My Sister’s Keeper is another step closer to becoming another full-time resource for women and children after receiving a major financial donation on Wednesday to go along with a new fundraising campaign.
Independence Bank presented My Sister’s Keeper with a $20,000 check during the event.
“We are announcing our fundraising campaign; it’s called the Keeper Campaign,” said Angel Welsh, executive director of My Sister’s Keeper. “We’re asking people to come on board and be a Keeper to help with the shelter, to keep the shelter opened. (Independence Bank) is stepping on board to say they believe in our mission.”
Lauren Patton, charitable foundation manager for Independence Foundation, said she has known Welsh since the idea of My Sister’s Keeper began.
“At Independence Bank, we’re here for good and all the people involved in this project, especially Angel. They’re here to do good in our community and it was just a natural partnership with Independence Bank,” Patton said. “We’re really excited and just really happy to be giving this investment back into our community and making a difference.”
My Sister’s Keeper, an organization dedicated to providing women and their children a place of shelter and “seek to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness” began in 2021.
Welsh said the cause is bigger than herself.
“This is a task that the Lord has given to me,” Welsh said. “This is something He asked of me to do, but my drive is that there are women and children that are in need, and we have to take notice of that and be able to be a resource in our community for that. We wanna help so we can leave people better than when they came to us.”
She said currently the organization is relatively small with only the one building they obtained through the generosity of a “private non-profit” in the area. She hopes to see My Sister’s Keeper continue to grow.
The organization’s building, that used to be a church, off West Fourth Street in Owensboro, and Welsh is transforming it into a night shelter for women. The shelter will be opened from seven at night till seven in the morning.
The building is 2,100 square feet, Welsh said, and is in need of renovations.
She’s looking to add showers, bathrooms, a laundry room, 16 beds and two suites for women with children, “especially babies” Welsh said that will offer them privacy.
For $20 a month, an individual can help provide a bed, or other items, at the shelter.
Once all the renovations are complete, Welsh said this shelter will likely not be serving just the Owensboro community, but also women in need throughout Daviess, and the surrounding counties such as Ohio, McLean, Hancock and Webster.
“We know that we will house women and children from all over the region because there is a need,” Welsh said. “We will have (other counties) feed to us if needed. If you show up on our doorstep and need a place to stay we’re going to welcome you.”
First published in Messenger-Inquirer by Michael Crimmins, June 23, 2022
About My Sister’s Keeper
My Sister’s Keeper is an emergency Women’s and Children’s homeless shelter to improve the lives of women and children of all ages experiencing homelessness by providing shelter, basic needs, safety, support, education to empower them to improve their quality of life.
They’re asking the public to come alongside them as “keepers” and invest $20 a month or $250 a year to be a part of the “keeper family” to help get their doors open and keep them open. To make a donation or become a keeper, contact 270-231-5686. My Sister’s Keeper is located at 2820 W. 4th Street. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram!