The open house at HUGS will be 11 a.m.-noon Saturday. After the tour, a luncheon will be held at the church for $20 per plate, followed by a silent auction. To make reservations for the open house and luncheon call 304-476-7174 or 304-435-4628.
HOWESVILLE — The Living Faith Church will hold an open house and dinner Saturday to help the church’s Help Us Get Started (HUGS) project, which helps young, single mothers.
Michele Kennedy, who assists the Rev. Bonnie Rowan, said they help the mothers by helping them get a start in life.
“There are a lot of young single mothers out there,” Rowan said. “I haven’t seen the statistics. We want to keep families together.”
She said many young mothers lose custody of their children because they don’t have a place to live.
“If they have visitation rights they can do supervised visits here. We will try to help them get their children back.”
The open house includes a tour of the house Rowan and her husband built along W.Va. 26 in Howesville. There is room for 10 young mothers. The house has a rec room and a full bath downstairs.
Upstairs are a large kitchen, living room, dining room, a second full bath and a room for the supervisor who will oversee the house.
“We will teach them daily living skills, provide transportation and help them get a driver’s license if they don’t have one,” Rowan said.
She said along with learning to cook, clean and do the chores necessary to provide a home for a child, they will also be able to continue their education and get a high school equivalency diploma.
“We want to empower them, not enable them and keep them where they are now. We have to help body, soul and spirit. We have to reach the whole person.”
Rowan said she is looking forward to the holidays.
“We would like to do a nice Christmas for the children. This is something you have to do with children. Those memories last forever,” she said.
Rowan said although she has not received any funding in the past she is going to try to get some grants.
“I wanted to get the labor done (house built) before I looked for funds,” she said. “We have some sponsors and will be doing a couple of presentations.”
The $20 per plate luncheon will consist of appetizers, stuffed chicken breast, red potatoes, salad and dessert.
Donations to HUGS can be sent in care of the Rev. Bonnie Rowan, 60 Shepard St., Kingwood, WV 26537.
