Pumpkin fest proves great for Beatitude House

October 23, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

POLAND

Women and children first is a well-known motto when it comes to rescues.

It’s also the focus of Beatitude House, a nonprofit, nondenominational corporation of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown, which addresses needs of disadvantaged women and children in the Youngstown area.

Founded 26 years ago, Beatitude House provides housing and educational opportunities for disadvantaged women who are usually homeless, said Jessica Driscoll-Owens, communications and community relations coordinator. The organization also offers classes and training aimed and helping those women develop life skills.

Beatitude House hosted its first Great Pumpkin Fall Fest on Sunday at the banquet hall of The Lake Club, 1140 Paulin Road, Poland. Proceeds from the event will go toward funding the housing and educational programs offered by Beatitude House, Driscoll-Owens said.

The family friendly day included activities and crafts, mostly for children, that included decorating pumpkins and cookies, a Halloween costume parade and a trick-or-treat stand. Children also were able to make and take home a scarecrow.

Driscoll-Owens said one of the primary goals of Beatitude House is to provide safe, affordable housing for women and children. Many of the women who seek services come from violent domestic situations, but some are simply down on their luck and need a hand to get up and on their own.

“When they come to us, they get a fully furnished house or apartment. Anything they need, really,” Driscoll-Owens said.

Housing is usually provided at no cost to the families, although women who have jobs are asked to contribute a “very small percentage” of their income toward rent, Driscoll-Owens said. Unemployed women receive assistance with finding a job.

That was the case for Kendra, a 23-year-old mother of three, who has been with Beatitude House for about three months.

“These people are a blessing,” said Kendra, who asked that her last name not be used for her safety. “They got me a job and I start working tomorrow.”

Kendra said she ended up at Beatitude House after contacting Help Hotline for assistance escaping from an abusive relationship. She still fears being tracked down by her abuser, which is why she was concerned about concealing her identity. She said the help she’s gotten from Beatitude House has been invaluable.

“They help with literally everything,” Kendra said. “They’re all so nice and so friendly. It’s been a very positive experience.”

Her goal is to complete life-skills training and ultimately be able to get a house of her own for her and her children, age 3, 1, and 6 weeks.

While the intent of the Great Pumpkin Fall Fest was to provide a safe, fun environment for families to celebrate the Halloween season, a secondary goal was to build community awareness about Beatitude House and its services, Driscoll-Owens said.

She said the organization is funded primarily through grants and private donations, as well as through fundraising events like the one Sunday.

“We have such tremendous community support,” she said, noting that shirts for the scarecrows were donated by Goodwill, while the wooden scarecrow frames were built and donated by Girl Scouts Troop 80098 of Boardman. Students from Ursuline High School’s National Honor Society also donated their time to volunteer at the event Sunday.

Driscoll-Owens said Beatitude House intends to make the Great Pumpkin Fall Fest an annual event.