A new normal
We have had an incredible outpouring of support and prayers, so we want to invite you in and show you what life looks like at Exodus these days!
As of today, April 8th, most of the jobs our moms had have temporarily closed. All schools have closed, and all of our grade school children have transitioned to distance learning. We are “sheltering in place”, and have cancelled all volunteer activities through the end of April. We are keeping a close eye on the decisions our county officials make, when it comes to resuming life as usual. Our biggest desire is to continue to serve our Exodus families, and to keep everyone safe - volunteers, staff, and their families included.
We are continuing to provide some calm in the midst of this storm and maintain some normalcy for the families we serve. We have made some adjustments, as everyone has, to adhere to the shelter in place directive. Our residents are no longer taking the DART bus anywhere, but instead, they coordinate with the office anytime they have an important or mandatory appointment. We are now driving them to all Doctors appointments, parole visits, and Health and Human Service appointments. We offer two Walmart runs each week, again, so they can easily get in and out of the store for their items with little contact with the “outside world”.
Almost everything has been moved to an online video conferencing system - any recovery services, AA, NA, parole, church, Celebrate Recovery, and much of their counseling is all handled online.
We currently serve 9 families, including our resident manager, Kambri Barnett, and her family. But, hold on to your hat, because we have 3 new families scheduled to arrive in May and another family (possibly 2!) in June! Isn’t it just like God to FILL US UP and ANSWER OUR PRAYERS in the middle of a pandemic! The prisons are still in full operation, so we are trying to do our part to continue serving in the midst of a pandemic.
We have had several people reach out to see how they could help. It has been such a blessing to see the body of Christ in action! While everyone is trying to find their own “new normal” and keep up with a new pace in life, they have still reached out to see how they can help our families adjust as well. Several groups have dropped off groceries and supplies, and some have ordered things from Amazon and shipped items directly here. The basic grocery deliveries of bread, milk, eggs, butter, meat, cheese and more makes it so much easier for these mothers to feed their families without having to get out much.
Though we are not having organized classes these days, I assure you that plenty of learning is happening. We are using this opportunity to help our women and children learn how to handle the unexpected, what to do with boredom, and how to find beauty in the mundane. They are discovering who they are, what they like and who their children are. Just like the rest of the world, they are all having to learn how to handle their “new normal”, and get into a new rhythm. There is beauty in the simplicity that life brings right now and they are all learning to adjust. They are learning to slow down, connect with each other and their children, and breathe. They are learning how to spend some much needed quality time with their children, work on potty training and discipline, manners and A,B,C’s! This is a beautiful season of learning and growth around here.
Although we cannot give you the opportunity to serve in person because of the shelter-in-place guidelines, you can make a difference financially for our families:
1. Donate any amount online.
2. Send gift cards or supplies from our Amazon Wishlist.
So much is happening at Exodus, and we’d love for you to keep up with us! Connect with us on Facebook, and you’ll receive daily updates on the day-to-day at Exodus! Get to know our families better, and see how they’re making the best of a tough situation.
