| Resident Testimonies
John Evans
My name is John Evans and I’m a former resident of “PEACE VALLEY HAVEN”. I’m very grateful for the services of this agency, they saved my life.
I became homeless because I lost a good paying job and could not pay my rent, I was evicted. I was directed to the Dept. of Social Svcs., and they put me into Peace Valley Haven. It was a blessing. To this day I am still very grateful. I put in two years of shelter with Daphne Haynes. When I turned sixty-two, I applied for Social Security Benefits. I am now living in my own apartment and I’m very happy.
I will never, never forget what Daphne Haynes did for me to help me out. I am repaying her generosity by volunteering to travel to Roosevelt to help her. I answer the phones, cook meals, take care of some of her paperwork and call people up on the phone every month for her food distribution drive to help the needy people in the district.
OK, now I would like to talk to you about the subject of homelessness and how some of us got here. These are the causes of homelessness and having the importance of a program that “PEACE VALLEY HAVEN”, provides to resolve! Poverty, mental illness, chemical dependency, domestic violence, crumbling family structure, inadequate low rent housing, loss of job, released from jail, chronic physical disorders, alcohol abuse and gambling.
The list goes on and on…but do you know what the saddest part that bothers me is? Its lack of family!!! Homeless people have sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. They will call them up in a typical conversation that goes like this. Hey, Jake this is your brother, I need a place to stay and I lost my job too. Could I just sleep on your couch till things get better? I have a small pension and can contribute some money for food. NO!!! I want my privacy and I’m still mad with the argument we had fifteen years ago.
Well his family deserted him, but to “PVH” he is our brother. Welcome brother, here’s a clean bed, some good food, programs-get yourself back on your feet. We care, get well!!
Please support these people, being abandoned is a terrible feeling. So please give, so these people live! May the heart that melts at the sight of sorrow always be blessed with the means to relieve it…and here’s to charity-unless a man is a recipient of charity, he should be a contributor to it.
And as the BIBLE says, “As We Have Therefore Opportunity, Let Us Do Good Unto All Men”. – GALATIANS 6:10 and remember before I close. If a man dies for charity and duty to his neighbor, the world calls him noble. If he dies for gain, the world calls him lowly. The dying is the same; it is up to you to you to choose your path to it.
Thank you and GOD bless you.
Marvin Rose
From the entrance through the rather long driveway to the wide and clean backyard there is a feeling of freedom that is indeed peaceful bordered by rarely seen neighbors on a quiet section of Park Avenue. Peace Valley Haven (PVH) is in its own right, a getaway from the everyday rigors of a bustling town of Roosevelt where there is always something going on. Coming to PVH was a real eye-opener for me as a person who has always looked at everyone as being in control of their lives not knowing that underneath all the hype that surrounds the “American Dream” system of having a job, owning a home, driving a nice car and raising a family. There are people who are actually falling between the cracks whether through their own fault or the victim of an unfortunate turn of affairs or circumstances. Abuse, crime, drugs, poverty, alcohol, and making wrong choices of having the wrong choices thrust upon them, these men and women (who apply for help to DSS) are only a handful OF THE SUFFERING THAT EXISTS IN OUR SOCIETY. Homelessness, hunger and despair that leads to hopelessness often cause people to do very harmful acts whether to themselves or to others when they have no one to turn to or somewhere to go whether for a warm bed or meals or to just talk about their situation and to try and find solutions to their problems.
In the short time I have been a PVH I have found that many of these people are decent human beings who just need to have someone believe in then and give them some advice and encouragement. This is where I found PVH to be ideally suited and Ms. Haynes deserves a lot of praise for the good work she has done with her caring nature and the love she shows to the needy and homeless. She is a Godsend to the community and words and not enough to tell of the wonderful stories I get from people who reside at PVH, people who have lived there and moved on. The Lord has a way of seeking out people and he has shown this on many occasions. I am sure you know the will known stories of Samuel, Moses, Paul, The twelve disciples, Noah and countless others. Ms. Haynes is just another example of this. We have to give thanks to God for His loving kindness and for Ms. Haynes. The residents of PVH are not the only ones who benefit from the work that is done at PVH; people in the community are always asking “when is the next food drive”? Or “do you have any winter jackets”
Some people may say that they don’t accept charity and they don’t want their neighbors or friends to say they take “handouts” or “beg for food”. The number of needy people is on the increase and will continue to increase breeding crime and violence and PVH is doing another service by providing a way of preventing this from happening in a small way and if a life can be saved by stopping a robbery or assault more kudos to Ms. Haynes and PVH.
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