Fulton's Center of Women's Ministries is celebrating its 13th year of helping and healing those who come to them for counseling.
"Thirteen years is a long time for one place," Director Carmen Brandt said. "And to sustain it for those 13 years with donations and time and just true love for this place has been just wonderful."
The ministry offers hope to women who are hurting through free peer counseling, marriage peer counseling, support groups, Bible studies, prayer support, and conferences for emotional and spiritual healing.
The center is for women experiencing loss, grief, relationship problems, difficulty in parenting, recovery after addiction, emotional hurt, woundedness from childhood, incarceration, divorce, suicide, fear, abuse, etc.
Fulton's Center of Women's Ministries was founded by Reova Meredith in Bloomington, Indiana, and now has spread to centers around the country as well as internationally.
Meredith gave up a career to open a center to help women. She found the perfect building, where she would sit in the parking lot and pray. And finally, one day her prayers were answered, and she was able to rent the building she found. Though there were times she didn't have the money to pay the rent, she and the landlord came to an agreement.
Fulton's center started with Jewel Holt and Darla Douglas. They were training in a center that was opened in Columbia, and they decided that Fulton needed one as well. She created a list of names of people who she personally wanted to join to be counselors. After their meeting, they all started praying for a building.
After some more praying, construction and training, the women opened the center in 2009.
Just starting out, they didn't have money. And after holding onto faith and praying, they received an anonymous check for $750 to pay rent. They did their best to pay rent on time, but with no money, it was difficult. But their landlord, the same as Meredith's, was understanding.
"We were wanting to have a celebration," Brandt said. "But with COVID and the numbers going up in Callaway County, we wanted to be mindful of that, but we will eventually have something."
Everything there was given to them from the furniture to the decor to the books, and they're so grateful.
They are now up to 19 counselors with at least 14 different churches being represented at the center. Clients don't have to be of a certain faith to be able to receive help, their goal is to provide a welcoming atmosphere for all women.
"Our motto," said Karen Sebacher, counselor and prayer coordinator, "is we have been where you are, so being there and coming out on the other side makes you want to help others come out on the other side."
With the pandemic, they want women to know they are here, they are open and they are willing to help.
The center is open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
For more information, visit the ministry's website at www.cwmfulton.com.