The Downtown Women’s Center celebrated their 10th year of having the Gratitude House for women and their children on Monday, March 30 in Amarillo, which has helped greatly expand the DWC Recovery Program.
Steve Dalrymple, President and CEO of the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation (HPCMF), along with Diann Gilmore, DWC Executive Director, were on hand for the celebration and led tours of a few of the 40 apartments made possible by the foundation.
Many of the residents also attended the event, along with the nonprofit’s board of directors.
“By the grace of God and a lot of hard work, for the last 37 years, DWC has provided a safe and structured environment to homeless women in recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions, and we have served their children,” Gilmore said. “God has blessed DWC with strong community relationships, and their support has helped not only maintain what we have, but has allowed us to continue dreaming about doing more for homeless women in recovery.”
Dalrymple said that they had some property that was part of Park Central campus, and they reached a point where it didn’t fit with the mission of taking care of senior adults in the Amarillo area.
“So we started looking around for what would be the best use for this property. Long story made short,” he said, “we started talking to Diann, and this property worked really well to be incorporated into her mission at Downtown Women’s Center.”
Dalrymple said that the Baptist Community Services board felt like it was an appropriate gift to make the organization.
Gilmore said that when she heard that BCS might have property they were wanting to give away, she got very interested in following up. “I contacted Steve, and the rest is history,” she said.
“I didn’t really expect it but I was praying — but how many times does someone give you an apartment complex?” she said. “It was perfect, there’s no windows and a lot of doors, so it’s safer and light does come in.”
Gilmore said that it was set up perfectly for them with 40 apartments, and they couldn’t believe that God had given it to them. “We are very, very grateful to Steve in this community.”
“Gratitude House is our final stage of shelters, of the program … the final level of care that we provide. We have a nine-level program, and they graduate on level seven, but they can stay with us on level eight, transitional housing, and then we can get them into level nine and continue to provide services for them,” Gilmore said.
She said that they have tripled their services from 10 years ago, providing a good foundation, because of the program and of course, Gratitude House.
Gilmore explained that most homeless individuals have a root cause for the homelessness, and its normally addiction. “We were always on the mission of serving women and children, and we focused on women with addiction issues.”
“It’s only by the grace of God that we are here and that we have been as successful as we are,” she said.
Spring luncheon format changing
“Nothing will be the same at our luncheon this year,” Gilmore said. “Our women will walk in early and be introduced, then go up on the stage, along with beautiful songs to tell our story. Music and song will be what will tell Downtown Women Center’s story.”
Gilmore said that they had a lot of songs, most written by Jack Hilton and A.I. “I think it’s going to be very powerful, because we’ve been able to just really tell the story when we when we come and want to.”
“We just finished videoing children, and it was so chaotic and that’s what makes it funny, you know?” she said. Gilmore added a little boy was asked if Mickey Mouse was a dog or a cat, and he answered, “a duck.”
She said there will be 11 memorials accompanied by a song, “Stars in Heaven”.
Gilmore said they wanted to change things up and make them more exciting. “We are changing up the luncheon because we got too predictable,” she said. “And I started getting comments like, ‘I don’t cry anymore, and I came here to cry’.”
Residents voice their stories
A few of the residents at Gratitude House were called on to talk about their experiences during Monday’s celebration, and they were very grateful and emotional in their stories. Following that, a tour of a few of the apartments was conducted with residents telling the crowd what they had decorated and worked on for new residents.
One woman, Kelly, said, “I’ve been here since December, and this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So, in the Haven, it was great, but once you get through the Haven, you get a chance to live here at Gratitude to actually live on your own, not with a man, not with some friends, not at home with your parents still — just the opportunity to live as independent women is really fabulous.”
Kelly said that she plans to go to represent DWC and all they have to offer and try and recruit some ladies. “It just makes me feel powerful, like being on this scope of recovery is really a great feeling,” she said. “I am like somebody else now … who wants to study with you.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Downtown Women’s Center marks 10th year of Gratitude House shelter
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
