News

This article by Anne Housholder is featured in our most recent newsletter. You can see the full newsletter here. Reflections on Being with: Friendship at the Healthcare Margins This season at Lydia’s House we’re reading Friendship at the Margins by Chris Heuertz and Christine Pohl.  As we’re reading it, we’re asking ourselves questions about what it really means to be friends, particularly friends with those whose lives have often been marked by frequent losses of friendships and frayed family structures.  Serving women transitioning out of homelessness means that Lydia’s house often leads us both intentionally and unintentionally into friendships we don’t

In the past month, the Lydia’s House community has been getting out and enjoying the activities of fall. One weekend, a group went out to a farm and pumpkin patch in Kentucky, where there were hayrides, a corn maze, a petting zoo, and, of course, some fun photo opportunities. For Halloween, there were two occasions for dressing up in costumes – once for the trail at Lindner Park, and once for trick or treating in our neighborhood. One group with kids went out for trick or treating, while some stayed behind and handed out candy. We were grateful for a box

Last Sunday, Lydia’s House recognized All Saints Day a week early in our monthly worship service. At Lydia’s House, we are reminded of some great women of faith daily, since most rooms of the house are dedicated to one. To celebrate the saints, community members each selected a saint of the house, and shared that woman’s life with everyone, through theater, story, or song. In this month’s worship, we learned about the lives of these amazing women: St. Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala “Mother Lupita,” (1878-1963), foundress, nurse, beggar on behalf of the poor in Mexico, one who sought to “be poor

This past month, many of the volunteers, guests, and extended community members of Lydia’s House were able to get together for a two-part retreat, around the theme of wholeness. One evening we all met at Vineyard Central Church, and the next Sunday we spent all day at the beautiful Transfiguration Center. The retreat included both quiet times of prayer and solitude, and group times of sharing and getting to know one another. Peg Conway led us in making mandalas; in walking the labyrinth at the Transfiguration Spirituality Center; in being creative; in contemplating what wholeness means to us, and what it means

At Lydia’s House, there are many things to celebrate: birthdays, achievements and milestones, holidays, getting or keeping a job. On Labor day weekend, we celebrated the birthdays of two guests with a big meal outside, cake and ice cream, and a sharing of hopes for the next year. That evening also happened to be the night of the fireworks on the river downtown. We were fortunate to have a 23rd-floor office space as a spot for watching the fireworks. It was a great view of downtown, and of the fireworks, that made a great end to the evening of celebration.