Program Helps Underemployed Women Who Fall Between the Cracks

Diane Aksten Interviews Deborah L. Foster Executive Director of Bethlehem House

Deborah & Maxine

Diane: Deborah, thanks for agreeing to meet with me today.  Can you start out by telling our readers about the history of Bethlehem House and how it became a reality?

Deborah: My mother had breast cancer and she passed away in 2001; well, it stood in the will that I was to get this house (the house was Deborah’s childhood home) and at that time, my mom had renters in here. So when she passed away and the renters were here, I said, “Well, just live in it and don’t tear it down…”

But then I began having these dreams about this house and the inside of the house I didn’t recognize but I could look outside and recognize out the windows and I knew where I was in this dream.  So I just began pondering in my mind and I just started praying about it and I said, “Ministry, a ministry house!! OK, I’m going to sell it to a ministry; I’ll be done with it and that’s not how it turned out.”

During this period, Deborah was working in radio but walked away to take a much needed break.  Shortly after, she started volunteering at what was then the Pontiac Rescue Mission in Pontiac, Michigan, a homeless shelter, and eventually became a case worker.  She began to notice a sub culture of well dressed women come into the shelter to receive a hot meal and then leave afterwards.

Deborah:  I said to the women, “Well, you know you’re not supposed to leave at 6:30; where are you going?” They told me, “Well, we have to leave because we can’t get a bed because the cutoff time is 5:00 and we’re en route to get here and if you don’t have a bed by 5:00, you can’t spend the night.”

It crushed me…many of the agencies that they would go to would tell them, “Well, you make 25 cents too much money or you make a dime over or we can’t help you”.

This is insane so I thought about this house; I said, “OK, God you gotta kick them out”.

“Them” being the renters that were still occupying the house in the middle of 2001.  Unfortunately, the occupants fell on hard times themselves and couldn’t make the October rent payment.  While sympathetic to their plight, Deborah informed them that they needed to start looking for another place to live; she couldn’t afford to have them live there for nothing.  She agreed to give them as much time as they needed.

Deborah:  They moved out in January (2003) and I came in in January and started working in this house and I had a target date to open it (Bethlehem House) Mother’s Day of 2003…

However, it was anything but smooth sailing; in the midst of trying to get Bethlehem House ready for business by Deborah’s target date, she was laid off from her job, the savings that she and her husband had accumulated was dwindling fast and the house had absolutely no furnishings, not even a stove or refrigerator.

The good news is that Deborah did indeed meet her target date; as a matter of fact, she beat it by one day as Bethlehem House opened with a big open house the day before Mother’s Day, 2003 (coincidentally, her late mother’s birthday).  Donations poured in from all over, from paintings for the walls to furniture to loads of food for everyone who came out that day.

Deborah:   Someone donated all of the food and the cooking utensils and everything that was supposed to stay hot stayed hot all day and everything that was supposed to stay cold stayed cold all day; it was amazing!

And so my dad’s prophecy came true that Deborah would do something with this house and I’m glad I hung in there…

Bethlehem House has the ability to accommodate a maximum of  four women at any given time who can stay no longer than two years; each applicant must have a job and $55/week from each gal goes to cover the house expenses.  There are house rules (no smoking, drinking, drugs or men!) and each woman has her own bedroom which she is welcome to personalize with any of her own possessions. (When asked why she didn’t “double up” and allow two women to a room, Deborah says, “These are not teenagers, they are well worn women”, alluding to the fact that many are used to having their own space.) Scheduled wash days and kitchen cooking and cleanup times help to retain order in a houseful of women who, for the most part, coexist quite well in spite of their circumstances.

As a 501(c)3 organization (nonprofit), Bethlehem House relies 100% on donations to operate the facility.  I asked Deborah if she was currently involved in any projects or campaigns that local businesswomen could partner with her on.

Deborah:  Right now, we’re doing this $5 campaign…remember in the Bible when Jesus had two fish and five loaves of bread?  (Matthew 14 details the “Feeding of 5,000″ when Jesus took the two fish and five loaves of bread and not only managed to feed over 5,000 men, women and children, there were 12 baskets leftover.) If Jesus could do that, how far could we go with all of the resources we have? That’s where the $5 comes in, for the five loaves of bread, so we can feed a ton of people if everyone donates just $5 so that’s what we’re doing…(Every penny goes back into Bethlehem House; Deborah takes no salary and there are no administrative costs.)

After a delightful hour of talking with Deborah, a tour of the house and meeting Maxine, who Deborah called her “right arm”, I asked Deborah one final question.

Diane: What is your ultimate goal for Bethlehem House?

Deborah:  I’d like to see a house on each side of town or a large building that could house the women, all in one central location, and that would be great…if we could get a small apartment building or a small elementary school, or, you know what I’m saying; a place like that and turn them into small apartments.  The women could live there and have a resource center in there…we’re very community oriented here and and we’re teaching them to give back–someone gave to you and you give back; you gotta keep it going and paying it forward…

Deborah states that, “Many times we think that we’re being such a blessing to somebody else but the blessing walks in the door”–it’s you, Deborah, and Bethlehem House who are a blessing to the City of Detroit and the women who are indebted to you for saving them.

If you’re interested in donating to the $5 campaign or making any type of monetary donation, please send check or money order (no cash please) to Bethlehem House, P. O. Box 24201, Detroit, MI 48224.  Find out more about Bethlehem House at http://www.bethhouse.org.  

The home is located on the East-side of Detroit near Gratiot and Warren avenues and is easily accessible to public transportation.

Bethlehem House
5063 Van Dyke
Detroit, MI 48213-2856
Phone: (313) 923-6435
Email: bethlehemhouse1555@sbcglobal.net

About Diane Aksten

Farmington Hills, Michigan businesswoman Diane Aksten, creator of “Smart Taxes for Smart Women”, is the CPA other women call to assist them with their tax issues. Not only does she consult with them regarding their taxes, she equips them with the knowledge they need to launch and grow successful home based businesses as the co-founder of Women Empowered Businesses, LLC. Diane can be reached at decide2bewealthy@gmail.com or 248.767.7969 for more information about her services.  You can follow her online at http://www.facebook.com/WomenEmpoweredBusinesses.

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This post was submitted by Diane Aksten.