jones: 11:27

Hope with Safe House. That program was tomorrow's hope that I never, ever even filled out an application for. Wow. And I said it was nothing but God. It was never God, and upon me making it to the Grace House, I automatically judged the Grace House. I'm like, I'm not going in that place where the world have y'all brought me to? You know? That's the

Phil Shuler: 11:46

women's shelter for Safe House. That's the women's shelter. Yes. Yeah. So, so when was that, that you came, actually started, like you got to the Grace House and when

Trixy Jones: 11:54

was that? I got, I met to Grace's house on February 6th. Okay. And, um, I was like, and where have y'all? And I, I came in, they brought me cuffs. So I mean, like I said, immediately me getting out of the cop's car, I judged Grace House. I'm like, what the world have y'all? What y'all brought me to? What, you know what I mean? I'm like, I'm looking around and you know, you know, I ain't gonna lie, I really thought I was, the way I was raised and came up, I was like judging But no, upon me internet, the people were so, everybody I met was so humble. You know, and I felt the love, I felt the calmness there. So upon me getting into my room and coming back out and meeting a couple people, I was okay. Like instantly. Wow. I felt at home and I kid you not, the first week I worked, uh, started there. I told my other roommates, I was like, y'all, I'm gonna work here. I already, I don't, I don't know how I knew this. Yeah. Upon, yeah. And I said, y'all, I'm gonna work right here. They was like, girl, you ain't gonna work. You know, they like whatever. I was like, no, I'm gonna work here.

Scott Sherman: 12:58

So they they kicked me out and that's when I went to the safe house that night with my little bags pack. Yeah, I went to the safe house. Yeah. And Neil Mr Richardson. What's his name? Neil Richardson. Yeah, Richardson. Yep. I spoke with him. And it was somebody else that was in there too, but they got me. I drove back with, what's his name, what's the guy that drives the vans. Might have been Jimmy at the time? Jimmy, yup, Jimmy drove me back to the Freedom House. Awesome. My bags, they put me in a room. Wow.

Phil Shuler: 13:25

And so then, and, yeah, they had helped you get your ID and your social security card, all those documents. So you were able to did you go through the job training

Scott Sherman: 13:33

I went through the goodwill training. Yeah, good. Goodwill job training, I went through that. And, but before you start working, you got to do the job training through the goodwill. Yeah. So that's what I did. I went through that and then I got a job and I've been good ever since. Good. I went into a house they like, without them without the safe house I definitely I would have been violated. I, I wouldn't have had nowhere to go. I don't know nobody from here, hardly. Yeah. Not the right people at least. And I definitely would have started back using.

Phil Shuler: 14:02

That's neat. So I'm so glad. So you got out, you got clean, got out of prison. Neil and Drew and Jamie Lee helped you get into the Freedom House. Freedom House. And you went through the goodwill training. You had all your documents needed. And you got a job, started saving up money. Started saving up money. Drew helped you get into the housing program and paid three months rent, you said. And then now you're paying everything on your own

