New Wood Shop Opening To Help Fund Local Non-Profit

The founders of the non-profit organization This Is Living Ministries are opening a wood shop as a way to raise funds for the organization.

Executive Director Lindsay Holloway said the shop will sell refurbished furniture and jewelry made by at-risk women staying with the organization. Holloway said the women were originally taught the skill so they could save as much money as possible once they were on their own.

“Instead of having to, you know, struggle to pay, you know, their bills on top of raising their children, instead of going and buying expensive furniture, we could teach the girls how, you know, to get old furniture maybe someone was going to throw away or something they could buy cheap at the thrift store and fix it up to be something beautiful,” Holloway said.

Holloway said the money earned from those items will go back to the non-profit and will allow Living Ministries to continue to provide women in need with discipleship training and a free place to stay. Holloway said a $10,000 grant from UCHRA and the Biz Foundry to start a small business, will b used for the shop.

“My husband and I are actually just giving that business to the ministry in order for it to be a social enterprise just to raise money for the ministry,” Holloway said.

She said women within the program go through a period called “healing time” that can last from four to six months, during which they stay with Living Ministries.

“I think that’s what the Lord does with us, is He takes us when we’re a hot mess and He turns us into something beautiful,” Holloway said.

Holloway said the idea to teach the women to refurbish furniture came from when she did it as a side job when she started Living Ministries.