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Residents, past and present, of House of Ruth, a home for women who had been incarcerated, gave the public tours of the organization's new home from 2 to 5 p.m.
"I've found that you can tell somebody about something all day long but until they come and see it," it isn't real to them, House of Ruth founder and director Linda Bird said. "Then they can visualize what you're doing."
For 12 years, Linda and her husband, Joe, were foster parents for more than 200 children. In 2001, they felt called to reach out to the parents of those children and founded Beginning in the Right Direction Ministries.
B.I.R.D. Ministries began helping women at Lancaster County Prison overcome the problem of returning to a society of drugs, poverty and violence that often landed them back in prison.
"They were so excited about leaving" prison, "and then would be back in a week," Linda Bird said. "I thought, 'What a crummy cycle — it's got to be broken.'"
Already involved with the county's Re-entry Management Organization, the Birds dreamed of having a residence where women could safely reenter their communities without the temptations and distractions that can get them in trouble.
In July 2007, they opened their first House of Ruth at 2311 New Holland Pike and welcomed their first resident, Glenda "G.G." Gomez-Freeman.
Gomez-Freeman helped give tours of the new home Sunday as one of the program's proud alumnae.
"My time here was well worth it," she said. "It helped my character."
Since living with the Birds for five months in 2007, Gomez-Freeman has married and is currently pursuing a degree in social services at Harrisburg Area Community College.
"I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything in the world," Gomez-Freeman said. "I'm enjoying my life for the first time in my life."
The new home, which Bird said is bigger and roomier than the previous house, allowed the ministry to cut three-quarters of its budget while acquiring much-needed office space.
"It's just the way God does things," Bird said.
The home, built circa 1885, has three bedrooms: Two are for long-term residents, who typically stay four months, and the other is reserved for emergency visitors, who can stay up to 14 days in the house.
Julia Lewis moved into the home in May and said the experience has helped her get back on track.
She is attending a career program for customer service and one day hopes to finish her degree at York Technical Institute in business management. She dreams of running her own company.
More importantly, Lewis said, weekly sessions with Bird and a program called "Inner Healing" have allowed her to work through the hard things and given her the hope to move on.
While the ministry has faced obstacles over the years, Bird said it has become what she and Joe "believed it would be."
"The numbers tell me that it works," Bird said, referring to the 21 women who have benefited from the home and the family environment it provides.
Dolly Keper lived most of her life — 72 years — in the house on New Danville Pike. She left when her husband died a few years ago.
Amid a steady flow of visitors Sunday, Keper and her grandson, Ryan Dale, toured the home they knew so well.
At first, Keper said it was hard to drive past the house, because it brought back memories of her husband.
When the Birds moved in in January, Keper reentered the home for the first time. She found the house had not changed much.
"They still have my curtains hanging," Keper said, smiling, as she pointed to the apple print white fabric in the kitchen window.
"It's just nice to know that there's someone like that in here and using the house to help others," Keper said.
E-mail: smweaver@lnpnews.com
