Haley - November 2020

“The staff and volunteers were so compassionate.” I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard comments about the authentic compassion displayed by our staff and volunteers. I am thankful for many things this Thanksgiving but certainly near the top of my list is the privilege of working alongside a group of people so incredibly committed to compassionate, relational and responsible charity. That kind of love which goes far beyond meeting material needs is the kind of love Haley received and it changed the trajectory of her life.

“I checked into the Outreach Center at Watered Gardens in 2016 while trying to get clean from drugs. I’d been abusing them for years and had lost everything - my job, my place to live, my kids, who were taken from me… everything.

My stay in the women’s shelter lasted a couple of months, and the seeds that were planted really helped change my life. I attended worship services and heard testimonies from others who were changed by Jesus, and it brought me back closer to Him myself. Now I’ve been clean for 4 years, I’m working (two jobs!), I’ve reunited with my kids, and I’ve saved up enough money to buy a house.

I’m so thankful for my time at Watered Gardens. The staff and volunteers were so compassionate. They didn’t judge me. They really cared and wanted to see me get better.”

Thank you for your partnership. I am so blessed you’re a part of impacting lives like Haley’s. I hope you are, too. I pray you have a joyous Thanksgiving and in the midst of it all, please continue as you have - to remember the poor.

James Whitford

Co-Founder and Executive Director