Sabbath, Aug. 24, was a big day in the Upper Columbia Conference and North Pacific Union.
Polly’s Place Ministries of the Northwest held a dedication ceremony for Cookie’s Retreat Center, a Christ-centered healing retreat for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and related issues.
The program is patterned after the successful ministry, “Polly’s Place,” in Berrien Springs, Mich.
Cookie’s Retreat Center was named for a caring grandmother and mother who gave generously to help start the program.
Women and children who use the Center will remain up to eight weeks in a family environment. They will take part in private and group counseling, educational workshops, and vocational training opportunities. They will also have access to legal and resource advocacy.
The ministry is non-profit, donation funded, with no charge to those who come to receive the safety and healing they need.
Lay Support
Though Northwestern conferences and the North Pacific Union support the ministry, its viability will depend on lay-member support, as it saves lives and impacts the future by interrupting inter-generational cycles of domestic violence.
Pantries Full
Thanks to generous contributions during a food drive sponsored by Positive Life Radio, the pantry is stocked.
Adventist church members have furnished the house and provided bedding. Meanwhile, 14 Adventist women have already requested sanctuary at the Center.
Unfortunately, the Center is not allowed to open until one year’s operational funds are in the bank—about $200,000.
One donor has given $100,000, challenging others to step forward with a matching amount. Given this level of support, directors of Cookie’s Retreat Center are confident it will open.
More information is available by writing Cookies Retreat Center, PO Box 19471, Spokane WA 99219. •
Shown, from left, are Mable Dunbar, founder of Polly’s Place Ministries; Jessika Chapman from Walla Walla, Wash.; Jere Patzer, president of the North Pacific Union Conference; Kim Bryan, president of Polly’s Place Ministries; and Max Torkelsen II, president of the Upper Columbia Conference, as they prepare to cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony for Cookies Retreat Center.
