June 2009
Serenity Pointe
Shelter from the Storms of Life
www.serenitypointe.org * P.O. Box 1929, Dunlap, TN 37327 *423-991-2525
SP tapped to create
affordable housing
Serenity Pointe offers shelter and guidance to those in need, but our ultimate goal
is to help each family we serve find a safe,
clean, permanent home.
One of the challenges we face is finding
housing in the area that people can actually
afford. Even those who have full-time jobs
often aren’t paid enough to pay the rent and
pay for life’s other essentials.
So we’re taking action. Serenity Pointe
has received a grant to bring more affordable
housing to Grundy, Marion, and Sequatchie
counties. Over the next four years, we will
purchase homes that are in foreclosure and
then renovate them as modern, energy-effi-
Continued on p. 4
UPCOMING EVENTS
Charity Bike Ride
June 6, Hixson
www.americandreamcharityride.com
423-875-9611
Housewarming
Shower for the Shelter
Lee Station Baptist Church
10109 Old State Hwy 28, Pikeville
June 14, 4pm
Performance by the
Free on the Inside singers at 6pm.
(See the insert for our wish list)
We will add more events over the
summer, so check our website!
Deanna, Betty, and Jason take charge of the yard during a
work day at Serenity Pointe’s new shelter.
Renovations under way
at new shelter
We are hard at work finishing renovations at our new shelter. We’re repairing the septic tank, building out the basement,
improving the landscaping, and getting furnishings in order.
Soon we’ll be able to take in up to 16 people a night.
We kicked things off in April with a workday clearing underbrush and cleaning up the yard. The young man in the photo
above is Jason. We featured his story in our March newsletter.
He now has a steady construction job in Alabama, and is committed to staying away from drugs. Jason joined us for the workday because he wanted to give back to Serenity Pointe.
The woman in white is Deanna. She came to us in April determined to turn her life around. She has been helpful and courageous from day one. She’s now in a full-time recovery program
and doing well. (For more of her story, see p. 3.) In the background with the rake is Betty Vinson, whose company, Vinson
Trucking, is one of Serenity Pointe’s most generous donors.
We were also blessed to have our friends from the Lone Oak
Church of God helping us that weekend.
Our Wish List now includes a variety of building materials for completing the renovations. Can you help? Check out our
blog – www.serenitypointe.wordpress.com – for a complete list of the things we need. Thank you!!
Page 2
June 2009
We All Have Addictions
(What’s yours?)
Why don’t you just quit?
For me it’s an addiction, and giving it up hasn’t
That’s what most of us who have never dealt been easy. But let’s face it: if you think giving up anywith drugs or alcohol would like to say to people thing is easy, then try it for a week, or a month. Or a
with addictions. If someone has chosen to drink, pop lifetime. (Could you give up television for a month?
pills, or use meth, then they
How about the Internet?)
can just as easily choose to
Breaking an addiction
quit - if they really want to.
takes faith – faith that life
As of May 29, Serenity Pointe
Right?
can and will be better. That’s
has
helped
91
people
in
need.
If you’ve ever tried to
the message that Serenity
Most of them have been
give up an addiction, you
Pointe offers.
mothers and their children who
know it’s not that simple.
Serenity Pointe has
And if you think you
served 91 people in need
had run out of options and had
don’t have an addiction, then
over the past year. In all but
no place to go.
ask yourself these questions:
one of those cases, addiction
In all but one of those cases,
Is there something in
played a role. If the mother
addiction
played
a
role.
my life that I know isn’t good
wasn’t on drugs or alcohol,
for me, but I do it anyway?
then her abuser was. It’s beCould I give it up for seven
come clear to us that helping
days? How about for a month? How about for six people overcome addictions will be our greatest and
months?
most important challenge.
How about for a lifetime?
This is an exciting time for Serenity Pointe, as
For me, it’s sugar. Two years ago, my husband we finish renovations on our new shelter, plan our
Gerald and I saw a story about how bad sugar is for affordable housing project, and strengthen our ties
your body. There’s nothing good about it. We decid- with others who are reaching out a helping hand to
ed that it was something we needed to stop eating. those in need. Thank you for your prayers and supSo we did.
port.
After a month, we felt better than we had for
- Debbie Morrison, Executive Director
years. My knees didn’t hurt any more (sugar attaches
to your joints). After six months, we’d both lost more
than 30 pounds.
Then July rolled around and both our grandHow You Can Help
children were having birthday parties. And birthday
parties mean sugar! We thought, Oh, it’s just this one
Join the 96 Club, and help us keep a
time, and it’s for such a special occasion...
the light on every night for those in need! If
Well, that was it! Just like that, we were back to
96 people pledge a monthly gift of just $25, we
eating sugar and back to hurting ourselves - and of
can meet the cost of operating our new 16-bed
course gaining the weight back. We were like people
shelter.
who have a drug or alcohol problem who tell themAs of June 1, the 96 Club has 57 members
selves that just once wouldn’t hurt anything. Who
doing
their part to meet the need. Can you be
were we kidding?
member #58? Every penny of your donation
In April, we met Crystal, a mother of two (with
will go toward keeping the shelter open - no
one on the way) who had struggled with drugs and
one is paid at Serenity Pointe.
alcohol for years. (For more of her story, see p. 3.)
