31 years ago, Sunlight Home opened its doors as a shelter to pregnant women facing homelessness, domestic violence, sex trafficking, abuse, and trauma in all forms. God has placed it in our hearts to pour out love into some of the most overlooked, forgotten, and abandoned group of people right here in our own backyard. These women come in for safe shelter but that is only the beginning of what they receive. Our job isn’t over when we get a mom off the streets, it’s just begun.
Every mom that comes in experiences something many of them have never experienced before: love. Real love. Christ like love. It’s hard to believe that someone could experience life without knowing the tender heart of a person that loves them, but for too many of these women, that is part of their story. They grew up being abused only to find themselves in an abusive relationship. Or, they grew up being neglected by a mom who was herself neglected, and now this mom is pregnant, choosing life for her baby, but has no way to provide for this baby.
This is where Sunlight Home comes in. When a mom comes to us, they are surprised by what they find: a place filled with people that truly love them. We are not just a bed, we are a ministry. God, above anything else, is leading this organization. And we understand that we serve Him by serving these moms. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells us, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.”
In fact, Matthew 25 challenges us to go beyond the kind of service that we can do in our own strength, and instead pushes us to serve in a way that makes us rely on His strength and provision. For Matthew 25:31-40 says:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”
Time and time again, we have had a mom show up to us with only the clothes she was wearing, or no money for food for herself or her child, or any family or friends to help her. We take these women and their babies in, we give them clothes for themselves and their child, a bed, a crib, food, laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, all the things a person needs to meet our most basic needs. And we continue to provide these things for the mom on her journey to healing and independence.
One of our residents had this to say about the transforming love of Sunlight Home:
“I was anxious, hurt, and my heart ached for our future. I put my trust in God, and he guided me to Sunlight Home. Although the transition was scary, as soon as I arrived, I was greeted with a hug, and told how strong and loved I was. With the support, resources, love and guidance at Sunlight Home, I’ve done more than I’ve ever thought I’d be capable of doing. I am forever thanking God for leading me here.”
We must rely on the Lord to serve these women and their babies, and when we do, that is when the miracles begin to unfold. One of the greater miracles is witnessing these women go from surviving to thriving.
Once these women begin to know they are in a safe place surrounded by love, they begin to dream again. They begin to believe that they can do something special with their life and the journey God has led them down.
And this is where Sunlight Home comes in again. We help them build a plan for the future and actively take steps to get there. Each mom has a different dream. One of our moms who’s been with us for a year has recently been accepted to FSW to pursue a degree to be an RN. Another mom that recently had her baby, just started working and is planning on going to cosmetology school in the summer to be an esthetician. Another mom, who’s new to our program, is wanting to go to school at FSW to be a radiology technician. In our program, we help these moms every step of the way on achieving these goals. We have regular weekly meetings. During these meetings we discuss their goals, what they are doing to work towards their goals, and anything weighing on their heart.
Also in our program, these moms learn how to budget and save, build resumes, interview for jobs through mock interviews, and gain basic life skills like cooking, cleaning, and handling responsibilities and chores. Additionally, these moms receive access to mental health resources and parenting classes to ensure they are the best moms they can be.
At the very heart of our organization, though, is witnessing to these women the truth and love of Jesus Christ. We know that our God is a God of miracles and transformation. Our greatest hope is to lead these women to the healing and transforming love of Jesus Christ. God tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” All of these moms receive an outpour of prayer from us. We do daily devotionals together, bible studies and attend church regularly. God is at work in these moms’ lives and we see His healing power at work, not just in the moms, but in the children too. We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that when we change the future for a mom, we are also changing the future for their child. When generational trauma and poverty no longer have a stronghold on these moms, they become the chain breakers for their children.
One of our residents had this to say about her journey at Sunlight Home:
“Walking through the doors of Sunlight was the beginning of a new chapter of my life. I prayed that I would be placed in an environment where I could deepen my relationship with God and Sunlight is that answered prayer. I’m now surrounded by a community that truly cares. I am able to build a better life for me and my child, and I am forever grateful for that.”
None of the work we do would be possible without God. And none of this would be possible without our community supporting us along the way. We are so grateful to our community partners for supporting us. Your prayers, donations, and heart for what we do help to shine the light into these precious mom’s lives.