the archway Celebrating 20 years of hope & recovery | fall 2018 newsletter
in this issue 2
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the forward Celebrating Change Our 20 Year Book a spotlight on Evening of Dreams tales of hope Tiffany's Story Our Girls at the Gala
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Milestones Upcoming Events New Team Member
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the forward
Celebrating Change It is with both sad and glad hearts that we announce the resignation of Dawn Himer as CEO of Adeara. Although we are sad to let her go, we are excited for her future and pray God’s richest blessings on her and her family. Here are excerpts from the announcement letters sent from Mark Evans, Chairman of the Board, and Dawn herself.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Adeara, I would like to advise you that Dawn Himer has resigned her position as CEO, effective September 14, 2018. We are excited about her and her family’s future in Kelowna and their new ventures. The Board is currently searching for an Executive Director to join our team. It’s critically important to us that we find the right leader to join us on our journey of expanding and helping more women in 2 | the forward
Edmonton. We covet your prayers as we embark on the search for our next leader, and as we transition our board, our team of professionals, and our precious residents of Adeara. We are privileged to have you partner with us as together we reach women in need. May God Bless you for your prayers, your financial support, and your friendship.
Mark Evans, Chairman of the Board
A message from Dawn Dear Friends, I would like to personally say, “Thank You,” for your kindness and engagement in Adeara over the years. It has been a blessing and an honour to experience lives transformed through God who is our strength and the foundation on which we serve. As you know, change is a part of life, and we here at Adeara embrace change. I will be embarking on my own ‘change journey’ with my husband, Greg, and have made the decision to move to Kelowna (a dream we’ve had for our family for some time now). Although I will deeply miss my Adeara family, we know this is our next season and are excited about our future in Kelowna.
Adeara, like its name means, is a place of strength and hope for the future. We are in good hands with a visionary board, a staff of talented professionals, and a commitment to grow forward. My heart is full of love, passion, and resolve to ensure this strong program will continue. I love Adeara and everything it stands for, and it has been an honour to be a part of this amazing journey. Thank you for the incredible opportunity to have served you, our community, and the beautiful women in our care! I am so grateful!
Dawn Himer
Our 20-Year Book is here! Celebrating the memories and moments captured at Adeara over the past 20 years. Filled with stories of changed lives and transformed families, this beautiful addition to your home will inspire you for years to come. And they make beautiful Christmas gifts. Available for a minimum donation of $50. Contact us @ 780-423-5516 to get yours TODAY!
the forward | 3
a spotlight on...
2018 Evening of Dreams—Celebrating 20 Years! This year’s Evening of Dreams Gala took place on October 12th, 2018, and was attended by 350 friends and family of Adeara. How wonderful it was to celebrate our 20th Anniversary together where we could share stories of changed lives and transformed families, and testify of God’s faithfulness over the years. The heart of this year’s event was to capture our rich history and inspire new partnerships and ideas as we GROW FORWARD in reaching more women. Our goal was to tell the story of where we came from, where we are going, and honour the courageous women we walk with each day! • Mark Evans, Chairman of the Board, opened our evening with highlights from the past 20 years. He graciously honoured our founders as well as key individuals who have faithfully served us over the years: Connie Spooner (long-standing Board member), Alma Clark (our first Executive Director), and Dawn Himer (our most recent CEO). Mark also painted a beautiful picture of a future Adeara that will impact hundreds of more 4 | spotlight
women and children in the years to come. God’s dreams for Adeara are bigger and better than we can even think or imagine! • We presented a beautiful 8-minute video celebrating testimonies from four of our residents. Their stories of transformation blessed and inspired each listener, and caused more than a few guests to shed a tear. • And for the first time, we showcased our “GROWING FORWARD” coffee table book. Filled with stunning photography and incredible stories of changed lives and transformed families, this beautiful addition to your home will inspire you for years to come. Call the Adeara office to get yours today! This year’s event was designed to attract individuals from many walks of life, teaching us that we can join together and utilize our unique gifts, passions, and platforms to propel change. Talented artists like Martin Kerr, Josh Sahunta, and Arlene Musselman used their music and fine art to captivate the audience while remaining attuned
Mark Evans, Chairman of the Board
to the nature of our cause. Our emcee for the evening, Ed Childs, used his keen sense of humour to set the audience at ease all while communicating Adeara’s need for increased partnership and financial giving. We are so grateful to all of our special guests for sharing their talents and time with us!