Call Debbie at 991-2525, or visit our
We helped her get admission to a special addiction
website,
http://www.serenitypointe.org.
recovery facility. I promised her if she stayed in the
one-year program, then I wouldn’t eat sugar.
Page 3
June 2009
Second Chance Stories
Two mothers tell their stories in their own words.
Deanna Lawrence
Since I came to Serenity Pointe, my life has been
so much better. I am no longer the same person. I
have changed from my heart.
Until a person makes a change from the inside,
the outside will never be different. I am now living
for the Lord and the Lord has given me blessing upon
blessing. I have a new lifestyle now and it’s so cool. I
never really knew how much fun a person could have
without having drugs in their life.
Each day that goes by just seems so different
and I have such fun. Some things in life we just take
for granted, like the simple things. Grass, dirt, the
leaves, rain and sun. But out
of everything love makes the
world go round.
Having the love of God
with us is the best love of
all. Now that I’m at Serenity
Pointe I have peace in my
life and God.
Let me just tell you a
little about myself. I have
been abused for 20 years of
my life, plus been an alcoholic and a drug addict. I
have been in jail on and off my whole life and nothing seemed to change.
Jail couldn’t fix me when getting out I would
always go back to the same friends and places and
always end up back in jail or high again.
I just recently served 60 days at the Justice Center. This small little stay opened my eyes up more
than ever. I got released and went back out and failed
again but God came to me one night and talked to me
and right then and there He said to make a choice.
And I told God if he would give me the chance that I
would not do any more drugs.
I waited on daylight to come so I could call Debbie at Serenity Pointe. I knew that it was time to
change.
I have learned to cherish so many things in life.
I have been at the new shelter and helped do work
like unpack dishes, plant grass, re-organize lots of
things in the shelter. I just thank God for my blessing
that he gave me of finding Serenity Pointe. And God
has delivered me from drugs and whiskey and a life
in the fast lane. So I just praise Jesus and I just want
to say that I love the Lord.
Deanna entered Blue Monarch, a one-year
residential program for women who are recovering from addictions, abuse, and other severe issues,
in May. She asked that we use her full name.
Crystal
My name is Crystal and I have been an alcoholic and drug addict for 10 years. I have been in
jails, institutions,
and homeless for
many of those
years. I have lost
my children due
to my drug and
alcohol use.
December of
2008, I went on a
drinking binge. I
didn’t realize that
it would change
my world. I went
back to my boyfriend, who was also the father of my
youngest daughter.
I thought things were going to be different, but
actually there was more drinking, drug use, and
beatings.
I finally left the home and was again on the
streets, until God blessed me with Serenity Pointe. I
have been here a week and already things have taken
a turn for the better. Serenity Pointe has helped me with a safe place
to stay and food to eat, and they have helped me to
find a program to go into where me and my girls can
stay together.
I finally feel like there’s hope and my future
looks brighter every day. Thanks to God for sending
me Serenity Pointe.
Crystal is now in her third month at Blue Monarch. Her children, ages two and nine, are with her.
She is expecting a third child this summer. Everyone is doing well.
June 2009
Page 4
SP tapped to create more
affordable housing
Benefit Auction and
Bake Sale a Success!
Continued from p. 1
cient rental properties. We will then make those homes
available to low-income families, such as those we
serve.
Not only does this grant give us more ways to help
people in need, it also allows us to fix up dilapidated
buildings, improve neighborhoods, bring dollars to the
area, and put people to work.
The grant is part of the federal stimulus package,
administered by the Tennessee Housing Development
Agency.
UPCOMING
CONGREGATION VISITS
June 7 - First Baptist Church of Dunlap
12 Church Street, Dunlap (a.m. service)
June 28 - Brainerd Hills Church of God
410 Friar Road, Chattanooga (a.m. service)
Check our website for an updated schedule!
Our heartfelt thanks go to Southern Charms
and the dozens of businesses and individuals
who donated, baked, and bid to make our benefit
auction a success on April 18! The event raised
almost $2,200.
The funds came just in time – that same
weekend, we had to make emergency repairs to
the septic tank at the new shelter!
To see more pictures of the auction and a
complete list of people who deserve our thanks,
check out our brand new blog:
www.serenitypointe.wordpress.com
Thrift store open and accepting donations!
Give your unwanted but gently used belongings a second life helping those in need. Our thrift store
not only raises money for our programs, it’s also a source of furniture, clothing, household items,
and other essentials for those we serve. To drop off donations, please call ahead: 991-2525.
Serenity Pointe
P.O. Box 1929, Dunlap, TN 37327
423-991-2525
www.serenitypointe.org