A Place For Women In Need
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As police officers, we see first-hand the devastating effects an unplanned pregnancy can have on the young women of our communities. Often these young women are forced into a life of prostitution, drugs, and other crimes, as well as homelessness.
For young pregnant women, under the age of 25, with nowhere else to turn, there will soon be an alternative in the South Florida area. The founder of Hannah's Home in Mentor, Ohio, Carol Beresford, has now started the process of opening a Hannah's Home of South Florida, to be located in the beautiful small Village of Tequesta in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Hannah's Home of South Florida will offer these young women a loving place to live with their young babies for up to two years, day-care, life skills education, job skills education, and adoption education, educational assistance up to achievement of the GED and beyond, Christian counseling, and part-time jobs. All of this is free of charge to anyone accepted into the program.
The founder Carol Beresford, is well known to those of us in the area. She is a 2009 graduate of the Citizen Police Academy. Her husband, Pastor Paul Beresford, has been a police chaplain in our South Florida area for a long time, and in fact, started the chaplaincy program of one local police department. So those of us in the area know first-hand the quality of people that are going to be involved in this program.
Two of our local police officers, Sergeant Keith Smolen, and Officer Bob Worcester, have donated time and effort to this program and will be donating more time in the future. Both officers appeared in a promotional video stating the need for and their belief in this program. Officer Worcester has started donating effort in the realm of building remodeling. Right now, Hannah's Home of South Florida is in need of $100,000 by January 1, 2010 and $500,000 by the end of 2010 to keep its facility.
Anyone interested in making a donation may do so using PayPal at www.HannahsHomeSouthFlorida.org or by mailing a check to P.O. BOX 4512, Tequesta, Fl, 33469. For more information call 772-546-5165.
Hannah's Home of South Florida is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization that operates strictly off of donations. It receives no funding from the government or from any of its clients. All donations are tax deductible.
By Bob Worcester, a 26 year veteran officer with the Tequesta, Florida Police Department and also an adjunct instructor with Indian River State College Police Academy. You may contact Officer Bob at: flybob63@bellsouth.net
Copyright 2009 American Police Beat "Cops Speak Out" - Reprinted by Permission.