The evening would not have been complete without our keynote speaker, Bethany Zelent, Education Coordinator at Adeara. Bethany has worked first-hand with our women and is passionate about creating opportunities for change through love and connection. In a few short moments, she helped unpack the challenges, stigmas, and mental health components of addiction. Thank you, Bethany.
This year, we surpassed our original goal of raising $60,000 and were delighted to discover that, in fact, we raised over $85,000! Thank you! We want to extend a massive THANK YOU… • To everyone who participated and made our 20th Anniversary an evening to remember! • To our fabulous team, volunteers, and generous donors who make this event possible each year. • To our event sponsors, Barcode Construction, Safeway Pharmacy, and Tish’s Fashions & Finery, who so generously gave of their time and resources to this incredible cause. • Also, to our Board of Directors who see further than we do and continually encourage us to keep going and GROW FORWARD to the future! You are the best! spotlight | 5
"Sometimes a person can’t fully understand that Jesus is ALL you need until Jesus is all you have." ~ Jenna
tales of hope
Tiffany's Story While I was waiting to get into Adeara, I was sent to jail for three weeks. I felt so hopeless. I’d never really prayed before, but I did a lot during that time, and I realized that I hadn’t truly forgiven myself for all of my sins. Coming to Adeara was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m very thankful that it is a faithbased program. I learned that, on the cross, Jesus died for my sins—all I have to do is ask for forgiveness. Now, I no longer have to carry around the guilt and shame I was burdened with for so long. Over the years, longing and loneliness had made a hole in my heart, but that hole has now been filled with God. I’m happy to say that I’ve now graduated from the program and will be going back to Lloydminister at the end of November. Some of my goals for the future are to further my education, rebuild my relationship with my daughters, and continue to walk with Christ.
“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” Psalm 32:8 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’” Jeremiah 29:11-13
Our Girls at the Gala Thanks to Tish's Fashions & Finery, our precious women were blessed with the opportunity to wear gorgeous ballroom gowns at the recent Evening of Dreams Gala. Here’s what some of them had to say about the experience:
“I felt like I mattered, and that my past did not define me.” “The Evening of Dreams inspired me to keep pushing in my recovery.” “It gave me hope; I felt valued, worthy, and special.” “It allowed me to see a life I haven’t seen in over a decade.” "To see how many people are involved with Adeara made me feel incredibly blessed." 6 | tales of hope
milestones
upcoming events
Katherine - 17 months in recovery Monique - 16 months in recovery Jennifer - 15 months in recovery Nadine - 1 year in recovery Melody - 1 year in recovery Brianna - 10 months in recovery Tiffany - 6 months in recovery Nicole - 6 months in recovery
Leap of Faith
June 14, 2019, at the Westlock Airport. For more details, contact Event Coordinator, Adrienne Fudge, at adrienne@adeara.ca. Plan now to jump with us!
Meet our Newest Team Member Shauna Blaak – Communications Director Shauna Blaak is no stranger to the Edmonton community. She grew up in Millwoods Pentecostal Assembly, graduated from Vanguard College, and is happily married to her college sweetheart, Erwin. Some may know them from their role as Worship Pastors at The Park Church in Sherwood Park (1994-2005), but for the last twelve years, they’ve been living in South Africa and leading the worship ministry at Victory Church in Jeffreys Bay. They have four fantastic children who have grown up as PKs, MKs, and TCKs (Pastor’s kids, Missionary kids, and Third Culture Kids). Shauna and her family have just moved back to Canada, and she joined our team in August in the capacity of Communications Director.
She is an experienced writer, editor, and author, and published her first book in 2017 called “IDENTITY: Finding the Proverbs 31 Woman in the Middle of Kid Chaos.” Her life message is simply this… “You ARE a Proverbs 31 Woman, and you were never meant to walk alone!”
Did you know that, by scanning this symbol with your smartphone, you can easily connect with all of our social media platforms? Simply open the camera on your phone, aim it at the code, and then follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and our website. Enjoy!
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Let's Build This Together Did you know Adeara is in the process of securing land so that we can eventually house 50 women and 25 children? Yes, it's true! The Board has been busy, and great things are happening.
WATCH FOR IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING SOON. In the meantime, our current building is in urgent need of some repairs. To maintain facility inspection standards and to keep Adeara's residents safe and warm, we need to raise $250,000 before the end of the year. We'll fix our current building and then put the rest toward our new facility. No dollar is wasted.
How can you help? Go to adeara.ca/christmasappeal to learn more. NOTE: When you donate to Adeara using the ATB Cares link on our website, they reward us with an additional 15%. That means a $100 donation is worth $115 to us! Thank you!
With your help, we will build a brighter future for women and children in need!
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