Charity Spotlight: Bethany House

Last week I visited a place called Bethany House. It is a local shelter for women and children. I reached out to them because I was looking for a place to donate some of my scarves that I created for the Scarf of the Month Club. I had no use for the scarves and felt that they would be put to better use by people that need them. I started looking up local charities and Bethany House appeared in my search. I reached out in hopes that they would be in need of some scarves and I could possibly send them a care package. I received a phone call that led to so much more than just a care package.

Charity Spotlight: My Visit to Bethany House | www.thestitchinmommy.com

About Bethany House:

Jane McCabe, who is the Co-Chair for the Resource Development Committee at Bethany House, called me on the same day I sent my email. She invited me to bring my scarves in person and to take a tour of the house. We scheduled a date. I drove down there last Wednesday, with two big bags of scarves. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if I would be meeting the women that lived there and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I walked in and met Jane. She showed me around the house and it was nothing like I expected. It felt like a home, not a shelter. It was impeccably clean, organized, and felt like a wonderful place to live.

You see, Bethany House isn’t just a place that women go when they become homeless. It is a place where they go to begin getting back on their feet. Bethany House provides safety, shelter, and support. You can read more about their mission here. Bethany House is a nonprofit agency that was founded in 1978 by Sister Aimée. It started with three Dominican Sisters and a rental house, and has now expanded to five locations in Nassau County, New York. They not only help women by providing a place to live, they offer services to help them find a job, job training, and other educational resources. There are also amazing support groups that are held on site. Bethany House doesn’t just provide temporary shelter and then send these women and children off into the world to fend for themselves. They do everything they can to make sure the women that come through their establishment are set up for success and are able to access the resources so that they can live independently.

How You Can Help:

After Jane showed me around and explained all of the amazing things that they do at Bethany House, we talked about different ways that people can help. Bethany House is able to help so many people because of the help and donation of others. People do not just donate money to Bethany House. There are so many members of the community that donate their time. They help run support groups and workshops. There are even people that take turns cooking meals for the residents. To find out how you can help, please visit the Bethany House website.

My scarves definitely went to the right place. I was so happy to share a piece of me with the ladies across the Bethany House campus. It warms my heart to know that something that I created with love will go to someone that truly needs it. It is safe to say that I will definitely be returning to Bethany House in the near future. I’m hoping that maybe there is an interest and the ladies will want to take some crochet lessons! I hope that reading about my experience will inspire you to do some good, even if it is in some small way. Reach out to a local charity, anything that is close to your heart that you can share your talents with. Give to those that are in need, even if it is just your time that you are offering. It could mean the world to someone. <3