Rainbow of Hope ministry helps struggling women

The Gadsden Times in Alabama reports on the Rainbow of Hope, a ministry formed by members of the Rainbow Church of Christ:

Rainbow of Hope Inc. works to help women struggling after drug addiction by helping them transition back into society.
The home, at 2314 Forrest Ave., can house up to 11 women at a time. Eight women now live at the Rainbow of Hope home, according to House Director Betty Hale.
Hale said the goal is to help women who have been in prison environments become productive citizens, and to help them grow emotionally, educationally and spiritually.
The idea came to Hale in 2005 when she and co-founder Rita Bowdoin were teaching at the Etowah County Jail.
Hale said they noticed the recidivism rate was high and started asking inmates why they kept coming back to jail.
“And 99.9 percent had the same answer: ‘I had to go back in the same environment,’” Hale said.
The idea was taken to some other members of the Rainbow Church of Christ family who have been involved in prison ministries and had discussions about what could be done, forming a committee to look into the possibility of opening the home.
“The next thing we knew, we had a board of directors, and we had a house,” said Tony Cleveland, board of directors member.

• Feedback
  I am familiar with Rainbow of Hope, as I have done some volunteer work with them. One of the main issues the home faces is funding. The home has expenses that must be paid on a weekly and quarterly basis. If you can imagine running a home with 10-15 people living there…think about it. There is also insurances that must be paid due to the nature of the “business”. I would hope that anyone who reads this would have a kind heart and reach out to this home with a small donation. Talk to the Elders in your congregations about possibly supporting the home. This home has already brought souls to Christ people. We cannot let it cease to be.

  Tina Q

  April, 18 2012