New Digs, Still Changing Lives

A New Place to Meet

Next Steps did not meet for the entire month of July while The Navigation Center worked to find a new place for this ministry. We are grateful that a space was found at MUSC on Ashley Avenue. The electricity at the new location is not yet working, but The Navigation Center began meeting there in August.

Our volunteer counselor and his wife, Joyce, also took a little trip in August to celebrate their 60th anniversary, so we did not meet that month. Beginning in September, we are back in business. We are thankful for a new place to gather and ready once again to listen, pray, and help our neighbors in the Charleston area.

St. Johannes Lutheran Church and Next Steps of South Carolina provide a volunteer counselor and financial assistance as we work with The Navigation Center. The Navigation Center brings together a network of organizations, practical resources, and a place where people can be heard. Together, we are able to offer more than a handout. We can listen, offer practical help, work for justice, and walk alongside our neighbors as they take their next steps. Here are two recent stories.

Keeping the Lights On for Wanda's Family

Wanda, pictured in red, is the mother of three school-aged children. Their father tries to help support the children, but he has recently been out of work because of health problems. Wanda has no family nearby to lean on. She works as a caregiver, spending her days looking after others while doing all she can to care for her own family.

When Wanda came to us, she had fallen behind on her electric bill and was desperate for help. The possibility of losing electricity is frightening for any parent, especially when there are children at home.

We were able to provide enough help to keep the electricity on. Wanda is a very sweet woman, but more than that, she is a mother who keeps showing up for her children through a hard season. We were glad to stand with her and give her family a little breathing room.

A Little Help for Betty's Fresh Start

Betty, pictured in black, is a single woman living with a heart condition. Even so, she works at a local hospital preparing operating rooms for surgery. She is kind and soft-spoken, and she has kept working despite real health challenges.

Betty recently moved to a different apartment. The move required her to reapply and make new deposits, and that created confusion in an already tight budget. She came to us needing help with one of those deposits.

We were able to provide that help. Betty feels that she is almost back to a stable life, and we share that hope. Sometimes a fresh start needs just one small piece to fall into place. We were grateful to help that happen for Betty.

If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can help, please let Tom or Pastor Aaron know.