Hope Builders, a ministry of Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia, seeks to treat women the way Jesus did—with love, respect and compassion. The ministry's premise is that when Christians rise to the challenge of empowering women to move from feeling of worthlessness to self-worth through Christ, God is glorified.

Two women in Virginia, Barbara Cottrell and Margaret Allen, are among those making a difference through Hope Builders.

Cottrell

“Site coordinators and those who volunteer as mentors extend themselves to great lengths to help women in need, “says Cottrell, site coordinator for Shiloh Baptist Church in Reedville. “I can remember an incident in which a mentor and I were exposed to grave danger in trying to locate a woman in our program. The mentor called me to say that this individual had been missing for three days but that she had learned where she was located. The mentor and I met and proceeded to her last known location. When we arrived, there were a lot of people around the house. We expressed our concern to her that she had not been home and no one in her family had heard from her; she was surprised to know that we cared enough to come looking for her. She thanked us and we left. On that very night she returned home to her family.

“We sensed danger when we were at the location but we did not learn until later that we had been at a crack house. Thanks be to God for his hand of protection and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we minister to our at-risk mentees.”

Allen

“As a new group of women began our program this year, I was dreading the start-up of Hope Builders,” says Allen, site coordinator for the Richmond area Hope Builders. “I felt it would be very demanding and stressful. I also felt that it would require so much of my energy to reach the ladies and to get them to participate in sharing during discussion time. However, the ladies who make up this session are just the opposite. They are open and involved in researching ways to better themselves. They are helping each other to resolve problems by sharing resources.

“I am blessed by these women. Instead of feeling stressed and drained, these ladies are actually encouraging me and giving me hope to continue in this ministry. This ministry has blessed my life as a site coordinator. To God be the glory for the moving of his Spirit in the lives of women who are involved in the Hope Builders site in Richmond.

For more information on the Level 1 training for site coordinators, contact Sheila Smith, Hope Builders/CWJC Consultant at (540) 825-6282 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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