Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 21, 1994 TAG: 9501110024
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA GARCIA STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I'm thankful for the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet ... and to come here, she said."
Here is the Turning Point. It is a place in Roanoke, run by the Salvation Army, where abused women (often beaten by their husbands) and their children can stay and be sure they are safe.
The rooms are bright, the children's smiles are electric and the mothers say they are happier here than they were in their homes.
Although the Turning Point will be filled with children and their mothers whose personal stories are sad, the shelter will be full of the same festive holiday warmth that fills most houses.
There will be turkey on the table at Thanksgiving, along with dressing and maybe some homemade pumpkin pie. The dining room already is decorated with homemade stars swaying from string over tables with rose-colored tablecloths and flowered placemats.
Nine-year-old Chris considers himself lucky. Not the kind of luck that comes with winning the lottery, but the fortune of "being here (Turning Point) from Baltimore because we had no place else to go."
Chris said that if he and his six brothers and sisters were not able to come to the Turning Point, they would be living on the streets with their mom.
"Being safe from my daddy ... somewhere safe to stay," is how Irving, Chris' 6-year-old brother, describes the Turning Point.
Thanksgiving means just what it says; it is a time to give thanks for all the good things in our lives. For these children, just being cared for is enough to be thankful for.
Only Samantha, 5, showed any sadness about not spending the holidays at home.
Samantha's mom said her 5-year-old daughter asked about going home to West Virginia and when she could see her father again. She told Samantha she didn't think they would be able to see her dad again. Amanda, 8, said, "I'm thankful I have my mommy to take care of me and to get to go to school."
She's thankful for going to school?
Yes, because sometimes when mothers leave abusive husbands their children are not able to go to school for a while.
Although these children's lives have been filled with bad days when their parents were fighting or when they were afraid for their own safety, they are now enjoying what many children take for granted or don't think about.
When asked what they liked about staying at the Turning Point, the children mentioned the many activities they are able to do with the staff, including a recent bowling trip, watching a play and creating a play of their own. They also said lying on the couch and watching television were things that made them feel "at home."
Morgan said becoming a junior soldier in the Salvation Army was another good thing that has happened to her. It is the hope of the workers at the Salvation Army thatoffering these young people positive choices will help them despite the upheaval in their lives.
Darlene Young, director of Turning Point, said she tries to help families move on from the shelter in 30-45 days, but some families stay as long as six months. That's a half-year that moms and kids share one room, keeping all their possessions with them.
Most times that is enough room because women and children often arrive with just the clothes they are wearing and cannot return home to get other things. One little boy even arrived without shoes on his feet.
The donated items the children benefit from, such as clothes and toys, are appreciated not only by the mothers but especially by the children.
If you'd like to make a donation of clothing or toys to the Turning Point, you may bring them to one of the Salvation Army's four thrift shops in Roanoke. They are located at 3312 Cove Road, N.W.; 4516 Melrose Ave, N.W.; 5417 Williamson Road, N.W.; and Ninth Avenue and Jamison Street, S.E.
by CNB