“I’m one of the founders of The Refuge in Philadelphia, MS. It’s a day program for special-needs adults and youth. My husband and I adopted our daughter about eight years ago. She’ll be 20 this year. When she was 13, we saw there were no care options as she got older. We knew if we were in this boat, we weren’t alone. After talking to other special needs families, we felt from the Lord that more was needed.

The name comes from Psalm 91:2, “The Lord is our refuge, and it’s in him we will trust.” We trust Him to guide and provide. We didn’t know anything about running a nonprofit. We adopted our daughter with no knowledge of the special needs community, and He’s given us everything we’ve needed, every step of the way.

I was an intern school counselor when I met our daughter. There was a case on her, and I learned she needed a new family. My heart broke. My husband said, ‘You can’t bring them all home.’ And I said, ‘But this is different.’

We were living in a 236-square-foot tiny house, so we couldn’t bring her home. But a few months before, my husband’s grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s. We had bought her home to remodel. 

The Lord put it on both of our hearts, at different times, that she was our daughter. She lived three miles from us, right on the shortcut to town and church. We would’ve had to reroute our lives to bypass her. That’s how we knew God was calling us to her.

We’re followers of Christ, and we listen to where He guides. There’s that saying, “I wish somebody would do something.” We are somebody. Why not be the one?

I’m from Forest, Mississippi. My husband grew up in Philadelphia. We bought our dream home on a golf course in Brandon and planned to retire there. Five months later, the Lord said, “Nope, you’re coming back to Philadelphia.’ My husband got a job he wasn’t even looking for. We thought we were coming back to help plant a church, and we did, but we also came to plant The Refuge and raise our daughter.

We have 16 friends on roll at The Refuge. Some are daily, some two or three times a week, depending on what they can handle. One came just one day a week for a whole year. Then we worked up to two, then three. Many have been homebound since they aged out of school.

Most of our Refuge friends are between 21 and 26. We also have an after-school program for ninth grade and up, so if parents are still working, they’ve got a place for their children to go. If there’s nowhere for our friends to go, a parent has to leave their job, which decreases financial stability, socialization, and mental and physical health. It’s a domino effect. 

So many families depend on the government—not because they want to, but because they have to. If they  lose their  job, they  still have to live. We hope to be a refuge where families don’t have to sacrifice everything. 

We didn’t see any of this until we adopted our daughter. A typical parent doesn’t  think about what happens when kids with special needs leave school. Sometimes teachers try to prepare parents, but a lot of families fall into the gap. We’re trying to bridge that gap.

We charge $200 a month. That doesn’t cover our bills, but it keeps families invested. We bring different things to our community for fundraisers. We also have a flea market shop and sell the art we make. There aren’t many grants, because we’re not a childcare center, elder center, mental health center, or school. We’re in the gap. Half of my house is probably at The Refuge. My husband will ask, ‘Where’s our iron?’ Sorry, I needed it there.

We created a shirt that says ‘Remember Your Why.’ The Bible verse on the back says, ‘Be kind and compassionate.’ It’s for teachers, nurses, parents—anyone doing hard work to  remember the passion they  had when they  started the journey. When we’re hard on ourselves, we’re hard on others. That shirt reminds us why we started.

Sometimes I still cry just talking about The Refuge. I look at my daughter, and I know she was worth changing all our life plans. I’m walking in the purpose Christ has for me. I’m at peace.”

Brooke 

(The Refuge sells art made by the friends in the program. They were gifted a kiln to fire the pottery made there and are waiting for the wiring installed on their recently donated portable shed. Here’s the link to the website to make a donation or buy products made from the friends at The Refuge: https://www.refugeofms.org/)