Good News for Women and Children Needing Emergency Shelter in Owensboro
I am really excited to be able to share this news today because it gives me the opportunity to brag on my cohost and allows me the chance to share with you just how much she cares for others. Angel is about to fulfill her dream of opening an emergency shelter for women and children. We're excited to break the news here at WBKR that My Sister's Keeper, a brand new 20-bed facility, will open in 2022 on the west side of Owensboro.
If you've ever met Angel you know that helping people is as second nature to her as tripping and face-planting into walls. That's who she is. It's what she does. Other people rest at the core of who she is. She's one of the most empathetic people I have ever met and she dedicates her life to helping people overcome their trials and tribulations. She has an incredibly big and giving heart and she pretty much lives her life in service to others.
For the last couple of years, she has been working behind the scenes to make this dream a reality and it's just months from becoming one. And, when it does, My Sister's Keeper will fill an incredibly important void here in Owensboro-Daviess County.
The mission of the shelter is specific and impactful:
My Sister’s Keeper Emergency Shelter mission is to improve the lives of women and children of all ages experiencing homelessness by providing emergency shelter, basic temporary needs, safety, support, education, tools and resources that empower them to improve the quality of their lives, help to equip them with the skills to achieve self-sufficiency, and build safe, secure lives.
When it opens, the emergency shelter will be open from 6pm to 8am, 7 days a week and, at first, will be reliant on volunteers who will commit to working overnight shifts. My Sister's Keeper will also work with St. Benedict's Women's Day Shelter to allow women to be transported to their facility, where they will be able to apply for jobs, use the technology center and small library and be able to take advantage of case management resources.
Angel will serve as Executive Director for My Sister's Keeper and she has assembled an excellent Board of Directors to help oversee operations and game plan for the launch and future of the facility. By the way, just for the record, Angel isn't leaving the radio station. You can't take the "Angel" out of "Changel." That's why she rallied support from an incredible, volunteer board. That Board of Directors is comprised of Allyson Sanders (President), Blake Templeton (Treasurer), Cheri Searcy, Adam Johnston, Angie Ditch and Hannah Witherspoon.
As Angel and her board prepare for the official grand opening date of My Sister's Keeper, they are looking to YOU to help them prepare. They have assembled an extensive needs list that includes some construction-related projects, such as the installation of shower and laundry facilities and the re-striping of the parking lot at the shelter.
Plus, here's the full list of additional items needed for the facility:
APPLIANCES
FREEZER
STOVE/OVEN
MICROWAVE
WASHER/DRYER
INDUSTRIAL COFFEE MAKER
ICE MACHINE
LOCKERS/TOTES
LANDSCAPING
BEDS/BEDDING
SUPPLIES
FOOD
SECURITY SYSTEM
Plus, if you'd like to make a tax deductible contribution, you can do so via Venmo. The address is @mysisterskeeper270.
Of course, any non-profit needs volunteers. And, as mentioned above, My Sister's Keeper will rely on them. As the shelter nears its grand opening date, they'll be seeking groups, families and individuals to volunteer on a nightly basis. Those shifts will be as follows- 7pm-10pm, 10pm to 1am, 1am to 4am and 4am to 7am.
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