From the pastor:

     Last fall, I was talking to a young woman in my office who revealed that her father had molested her as an adolescent. She said it was long behind her, but as she talked, I became convinced that the abuse still very much affected her.

     "If I could find a support group for women who've been sexually abused, would you go?" I asked.

     "Yes," she said. "I think I'd like that."

     Not wanting to give her time to change her mind, I picked up the phone and called one of our sister agencies. They had no such group. I called another. They had a group, but my parishioner would be No. 25 on a waiting list. She could possibly join the group in three months.

     I was stunned. I thought Survivors of Sexual Abuse groups would be as common as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. We have 14 of those a week at Triune.

     It was at that point that we got serious about getting a professional mental health worker into Triune. In January, we hired Shannon McGaugh from Greenville Mental Health. Besides working with scores of our mentally ill and mentally challenged men, by February she had started a Survivors of Sexual Abuse group for women. Armed with work books, candles, blankets and tissues, the women meet in a cheery and safe room, supporting each other in the healing knowledge that they are neither blameworthy nor alone.

     Sometimes the brokenness we see at Triune is breathtaking in its scope. Certainly abuse perpetuated on those too young or too weak to defend themselves is the worst of it. With women we see on the street, an abusive background is all but a given.

     When you support Triune, you support our work with these women.

     And we thank you for it.

Blessings,

Jobs obtained ...............................................  3                 

Medical consultations................................   112                      

Volunteer hours .....................................       928