ABOUT LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFTS OR DECORATING A PERFECT TREE A HOUSINE OMAHA IS FULL OF SIMPLE COMFORT. IT’S A PLACE CALLED BETHLEHEM HOUSE WHERE T SHEPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PLAYS OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THIS WEEK. THEY’RE CELEBRATING A GIFT OF BEING GRATEFUL. PULL IT IN PEOPLE THAT IN ON BOTH THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM WRAPPING PRENTSES COMES EASILY FOR DESTINY JONES EXERCISE THE SOON-TO-BE NEW MOTHER SAYS SHE FOUND THE ULTIMATE GIFT MONTHS AGO WHEN SHE APPLIED TO LIVE AT BETHLEHEM HSEOU BEFORE I CAME HERE I WAS STRUGGLING WITH A LOT OF HOMELESSNESS AND LIVING IN MY CAR AND GOING THROUGH SHELTERS, AND I FEEL THAT LIKE THIS PLACE IS REALLY GREAT. HONESTLY A DOZEN WOMEN AND THE IRBABIES CALL THIS PLACE HOME FO UP TO A YEAR. THEY SAY THEY’RE BLEEDSS. JUST HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR EVERYTHING EVEN SOME OF THE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN LIFE BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOOD YOU CAN PULL OUT OF IT AND THIS CHRISTMAS THERE’S A WAITING LIST TO LEIV HERE AND WALK THESE HALLS FAMILY LIFE DIRECTOR. GINA’S HOME SAYS BHLETEHEM HOUSE IS ABOUT SECOND CHANCES HELPING TO GROW 600 FAMILIES SINCE 2005 SO MANY OF THEM STRUGGLE WHIT ADDICTION MOST OF THEM COME FROM ABSOLUTE HOMELESSNESS. A LOT OF TMHE HAVE JUST VERY VERY DOWN FAMILIES AND VERY VERY STRESS. OUT JUST NEVER REALLY ABLE TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON IN LIFE HITTIN PGAUSE GIVES DESTINY A CHANCE TO BE IN CHARGE OF HER LIFE CUT IT ON THAT LINE THERE HERE THE WOMEN ATTEND PARENTING CLASSES GO TO SCHOOL OR WORK LEARN LIFE SKILLS AND ADDRESS ADDICTION TOGETHER WORKING ON MYSELF AND TRYING TO GET BETTER. AND YOU KNOW FINDING WHERE YOUR FLAWS ARE AND WHAT FLAWS YOU CAN FIX AND HERE SHE KNOWS IT’S THE STRUGGLE. SHE DOESN’T FACE ALONE JUST FOLD IT JUST A TINY BIT. ON THE EDGE THERE,HE S DAN’S LIFE ISN’T PACKAGED PERFECTLY AS A SOCIETY. WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL COME FROM VERY DIFFERENTET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WHEN WE’RE ABLE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER WALK BESIDE EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. GUYS THE LIMIT AND JUST LIKE WRAPPING. AND YOUET G BETTER WITH TIME. DON’T WORRY IF IT’S NOT PERFECT NOW TAKING THOSE POSITIVE SPSTE TOWARD PARENTING AND LIVING IS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL. THE HOUSEAS A WISH LIST AND THEY ARE SUPPORTED WITH PRIVATE DONATIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO OFFER A CHRIS
House offers hope to homeless pregnant women
Crisis program at full capacity for Christmas
Omaha’s Bethlehem House is at full capacity for Christmas, with a dozen beds filled with pregnant or expectant mothers right now. There are six women on the waiting list for the program which guides homeless women in crisis through a healthy pregnancy, beating addictions and learning life skills.”Before I came here, I was struggling with homelessness, living in my car and going to shelters,” said Destiny Jones, who’s expecting a baby soon. Jones spent one afternoon at the home wrapping gifts for children in the aftercare program. She expertly folded and cut the wrapping paper, explaining the process to a new mom. Jones said she’s extremely grateful for everything, “Even the bad things that happen because there’s always something good you can pull out of it.””So many of them struggle with addiction, most struggle with homelessness, and a lot of them come from just really broken down families,” said Gina Tomes, Family Life Director at Bethlehem House, located near 15th and Martha streets. The home opened in 2005 and has served more than 600 families so far. Women are required to earn a G.E.D, or diploma, work, attend parenting classes, therapy and addiction treatment.Tomes said during the Christmas holidays and year round, it’s important to support the most desperate people among us and lift them up. Women and their newborns stay at the house for up to a year. “As a society, we need to come together and understand that we all come from a very different set of circumstances but when we’re able to love one another and walk beside each other and support each other, the sky is the limit,” Tomes said. Another mom, who wanted to simply be known by her first name, Amanda, cuddled her 1-month-old boy. She said addiction is hard, but people do recover. She said her time in the rehabilitation program just really helped her to “breathe” again. As Destiny wrapped gifts in colorful paper, she encouraged Amanda, with words that go beyond gift wrapping.”You get better with time, don’t worry if it’s not perfect right now,” Destiny said.The Bethlehem House relies on donations to fund its programs. To learn more or to give a Christmas donation, Go to www.bethlehemhouse.org
OMAHA, Neb. —
Omaha’s Bethlehem House is at full capacity for Christmas, with a dozen beds filled with pregnant or expectant mothers right now. There are six women on the waiting list for the program which guides homeless women in crisis through a healthy pregnancy, beating addictions and learning life skills.
“Before I came here, I was struggling with homelessness, living in my car and going to shelters,” said Destiny Jones, who’s expecting a baby soon. Jones spent one afternoon at the home wrapping gifts for children in the aftercare program. She expertly folded and cut the wrapping paper, explaining the process to a new mom.
KETV
Jones said she’s extremely grateful for everything, “Even the bad things that happen because there’s always something good you can pull out of it.”
“So many of them struggle with addiction, most struggle with homelessness, and a lot of them come from just really broken down families,” said Gina Tomes, Family Life Director at Bethlehem House, located near 15th and Martha streets.
The home opened in 2005 and has served more than 600 families so far. Women are required to earn a G.E.D, or diploma, work, attend parenting classes, therapy and addiction treatment.
Tomes said during the Christmas holidays and year round, it’s important to support the most desperate people among us and lift them up. Women and their newborns stay at the house for up to a year.
“As a society, we need to come together and understand that we all come from a very different set of circumstances but when we’re able to love one another and walk beside each other and support each other, the sky is the limit,” Tomes said.
Another mom, who wanted to simply be known by her first name, Amanda, cuddled her 1-month-old boy. She said addiction is hard, but people do recover. She said her time in the rehabilitation program just really helped her to “breathe” again.
As Destiny wrapped gifts in colorful paper, she encouraged Amanda, with words that go beyond gift wrapping.
“You get better with time, don’t worry if it’s not perfect right now,” Destiny said.
The Bethlehem House relies on donations to fund its programs. To learn more or to give a Christmas donation, Go to www.bethlehemhouse.org