Recovery residence for homeless women planned for Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - An Evansville faith-based organization plans to build transitional housing for drug and alcohol addicted, homeless women.

Each resident will find a stable and supportive environment.

The Reflecting Waters ministry is taking on the mission of creating a compassionate environment where addicted individuals can rebuild their lives. The residence, called Ruth's House, will help women meet the difficult challenges of recovery.

The new home will house each year up to 24 women living out a recovery lifestyle. The six-month program includes: counseling, finding and maintaining employment, learning the discipline of money management, and developing a strong support system through local 12-step programs. The model was designed from the highly successful Samaritan Inns of Washington, D.C. As partners with Samaritan Inns, Reflecting Waters will benefit from that organization's 20 years of experience and expertise.

At the present time, alcohol and drug professionals have few housing options for their clients in the Evansville area - a problem common to many other communities, as well. Ruth's House, to be built at the corner of Governor and Walnut Streets, will fill a need in the Greater Evansville area for transitional housing. Organizers say Ruth's House will be more than just living space. Each resident will find a stable and supportive environment where her hopes for becoming a physically and spiritually strong woman can become a reality - freer to be all God created her to be.

Reflecting Waters, Inc. began with the vision of the Rev. Ruth E. Milgate, an Indiana United Methodist pastor who is now retired. Upon her first retirement, Ruth spent a year as a live-in innkeeper in a women's residence of the Samaritan Inns in Washington. As an innkeeper she was part of a community of caring people who assisted 21 out of 26 women in reclaiming their lives. Upon returning to Evansville, and after much meditation and prayer, Milgate realized that instead of another retirement, God was calling her to begin a ministry like the Samaritan Inns in Evansville. After four years, Reflecting Waters has become incorporated and has its own 501(c)3 tax exemption status. The property on which Ruth's House will be built also is tax exempt.

Reflecting Waters' "Shared Hope" goal is raising $600,000 during the next six months. Organizers hope to begin building in August. This amount covers the building, furnishings and first year's operating expenses.

Reflecting Waters has received $170,000 to date with another $50,000 pledged. The Evansville District of The United Methodist Church has designated this ministry as a mission outreach project. Milgate told Together that donations, prayers, questions, calls and contributions are welcomed.

For more information, contact Reflecting Waters, P.O. Box 4204, Evansville, IN 47724, call 812-455-2007, e-mail ruthshouse@reflectingwaters.org or log on to www.reflectingwaters.org.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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