A huge milestone, one significant step forward, occurred this morning when the Women's Center of Montgomery County Texas held its ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of these apartments for healing battered women and their children. 
In this photo is
Nell Belanger front and Donna Wick
behind her.
It is so difficult for a woman who has been controlled, to start all over independently. This facility project will provide a huge enabler towards a new healthy life for both women and their children. While transitioning, those who previously cried behind closed doors, now will besubsidized with housing and taught how to take care of themselves while they live here. Normal duties of the head of household such as budgeting, managing a checkbook, finding employment, etc will be taught over the maximum two years of stay here.3 Not only will they have financial assistance but they can share and grow together. Located near other neighborhoods and a school, the apartments are beautiful and will beckon to those needing to escape and start all over. Walking through these doors will be difficult, yet reap bountiful rewards. Those who helped make this happen attended the ribbon cutting ceremony to help celebrate the milestone, including the mayor of Conroe Webb Melder who cut the ribbon, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ed Chance, and Executive Director of Montgomery County Women's Center Sarah Raleigh. Also present was Marsha Willams (wife of Senator Tommy Willams). Mentioned with special thanks by Sarah Raleigh were Tom Cox who "drove" the project, Cook Construction of Cleveland (notably Dan Cook and his son who was the construction manager), and The Woodlands Development Company coupled with The Brickman Group1 who provided all the landscaping and the automated watering system. For their generosity and support, Catherine and George Lindahl, Candi and Gerald Glenn, and Houston Endowment Inc2 were recognized.
As Mayor Webb Melder cut the ribbon, he stated "This is truly the Lord's work." The mayor was also recognized by Sarah for his role of minimizing administrative costs and speeding up the permit processes.
In her recognition speech, Sarah Raleigh thanked Tom Cox for his special and tireless effort as he "drove" the project to completion. One of the apartment buildings is named in his and his wife's honor - the "Tom and Mary Cox Building".
She also thanked two special employees, committee co-chairs Nell
Belanger (left) and Marion Fischer (right - yellow), of the center for their energetic help to complete the project.
As a staff member of the Women's Center, this young lady was making sure everyone was comfortable and the event was proceeding without a hitch.
Ground breaking for the 24 apartment complex started back in November of 2008. A hillside had to be cleared and dirt removed to be able to provide level ground for the foundations. From there, it was all "downhill". "The construction was straight forward after we got going", noted the construction manager who complimented the architect on his work.
These apartments are very pretty inside. One apartment was
furnished as a model to show how the they can or will be furnished. I think it is relatively safe to say that victims with
or without children who want to start out on their own will be encouraged to do so here. One of five battered women go back to their battered lifestyle after escaping, primarily because they do not have the resources to make it independently or just don't know how. This is designed to give them that transition to a
more normal life.
Like Martin Luther King's universal words of wisdom and emotion:
"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." .... "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" ...
So our prayer goes out for these ladies in despair yet with hope. Yes mayor, this is indeed a work of the Lord. The women contained behind those closed doors - let them be free at last from those who abuse them.
Donations can be sent to MCWC, c/o Reaching Pines Project, 1600 Lake Front Circle Suite 100, P.O. Box 8669, The Woodlands, TX 77387-8669.
1 Brickman Group
2 Houston Endowment Inc
3 Women's Center Reaching Pines Project Page
i am at the women center now and i am looking for a place to go with my 5 kids and trying to get my 6th child in my custody my exit date is nov.8th my friend told me about Reaching pines please if you can help
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