14:29

Thanks for being here, Annie. I'm glad. Thanks for having me. Yeah I'm excited to just hear about your story and. What the Lord's done. And he's definitely done a lot. That's for sure. I think it'll be an encouragement to a lot of other people. That's what it's about. Yeah. Just the tomorrow's hope and safest ministries. Yeah. Seems they've done so much for so many people. Yeah. But especially in my life. That's awesome. Yeah. But they do a lot for a lot of people. It's amazing. As I go around Columbus, there's so many people that don't know about safe House Ministry. So yeah, it's hard. I don't understand how they don't know, if they don't know, they don't know. But once they find out if they grab a hold of it and use it for what it's supposed to be used for, It can change your life. They printed me off a Thor list. I got back to the jail the next morning I started going through the Thor list, looking at what I could afford cause it has prices on it and all that stuff. And I was a addict. I couldn't afford nothing. First place I called Chattahoochee Valley Jail Ministry, which is the Safe House, Tomorrow's Hope drug program. And God blessed me. Pastor Eric McClure answered the phone and done my intake and my assessment for tomorrow's hope over the phone with me. And it was like a week and a half later, the lieutenant from the jail come. He said, Mr. Boswell, you got an acceptance letter to tomorrow's hope. He said, bear with us. We'll get your shipping details down for security reasons we can't tell you when. So I'm like, all right, so I'm high on the hog now. Done got my sickness behind me. I'm putting some weight back on and I'm just riding, waiting to get to this rehab to see what's going on. I'm a little nervous about it cause I ain't never been, and it's a long way away from home. I'm about three hours Finally the shipping day comes, they transport me down here and drop me off at the safe house day house up at 2101 Hamilton Road. And I see that's where school used to be. I see people standing on the steps and I get out with my jail bag and they pull off. I'm like, okay. So I go find somebody and ask'em what I'm supposed to do. And luckily the people that were standing on the side of the building were the class people. That was going through the program as I was coming into it and they showed me where to go and I got with Mr. McClure and they transported me to the Grace House, which was the man's facility at the time. And, I got into the program, I met the facilitators, which was great. They started giving me tools that I needed to cope with life on life's terms, to change everything about myself, to have a different life. Started working some steps. 12 step program. Started changing. I started feeling change in myself. I had started having a little bit of hope that, maybe I can do this, and I met some people who was about to graduate and who was further along in the program. They helped strive along and saw that there was. Hopeful Recovery, started relating to some people instead of doctors. It was my peers that were showing me it was possible. One of the facilitators that class I had she was great. She had a lot of the backstory I had. And she showed me that she'd been through all this, I've been through all this and she's doing this now. I want to do this now. And it come together to where I knew I had hoped. So I grabbed a hold and didn't let go. Started into work phase in the end of November of 2021 with December the 10th, I had a job offer to go to work with Able Electric, making good money. Had went to the electrical classes they provided, already knew the stuff cause my dad was electrician growing up and so I was supposed to start to work out Monday morning. Had a wreck that Friday on the 10th, separated my shoulder in many different places, cracked my arm. They put a rod and a bunch of screws and stuff in it. And I couldn't go into work phase cause I couldn't work. So I stayed in day class. For the whole time I was there. As a matter of fact, up until aftercare and we still visit with day class to help give back to some of the people coming in and just to keep that hope, to be able to keep that hope that it was possible, everything was gonna be all right. Cause it was God's plan for my life. It was just a blessing to me. I graduated tomorrow's hope in May of 2022. And then Chaplain Neil and Mike Krug come to me and they said, look, we've been watching you. We want you to be a house manager and recovery coach for the Safe House ministers. And I was blown away. miSs Sapp, the head lady at Tomorrow's hope, she said, yeah, I absolutely approve of that. Why don't you go in and do it? I've been doing that now since May of last year, and I'm now the head house manager and recovery coach for the ministry. I just passed my certified peer specialist test. So now instead of having a GDC number behind my name, I've got actual documented letters behind my name. And that's a pretty good feeling. I've kinda been tripping on that last couple days. If you live in addiction or in struggles of homelessness or whatever, your struggles could be. Struggles can be anything. You know what I mean? But if you're struggling, there is hope to live a different life Thank you for listening to the podcast today. I hope you have enjoyed some of these clips from various podcasts. And again, these just scratched the surface. So barely there are so many more stories, so many more amazing things that people have had to say about the blessing that safe house ministries has been to them and their lives. We have seen families restored. We have seen parents be able to get their children back. We have seen people go from homelessness, living in the woods or on the streets to being able to have their own place, to have a job of their own and to be able to just. Live in victory. We've seen people who have been in the bondage of addiction and drugs and alcohol for decades who have come through the tomorrow's hope program and are now living clean lives, sober lives, lives of victory. And they're giving back to others. In amazing ways. So, if you are encouraged by some of these stories, If you are a person that has a heart to want to help others. And again, maybe, maybe you're not going to be able to bring homeless people into your home. Maybe you're not going to be able to cook a meal for homeless people or. Do things that would just be not practical. Something that you could do is partner with us for$15 a month. And know that when you are. Partnering with safe house ministries that people are being helped every single day to get out of homelessness. People are being helped to get out of addiction. People are being helped so that their lives can be renewed. And restored and so that they can then experience the joy and blessing a victory. Thank you and God bless you. And we look forward to being back with you again next week.

Phil Shuler: 21:50

We look forward to being with you again next week as we share another testimony about the power and the goodness of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. if you are someone listening to this podcast that loves to hear these stories of the great things that God is doing in changing people's lives for the better, and if you would like to be a part of that work, please reach out to us You can reach us at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31,904. You can call us at seven oh six three two two. 3 7, 7 3, or you can email us at info@safehouse-ministries.com.

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2: 22:28

Thank you so much for being with us this week for the renew restore and rejoice podcast of safe house ministries, we pray that God will bless you this week. And we look forward to having you back with us again next week for a new episode.