Greetings friends,

It is hard to believe it has been a year since we last reached out to you for help. But alas, it is that time of year again! Because of your generosity we have been able to provide a warm, loving, and restorative community for 8 women survivors of sexual exploitation this year and the number is growing. This growth means your help is more important than ever! In the words of our founder, Dorothy Day, “. . . we can, to a certain extent, change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebbles in the pond and be confident that its ever-widening circle will reach around the world.” Will you continue to be in our circle?

Because of your support, one of the women in our survivor community is now successfully employed in her first full time job. In this position, she is helping women who were once engaged in the struggle she once faced. Another woman is attending post-secondary school, for the very first time, working to likewise help others struggling with addiction. They both epitomize that age old concept of “paying it forward.”

We are now amid welcoming several new community members that come to us through our multiple partners who work with women survivors. We are so grateful to them for their work and their willingness to help fill our rooms. And the gratitude is mutual in that they all decry the profound void in longer term housing for women survivors. And one of our partners is so impressed with our inviting and beautiful space that they offer their healing sessions in house saving our women long bus rides. We are working hard to grow this “in home” approach to healing and education services.

As you know, our priority is to provide a home that is safe, warm, and beautiful for women survivors of sexual exploitation, regardless of religious affiliation. However, we also engage in other important activities at St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House. We regularly host high school and college youth groups and interns for education and volunteer experiences. We offer optional opportunities for prayer and liturgy in our beautiful chapel. We provide space, at no charge, for retreats to support groups who may not be able to afford such an opportunity. We conduct book studies and provide other opportunities for education. And now, more than ever, we cannot understate the importance of our efforts to be a bridge that brings together diverse groups of people to share in the mission of living a life of Gospel outreach and service.

We are grateful for your support. We cannot engage in our mission without you. Dorothy Day completed her thought by stating “We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.” Thank you for loving us, as we love you too, and pray for you every day.

Thank you in advance for your generosity,
Blessings and peace,

Anne