In a society where victimization is embraced as a badge of honor, there are still individuals who believe in overcoming and helping others to lead productive lives. Rahab’s Heart, a non-profit, is helping women across the United States to do just that and break the cycle of what victimization has to offer.
Victimization Culture Alternative
Jennifer Wilcox knows first hand the difficulties that life can bring, and against all odds has overcome substantial past trauma that all too commonly halts personal growth.
“I am a survivor of childhood abuse, poverty, domestic violence and alcoholism,” Wilcox told Patriots United News. “With my history and what I have overcome I knew that I could take what I learned and help these women overcome the obstacles of poverty.”
Wilcox started Rahab’s Heart after she went through the adoption process with her now two adopted sons. She had no intentions of adopting through the Foster Care System (FCS) but was were presented an opportunity to adopt 2 brothers who were in the FCS and her and her husband took a chance.
Poverty Prevention and Help
After learning that there are over 400,000 kids in foster care in the US and out of those 98% of the moms that lose their children into the system are living below poverty, she knew she had to do something to help.
“I asked questions about what a mom has to do in order to get their child back and found out that a mom has to complete step A-D in order to get the child back. The problem is this does not give the mom the support she needs and eventually loses her child back to the system,” Wilcox explained.
In an effort to combat this, Wilcox started Rahab’s Heart, a program that is available to all women in the US that are ready to equip their lives to break free from poverty and abuse.
They are able to offer this program online free of charge to any woman who applies and is approved for the program. Because of this, they are looking for more mentors who are willing to spend 1 hour a week helping a woman on her journey with this program.
While at the moment, this program is solely based online, Rahab’s Heart’s goal is to open up a housing unit that will house between 6-8 women and their children in Western Colorado.
Going Against the Grain – Offering Hope
“This will be a one-year transformational housing unit called Rahab Center that will allow the women to complete the steps needed in a safe structured environment. We are currently fundraising to open this home in Colorado with an estimated cost of 700,000,” Wilcox said.
“90% of the women we help through our program are homeless along with their children and without the security of a home, the cycles of poverty and abuse keep repeating itself. We are hoping to raise the funds by this fall and have the home open by late fall early winter.”
Rahab’s Heart does not take any government grants or funds and any donations made to the ministry are tax exempt.
Wilcox wrote a book about her life and her journey in starting Rahab’s Heart in hopes of inspiring others that find themselves in difficult situations in life. In a world where victimization is glorified, places like Rahab’s Heart are combating this unfortunate cultural embrace by offering a much-needed alternative.
