Kokomo Perspective March 23, 2011

A6 kokomoperspective.com/news

Some new faces at Gilead House

Prosperity Project launches for women as recovery facility continues to grow
by Patrick Munsey
staff writer
pmunsey@kokomoperspective.com
The Gilead House thrives
on faith. It permeates every
room of the small facility. It
is seen on the faces of the
employees and volunteers,
and it uplifts the hundreds of
clients who step through the
doors each year.
Finally, after more than a
decade of struggles and
walking on nothing more
than that faith, the Gilead
House is approaching the re-
alization of a dream. A per-
manent facility to house and
treat women who suffer
from drug addiction and are
looking to turn away from
their destructive lives is
within sight for director
Reba Harris and her staff.
Groundbreaking is still
more than a year away. But
that isn’t stopping the Gilead
House from adding new pro-
grams and expanding serv-
ices. And in the process, a
few new faces have ap-
peared to help Harris is real-
izing the dream.
Melanie Horsfall is an in-
tern with Gilead House and
will be on staff until May.
She is bringing a revolution-
ary program to the women
of Gilead House that is de-
signed to address concerns
that counseling and mentor-
ing may not touch.
“Miss Reba gave me a ton
of projects; one of them is
called The Prosperity Proj-
ect,” said Horsfall. “It comes
from Jeremiah 29:11. We
want to help the women see
themselves as something
other than a failed mother, a
felon, a drug addict. We get
so busy trying to make sure
they don’t go back to jail and
that they stay drug-free that
we don’t get to spend a lot of
time on building their self-
worth.
“While I’m here, I am help-
ing to develop a program
that helps us get an idea of
how to help them. It is de-
veloped in two parts. The
first is a personal evaluation.
We look at their interests. If
they are interested in things
like cooking or sewing, we
want to connect them to dif-
ferent places where they can
build friendships and find
their identity.”
The second prong of this
program involves tearing
down obstacles that prevent
the women from becoming
the people they want to be,
Horsfall explained. That
means identifying the barri-
ers to employment and re-
covery that exist.
“Things such as their past,
finances, child care, or what-
ever it is, we want to tackle
it,” said Horsfall. “Building
self-motivation is a part of it.
We’ll also slip in our talk
about religion. Are they reli-
gious? Do they want to go to
church? We’ll try to find a
church for them.
“A lot of women come to
us and say they believe in
Christ and followed him
while they were in jail, but
now they don’t know where
to go. We want them to find
their strengths and use
them. We’ll take a spiritual
gifts test and help them dis-
cover what it means. We just
gave the test to a group of
them, and many of them
tested highly for hospitality.
They take care of each
other. They protect their
own. We also want to do a
strengths quest to apply to
their employment plan. We
move into a professional
phase where we list their
skills and interests. We’re
working with WorkOne to
set up classes for our
women once they reach that
point. We’ll do mock inter-
views using students from
IUK, just to get them some
practice.”
The training, sadly, is not
enough. It is difficult for a
person with a criminal
record or a history of drug
abuse to find gainful em-
ployment, regardless of
skills or qualifications. Once
through this program, the
Gilead House is willing to
take on the role of advocate
in order to demolish this
final barrier to recovery.
“Once they graduate
through the program, we will
go into the community to
speak to employers.,” said
Horsfall. “Look, we know
these women have a record,
but they have been through
the program. We will not
send someone who we do
not think can do the work.
Once they go through our
program, they will be pre-
pared to serve. We just ask
employers to work with us
and trust us.”
There is a new face at the
front door of Gilead House
as well. Kim Woods is the re-
ceptionist and secretary for
the program. She coordi-
nates counseling appoint-
ments, answers phones and
Kim Woods Melanie Horsfall
arranges for transportation
for clients in need of that
service.
“I’m loving it,” said Woods.
“I have been a foster parent
for 15 years. It’s a little dif-
ferent seeing it from this
side.”
There also is a new face
sitting next to Harris in the
counseling chair. Jenni
Kimm has joined Gilead
House as a full-time case-
worker — something Harris
has hoped to have for quite
awhile.
“My job is to take the
workload from Reba,” said
Kimm. “I’m taking on office
responsibilities so that she
can get to the Summer Insti- Jenni Kimm
tute and go through the
process so that we can build Horsfall on the Prosperity I knew what I was getting
our new facility next year. Project as well. Once the in- into,” said Kimm. “This is my
“I do a lot of teaching on tern graduates, it will be dream job. To work with and
Monday night and at the Kimm’s responsibility to con- mentor women and help
jails. I’m starting to see indi- tinue the work. And she has them become all that they
vidual clients. That’s my No. agreed to take on responsi-
were created to be is my
1 goal. My second goal is to bility for organizing the
dream. Every day is differ-
push this program to the Gilead House’s promotional
ent. It’s challenging and re-
next level. We’re working to and fund-raising activities.
tailor a plan for the women It’s quite a workload, but warding, and we all get along
so we can get whole, healthy Kimm said she knew what so well. We’re a good team.
women in all aspects of their she was getting into when My goal is to see us get into
lives.” she applied for the job. the house and se Reba’s vi-
Kimm is working with “I knew of Reba’s work, so sion fulfilled.”

Nena Broniak OWNER Heidi Stone OWNER Lisa Carney OWNER

Nena has been in business for 5 years. The
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JONI LOTT Mar ke t ing and Admis sion
Di r ector
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Jeannie Kuhn Realtor

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clude the Alzheimer's Association and a member of the Chamber
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313 E. Lincoln Rd. 2905 W. Sycamore St. 765-438-0699

419-2801 765-452-5491 or 765-434-2893 765-454-7300 ext. 327

Kathy McCarter MA RK ET ING E XECUT I VE
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