Graduation Day

The day had finally arrived! After 6 months of classes and seminars the participants of the Fresh Start program received their certificates of completion. This was the first time that the program was delivered to the same group of women over a 6 month period. Many thanks to the staff of Safe Haven for allowing Fresh Start for Women to provide services to their clients.

June 23, 2007 brought to a close a program in which the staff and volunteers of Fresh Start for Women offered the following:

January: Goal Setting
February & March: Money Management/Credit Bylaws – Parts 1 & 2
April: Developing Healthy Relationships
May: Self-Examination (Renew Thyself – Forgiveness)
June: Positive Affirmations (Empowerment)

The day was filled with tears of joy and yet a bit of sadness as a bond that had been developed was coming to an end. As the women were awarded their certificates each was invited to share the most important lessons learned during their time with FSFW. There were a number of responses the most poignant one coming from a young lady exclaiming, “I’ve learned that I’m important that women are important.”

Final words of encouragement were delivered by Mrs. Pettigrew in which she encouraged each to continue on their road to healing. Said Mrs. Pettigrew, “remember you are not defined by the incidents of the past, use them instead to spring forward to a brighter future.” In celebration the women were treated to lunch at a local restaurant.

Fresh Start for Women will do a follow-up visit in late August or early September to measure the progress of the women from the program. In the interim FSFW will evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make changes as recommended for the next offering.

FSFW Conducts Abstinence Workshop at Destiny Family Summer Youth Academy

On Thursday June 21, 2007 FSFW conducted a very informative workshop for young girls ages 12 through 15. The purpose was to discuss the aspect of relationships in a faith-based manner by exploring and taking a look at abstinence. Family Destiny Services founder and director Ms. Kathryn Jones recruited Mrs. Pettigrew to expand upon the FSFW Precious Jewel Workshop to help advocate, “No Sex Before Marriage”, for the youth academy.

Mrs. Pettigrew facilitated an open forum in which the young ladies were put in teams and given the assignment to come up with their idea of the consequences of sex before marriage. The first team drew a thought provoking picture of a young lady telling a young man she’s pregnant and showing the young man running away from the situation. Very poignantly in the corner was a picture of a little baby with the caption, “who’s going to take care of me?” The second team put their creativity to work by producing an original poem about the pitfalls of sex before marriage.

Mrs. Pettigrew congratulated each team on a job well done. From this a very lively discussion ensued using biblical principals when appropriate to help each teen make a decision for themselves regarding the issue of sex before marriage. Some expressed a belief that it was okay citing instances of family history or friends/acquaintances that had children early. Others used these same examples as reasons not to engage in sex before marriage. It was just this type of discussion hoped for in an atmosphere that was positive and encouraging.

In a rap session joined by the young men of the academy Mrs. Pettigrew shared a painful experience of gang-rape during her early high school years. This experience Mrs. Pettigrew explained had a profound affect on many of her future choices and decisions and she hoped that by her sharing it would instill in both groups of teens the importance of just how valuable they are, mind, body and spirit. The day was a long one in which the young men and ladies were challenged to rethink their assumptions and decisions.

Ms. Jones closed out the day's activities with a team building exercise in which all had to learn to listen and trust one another. FSFW was honored to be a part of Destiny Family Summer Youth Academy and look forward to future participation.