What does it mean to love people to the point of healing and thriving?

At Bethesda House, love is…

Welcoming a survivor whose wounds are internal or external or both

Helping a survivor consider a new way of thinking about what love is

Giving of what we have as lavishly as we can

Connecting survivors to the practical support needed: Recovery services, medical care, therapy, and job training

Celebrating small changes and victories

Seeing those small victories become stepping stones to transformation

Focusing on excellence rather than perfection

This is some of what WE do. What is the role of the survivor? After all, survivors are not baby birds waiting to be fed. The women we serve have developed essential strategies to stay alive. Some of those strategies need to be let go once one is out of danger. Yet it takes time to trust, feel safe, and to love oneself. And courage is essential to face the world as a single person – especially as a single mom. Survivors are coming out of chaos and structure is needed to move away from the trauma that brought them to Bethesda House. So, the survivor must be willing to do the hard work of healing.

Years ago, a very wise person said “You will find that some of the people you encounter just want a Band-Aid. They want you to stop the pain – temporarily. Others want a new life – a transformed life. You can minister to both kinds of people. Learn to discern the difference between them. Give the Band-Aid to the ones who insist on only that and send them on their way. But pour your life into the ones who want transformation.”

We have given away a lot of Band-Aids at Bethesda House. When someone leaves as soon as she

gets that Band-Aid, even when we know she’s probably not ready to go it alone, we encourage each other with the hope that perhaps seeds of healing have been planted. Someday, those seeds will bring fruit.

But the survivors who open their hearts and minds to doing things differently get onto the road of transformation that leads to thriving. Thriving is living the good life - taking financial responsibility for oneself, doing meaningful work, providing a safe, happy home for the children, and being a great neighbor.

We are unabashedly proud of the fact that, so far, 100% of our program graduates are drug-free,

man-free, and living well on their own. They have not returned to their abusers or a life of exploitation. Survivors who were in custody battles now have their children. Family relationships – including adult children who were estranged - have been restored. For us, this is what Love – Heal - Thrive looks like.