Tabitha Ministry

What is Tabitha Ministry?

Tabitha Ministry Inc. helps women coming from abusive situations, addictions and prison. We provide a loving faith-based home environment. Our main objective is to build their confidence and restore their dignity, while equipping them for success in society.

We approach their care from several perspectives. They receive intense counseling concerning past abuse and neglect. We connect them with Vocational Rehabilitation for job skills and education. We get them connected to Health Serve for their health care needs. We have an in-house recovery class every Friday night. They are taught communication skills. They are taught how to dress and wear make-up appropriately. Most importantly, they are taught how to be women of character so that they will have a strong ethical foundation for making future choices.

In four years, we have graduated forty-two women. Eighty percent have remained drug free and have not returned to their former lifestyle. A couple have graduated from college; several have been reunited with their children. Currently there are over 532,000 children in the foster care system. We believe that one of the best gifts we can give the next generation is healthy, drug free mothers!

Women helping women has proven successful; our volunteers have modeled selflessness and caring to our residents. No salaries are given at Tabitha Ministry. All work is done on a volunteer basis and graduates of the program are encouraged to “give back” by helping after they leave.

Currently, all of our support comes from individuals and churches. We also operate a small thrift store (Tabitha's Closet) that helps with the day to day costs of running the ministry. Once a lady is employed, we expect them to pay fifty dollars per week toward living expenses. A strict accounting of all their monies is required.

For every lady we take in , we turn down an average of three others. I find this distressing, so we are praying for another house (click here to see our house). Our goal is to pay off our current mortgage ($22,000) and use that as collateral to purchase another home.

Thank you for the opportunity to share about Tabitha Ministry. We would ask that you prayerfully consider supporting us. Any amount given will go directly to client services.

Bless you! Chaplain Cindi Wagner

What does Tabitha Ministry Do?

Named after the Biblical woman who was raised from the dead (Acts 9), Tabitha Ministry was founded in May 1999 to:

Provide help for women who are being released from prison: to setup a home of their own, to find and keep a job, and to make new relationships
Provide hope for women who have given up
Provide a home where women can rest, heal and grow in their relationship with their Heavenly Father

Tabitha Ministry teaches four weekly classes in the women's prison. Check out Prison Ministry to learn more about these classes.

Wounded Heart: a class for abuse victims (Tuesday afternoons)
Ethics and Choices (training from the Department of Corrections via Tabitha Ministry): to teach decision-making skills (Thursdays)
Bible Study: Providing foundational Biblical study (Monday nights)

Services Provided

Housing
Food
Transportation
Financial Counseling
Classes On Self-Esteem
Classes on Dress and make-up
Court Advocacy
Addiction Counseling
Abuse Counseling

Key Benefits

Recidivism rate for women returning to prison drops from 75% to 28%.
Women get off drugs, which cuts down on criminal behavior.
Women get off the streets.
Women learn coping skills to be successful when they leave.
Women are able to enter the work force and become productive in society.
Women develop a support network to help them when they leave.
Women learn self-respect and are taught how to set boundaries.
Families are reunited.

How is the Ministry supported?

Donations from churches, businesses and individuals in the community keep Tabitha Ministry running. We are a 501c tax exempt organization, so all donations are tax deductible. All funds go directly into the ministry, NONE are used for salaries.

Will you consider including Tabitha Ministry in your charitable giving? We supply women with furniture and household goods. Even when women qualify for government housing, furnishing a home can be impossible for a single mom working a minimum-wage job. We donate cars to low-income families. We also provide Christian counseling free of charge. The majority of these women are from our churches, and they cannot afford to pay for this service.

In the last ten years, the number of women going to prison has increased 138%. 90% of women prisoners are single moms. The majority of women who go to prison are convicted of economic crimes (check/credit card fraud, etc). Of the ones who committed violent crimes, most were defending themselves or their children from abuse.

Our government has responded to this by building more prisons, more welfare programs, and giving money to those who are addicted to drugs. This is not the solution. At Tabitha Ministry, we believe that an encounter with Jesus is the only way to affect any real life change. When the heart changes, the behavior will follow. Tabitha has developed a Christ-centered program to help women and to support them as they grow in their relationship with our Lord Jesus.

If you wish to make a donation of money or household items to Tabitha, please contact Chaplain Cindi Wagner via e-mail or call 336.643.0223. You can make a difference in the life of a woman!

Who will give her hope?

Who will help them?

Who will teach another way of living?