Family Life Services has taken another step toward opening the Shiloh Home of Hope at 605 Congress St. The building will provide a residential setting for unwed mothers who need help while they are learning to be parents and to become self-sufficient.
Family Life staff last month moved into the building, which formerly held an orthodontist’s office and his family’s home. Carol and Lee Alderman, who will be house parents for Shiloh residents, are moving into the residential level of the building, and the next level of fundraising will begin this month.
The money is needed to buy the home and office from Galen and Beth Miller, who have moved to Colorado. The Millers are accepting a reduced price for the house to help support the project, and are allowing extra time for supporters to complete fundraising efforts.
“We still are raising money and are supposed to have everything we need by the end of 2008, so we’ve got some time left to work on that,” said Cindy Rhudy, Family Life director.
In-kind donations are being given by construction professionals who will update the fire safety aspects of the building, with a projected finish date of Feb. 1 or before, Rhudy said.
Hour-long presentations about Shiloh will resume soon for groups as far away as Gardner, Dodge City and Kansas City, in addition to presentations for local and outlying communities. Shorter informational programs also will be available to civic groups and others that want to learn more about the home and perhaps contribute to the cause.
Family Life’s “Walk for Life” in June brought in $8,000 to add to the funds already raised. As of Tuesday morning, $25,000 of the $110,000 goal remains to be raised before Shiloh can welcome its first group of mothers.
Young women at Shiloh will receive life-skills lessons, classes, and counseling during their time there. Sponsors plan to help them become qualified for employment and teach them how to choose clothing for interviews and careers, how to present themselves, how to be effective parents, and other skills they may not have learned, including how to develop a good self-image.
Until then, Family Life will continue providing services and child-related merchandise to mothers in need of help.
“We’re busy, but we’ve got to get things done, too,” Rhudy said. “It’s a good problem to have right now.”
Several local entities donated goods and services for the Walk for Life and Family Life’s move into new quarters. They are: Tyson Meats, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Vending Food Services, Evco, Sonic and Planet Sub. Docents from the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia brought animals to the walk event as part of the entertainment.