- After a delay, Making Miracles Group Home is able to open their new house for five additional mothers and their children.
- The hold up was due to finalizing protocols and waiting for a new van to transport all mothers. In the meantime, founder of the organization said they have been boosting their community partners.
- Watch the video to find out how they are meeting a critical need in our neighborhood.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
An organization that’s been working through some hurdles - is now able to open their new home serving vulnerable mothers and their children.
While finalizing details that set back their opening a few months, Making Miracles Group Home said they have been boosting their resources working with community partners.
In November, we covered the opening of a new home for vulnerable mothers and their children.
Founder of Making Miracles Group Home, Debra Harris, said there has been some delays.
"You know having the people in place to work with you," said Harris, describing the hold up, "to make this go smoothly, organizing, managing, having house parents, stabilizing the women to what they have to do in the house to keep it nice and neat."
Harris said that has included trying to find a van to transport mothers and their children, an asset that has just been donated to the home. This means they can now open.
It's an expansion that is critical. Harris said the new house will hold five families.
However, their waiting list has triple the number of names.
"We have to go emergency needs first, which everybody is an emergency if they’re homeless," said Harris. "Every day, you get a call or you get an email that someone needs help."
During the hold up, Harris said they have been able to grow their community partners and resources.
"I was worried about how I’m going to pay for daycare once he started because I'm still looking currently for a job right now and I was like Oh, what am I going to do," said Sherrie Griffin, a Making Miracles Group Home resident.
They now have a partnership with the Oxford Learning Center providing mothers, like Griffin, with free daycare for a year.
A huge benefit for a community where the poverty rate is 49.4% in zip code 32304.
"You know living here, trying to save money, trying to move out, every dollar counts," said Harris. "They’re working and trying to pay $200 a month parental fees for daycare, this will help them a whole lot to save faster and then try and figure out the next step."
Harris said their next focus is a new privacy fence.
"Some of them don’t want people knowing they live here because of privacy," said Harris, "because maybe they have an abusive boyfriend and they don’t want them to know where they live at."
Harris has dreams to keep expanding because she knows the need is there.
"When I wake up, I thank god, and I thank Ms. Debra that she gave us a play to stay and an opportunity to stay here so we can grow," said Harris.
Making Miracles said they are always grateful for any donations, including cleaning supplies, washing detergent, paper plates, plastic spoons and forks. They also welcome monetary donations. Details can be found here on how you can support their mission.
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