Following four inpatient hospital stays with continued thoughts of suicide and several failed attempts, it was Labor Day weekend in 2011 when Autum’s mom found her … eyes cold and empty, leading nowhere. Her body was there, but her spirit was gone. She had been hiding so much hurt, bullying, low self-esteem, and deep pain inside. She felt the only answer was to end it all. Parts of her face had already turned blue. It was in those few minutes that their lives were forever changed. Her family heard of House of Hope and reached out to the program. Filled with extreme hesitancy, Autum moved into the residential home in the spring of 2012. From that point forward, God took control. He met Autum where she and her family were: at a place of brokenness, fear, and hopelessness. They were living in high alert; hiding knives, razors, and scissors was routine. The residential program was not easy for Autum’s family. It brought with it many challenges resulting in a long, hard, and timely process. The one-on-one education she received through Hope Academy helped Autum get back on track academically. Intense counseling for the entire family brought healing and restoration, while providing ways to cope with life when it brought turmoil, stress, and anxiety. God’s unconditional love, mercy, and grace were weaved into every step of their House of Hope journey.
In March of 2014, it was time for Autum to go home. It was time to use what God had showed them, but it was also a period once again filled with more mountains and valleys. Autum shares that after leaving House of Hope, her knowledge of God continued to grow until she moved into her biological father’s home. Her life began to spiral out of control, and Autum’s faith was tested. Another suicide attempt to get out of a toxic environment brought her back home with her mom, dad, and siblings. Autum reached out to House of Hope during this time of struggle and grasped the hand of God that had never left her side. She shares that House of Hope showed her and her family the path to grow spiritually when they thought there was no hope possible.
“House of Hope truly lives up to its name”, Autum says. “They follow God’s lead and restore hope to broken families.” “I am now married with a 7 year-old step-son and another son on the way. To say I have come a long way would be an understatement. I love that I am now excited to see how my life will continue to grow and flourish with God. I am blessed to be a wife and mother. My husband and I intend to teach our children about God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. I am prepared for the twists and turns that life will surely bring. I know without a doubt that by keeping God in our hearts and in our family, we will be just fine.”
As the year 2019 draws to an end, we are blessed to share some amazing and heartfelt updates from Autum, our first girl in the House of Hope residential program. We are also excited to share photos of Hope Through the Years. These glimpses of smiles and events were made possible only with the support and prayers of so many friends who have joined us to raise hope and make a difference. Since the opening of House of Hope in 2012, many lives have been transformed. A family’s journey at House of Hope bears fruit when the challenges are faced. When forgiveness and grace enter, God’s work can begin. The success of the House of Hope program relies heavily on mountains being climbed and valleys being traversed. Seeking God’s love and getting to know Jesus – even when they may not desire to do so – is what truly matters. This is what makes a difference. We know in our hearts that whatever capacity or length of time a family spends with House of Hope, seeds of hope are planted. We trust God will take care of the watering in His timing. At the little stone house in Glen Rock, the girls share heartaches, joys, tears, laughter, disappointments, chores, milestones … and one bathroom. Each of their journeys are different yet the same. Along with their families, the girls come to House of Hope with expectations of finding hope, restoration, and new beginnings. Through our on-site academic program, faith-based counseling, spiritual guidance, parenting classes, and God’s grace, they are provided with tools of faith. They learn to grasp the importance of utilizing these tools to fight against the challenging things of this world. When a family’s season at House of Hope comes to a close, they do not leave perfect; but, they leave different. Jesus changes them in a way only He can do. House of Hope’s goal is that through the difficult moments, the families know to whom they can look for guidance and unconditional love. When the blessings flow, they know who sent them and why. We pray your hearts are touched by the words shared in this letter and that you are blessed knowing the seeds you are planting in the ministry of House of Hope York are doing Kingdom work.
You are encouraged to pray and give as you feel led toward helping us reach our year-end goal of $40,000 by December 31st.
Raise Hope. Make a Difference.
