They finally had a place to call home. But there was nowhere to sleep.
A mother and her four children were beginning again in Lebanon after experiencing domestic violence. They were safe, and they had an apartment of their own.
But it was empty.
No beds for the three older children. No crib for the baby. Not even a bed for mom.
After everything it had taken to get there, they still needed the most basic things to make their apartment a home.
And that’s where their community stepped in.
COPE helped the family secure the apartment, covering the deposits and connecting them with Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Volunteers brought three twin beds, complete with bedding, for the older children. The Fostering Hope Closet provided a crib for the baby, along with clothing, personal care items, and diapers through Diaper Bank of the Ozarks.
Through CarePortal, Team FBC stepped forward with a couch and a bed for mom.
And one little boy had a special request.
He wanted a blue blanket.
There wasn’t one on the Closet shelves, so a volunteer from First Baptist Church made sure he got one.
In just a few days, five people who had started with an empty apartment had beds to sleep in, clothes to wear, and the things they needed to begin making a home.
And a little boy had his blue blanket.
Finding safety is an enormous step, but rebuilding a household can mean starting with almost nothing.
That’s why connections between community organizations matter.
The Missouri Department of Social Services knew to contact the Fostering Hope Closet. COPE knew Sleep in Heavenly Peace could provide beds. CarePortal connected the need with Team FBC. Churches, volunteers, and donors supplied what was missing.
Each organization brought something different. And because they were connected, this mother didn’t have to figure out how to find every resource on her own.
In the Ozarks, this is what community looks like.
CARRY HOPE – DAY 3 OF 30
For 30 days in November, discover the people, the needs, and the ways this community responds.
Follow the 30-day challenge
What you can do
Carry Hope
For 30 days in November, we are sharing one story a day about a real challenge facing children and families in the Missouri Ozarks, what is being done about it, and how you can help carry it.
Read more Carry Hope stories →Our Matching Partners
Thanks to these partners, $25,500 is waiting to match your gifts this November.
| Dr. Dawn and Dean Barker |  |  |
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Along with a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
