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Happy Valentine’s Day!
This February, we wanted to consider the concept of love. Love can show itself within our lives in many moving forms; such as enjoying time with a close friend, meeting and sharing with family, and expressing love for oneself. Developing and maintaining a healthy support system is of vital importance in our lives—acting as a guiding light during the process of healing and recovery. This month, we wanted to share a few responses from our residents as we reflect upon friendship, family, and self-love.
Program Achievements
We have a full house of residents making significant progress in their healing and recovery. The need for our program remains great. Since the start of the new year we have received 38 referrals, with 29 of these referrals meeting our admission criteria.
- One of our residents paid off ALL her fines and fees. This is the first time she has not had an active fine/fee in 24 years.
- One of our residents received her drivers license for the first time!
- Two of our residents are celebrating TWO years clean and sober this month!
- One of our residents received a well deserved raise at work.
- 7 of our 8 residents have purchased their own vehicles!
- Two of our residents qualified for our matched savings program.
- We received a $44,000 Community Investment grant from The United Way of NWA to support our program over the next two years!
Smokehouse Players Benefit
The Smokehouse Players are back with another benefit performance for MSH!
A.R. Gurney’s Pulitzer-nominated play, “Love Letters,” is a tender tragi-comedy that traces the 50-year love affair between two unlikely soulmates who are forever bound to each other through the letters they share from youth to maturity. Directed by Warren Rosenaur, this heartfelt look at love, life, and friendship is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. Featuring Tim Gilster and Terry Vaughan.
Tickets are FREE (donations accepted at door). All donations received at the Thursday, April 7 performance to benefit Magdalene Serenity House.
NO RESERVED SEATING/SMALL VENUE. First come, first served. Doors open at 6:30, performance at 7:30. Beer, wine, lemonade, and cookies available for sale prior to the show.
We have FOUR matching donors for the Smokehouse Players benefit performance on April 7! A big thank you to Carolyn and Nick Cole, Donna and Jim Meinecke, Kathy and Lowell Grisham, and Dick and Margaret Rutherford! If you would like to become a matching donor for this or future benefit performances, please contact joy@lovehealsnwa.org.
We hope to see you there!
10 Reasons YOU Should Support Magdalene Serenity House in 2022
10 – It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you are EMPOWERING brave and determined women to rebuild their lives after experiencing trauma, sexual exploitation, addiction, and incarceration.
9 – Your support sends a strong message of encouragement to our residents in their healing and recovery journeys.
8 – Help defray the costs of providing residents with transportation to and from appointments and work.
7- Program offers legal advocacy to help women clean up their criminal records and pay off fines and fees.
6- Our residents gain job-readiness skills and training to enter the workforce and contribute to the local economy.
5- We all benefit when a woman is no longer in and out of the costly criminal justice system.
4- Our women are motivated to encourage others in similar paths.
3- Aftercare program allows graduates to continue to build credit, savings and rental history to become financially self-sufficient.
2- Transformed and healthy, our graduates can safely reintegrate into the community and reunite with children and family.
1 – Together, we can break dangerous cycles of poverty, addiction and incarceration
Other Ways YOU Can Support the Women at Magdalene Serenity House
1. Visit www.lovehealsnwa.org to make your one-time contribution or set up your monthly recurring contributions.
2. Become a Match Donor up to $1,000 for the return of the Smokehouse Players production of Love Letters on April 7.
2. Start your shopping from the Amazon Smile and designate a percentage of your dollars spent to MSH.
3. Purchase items from our Amazon Wish List that our residents and graduates currently need and have them shipped directly to us.
4. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
5. Help us spread the word about how we are Healing a Community! Host us to be a presenter at your company or community group.
Special Thanks
Underwood’s Fine Jewelers, Claire Terhune, Molly Himes, Vic and Becky Lindley, and Courtney Fosnaugh for sponsoring a Galentine’s Day dinner and movie for our residents. Also to New Life Church and the students at the U of A Graphic Design for creating special Valentine’s Day cards and gifts for the women of Magdalene Serenity House.
United Way of NWA – for awarding MSH a two-year community investment grant to support our recovery programming.
Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Team – for coming to tour and explore partnership potential.
Frank Sharp and The Smokehouse Players for selecting MSH as the beneficiary of all the proceeds from tickets and concessions for the opening night of their 2022 production of Love Letters on April 7th.
Lowell and Kathy Grisham, Jim and Donna Meinecke, Nick and Carolyn Cole, and Dick and Margaret Rutherford for being Match Donors for the upcoming production of Love Letters by the Smokehouse Players.
Professional Business Systems for donating a state-of-the-art copy machine to make our printing needs more efficient, professional and affordable!