It was a long wait for Choose Life Ministry to start helping young women with life-controlling issues.
Now it has its first resident for its program.
Choose Life was started in 2012 by Shelley Boyes in an effort to help women between the ages of 18 and 29. Since 2012, Boyes, the Choose Life board and the ministry’s supporters has been working hard to gather enough money to get the ministry up and running.
Choose Life officially opened in September when it had its first resident join the program.
“The program has been exceeding our expectations,” said Boyes. “Of course, leading up to it, everything was theory, because we didn’t really have anything to base it on, no practical experience, and so we launched with what we thought would work and would be helpful.”
The resident in the program has done well, and has loved the experience thus far.
“We are learning lots, and loving having her there,” said Boyes.
The resident is taking her Saskatchewan Grade 12 classes as part of the program. She is also participating in fitness and learning life skills.
“We’re doing cooking and baking and those kinds of things, as well as working through the freedom session program,” she said.
The program is scheduled to last six months. Towards the end of the six months, an evaluation will take place to see if the resident needs more time.
“There will be a transition phase as well where we will help her decide if she’s going to go back to school for some extra training, or put together a resumé and get a job, and of course we will help her with that transition as well,” said Boyes.
Boyes noted Choose Life is working out a way for the young woman to be able to spend some time with her family at Christmas.
The program has enough space for three more residents. Choose Life has received applications, but those applicants haven’t followed up as of yet.
Boyes described the follow-through stage as the biggest step.
She doesn’t expect Choose Life will bring anyone new in until after the Christmas season is finished.
“By all means, people should continue to apply, because it does take some time to get through the application process,” said Boyes.
Choose Life Ministry is currently using a building in Gainsborough as its base. An old stone house in the rural municipality of Argyle will eventually be its home. Renovations are ongoing, with painting scheduled for next week. Finishing materials, floor coverings, cupboards and tiles are being ordered.
Window trims need to be completed, as does the landscaping.
“It’s fully heated inside now, so they’re able to work at whatever needs to be done,” said Boyes.
Boyes hopes the ministry can move to the building in April 2018, around the same time that the first resident is finishing her program.
There wouldn’t be an issue moving her from one location to another, Boyes said.
“If the stone house is finished in time, or if the program exceeds six months, then by all means, we would move her out to the stone house and finish the program out there,” Boyes said.
Once the stone house is completed and ready for use, then the number of participants can be increased to six.
Choose Life continues to fundraise for the operations of the ministry. The thrift stores continue to do very well, she said, and monthly donors play a key role in the success of the organization.
“We’re always adding, and hoping to add, to our monthly donors. And of course we have people in the communities, the surrounding communities, who are always doing fundraisers on our behalf, which is always great, too,” said Boyes.
Some of the local organizations and businesses are also contributing.
Boyes said Choose Life is always looking for board members, especially those who have skills that might be helpful to the ministry, such as accounting, legal and business, or experience in social services.
