Bright Horizons is excited to announce that we will be opening a transitional housing program, Kris’ House of Grace, in Norfolk this fall. This is made possible through a working agreement with the First United Methodist Church of Norfolk.
Kris’ House of Grace will be a transitional shelter where families that are transitioning from either Bright Horizons’ emergency shelter or the Women’s Empowering Life Line’s residential program will be able to live for up to a year while they stabilize their lives. This will be an opportunity for families to establish employment, save money for housing and utility deposits, and find safe and affordable long term housing. “We see Kris’ House of Grace as an opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of families in northeast Nebraska. We are very grateful to the First United Methodist Church for entering into this partnership with our agency,” stated Linda Olson, Executive Director of Bright Horizons.
Lacy Kimes, Bright Horizons’ Housing Supervisor, will oversee an implementation and guide the program. “This is an opportunity to transition families out of our emergency shelter more quickly and to give them a promising new beginning. This will also free up beds in our emergency shelter which is important because we have been consistently full and each week we have to tell women that we do not have room for them and their children. This will allow us to provide that emergency shelter and services to more victims in our service area,” stated Kimes.
“Partnering with others in our community for a larger purpose is key to our ministries as a church,” said, Pastor Dustin Petz of First United Methodist Church. “We are excited to be in relationship with Bright Horizons and to see how we might help bring new hope to those families that come through our shared ministries.”
Karen Warner, member of the First United Methodist Church, is organizing a “shower” to assist Bright Horizons in furnishing the home. This is a cause that is very close to Steve and Karen Warner’s hearts. Their daughter, Kris, lost her life to domestic violence in 1995 and since then Steve and Karen have worked to serve families affected by violence.
Kris’ House of Grace was named for Warner’s daughter Kris and also for Grace Gould. Grace’s family, Dr. and Mrs. Allen Burkhardt, donated the home to the First United Methodist Church to be used for philanthropic purposes.