Ladies for the Least

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STCH Ministries Ladies for the Least (LFTL), a generous group dedicated to impacting children and families in need, held their annual luncheon at the Junior League of Houston. The elegant affair raised resources for a special project benefitting those helped through the nine services of STCH Ministries. LFTL began over five years ago.

This year’s program created a “behind the scenes” peek into the lives of individuals who have experienced the benefits of STCH Ministries first-hand. Personal testimonies fascinated the crowd as they spoke about the impact STCH Ministries made on their lives. A housemom at Homes for Children (HFC), a young woman moving through the Homes for Families (HFF) program and a college student from HFC shared their stories. LFTL members voted this year to fund the Sports Recreation Equipment Project at Homes for Families.

The members of LFTL enjoyed a vibrant sense of community. One member, Joy Kotal, has experienced this community on a deeply personal level. Joy lived as a resident at Homes for Children for eleven months in the mid-1960s. Shortly after she arrived, Jenny Broughton also moved to the home now called Dimmick Cottage. The two girls quickly grew to feel like family and remained in touch over the years. The first LFTL luncheon took place at HFC and Jenny came back to Boothe Campus as the keynote speaker. She asked Joy accompany her as her guest for the weekend. Although the two had stayed in touch, twenty years had passed since they had seen one another. “I was pinching myself because it was just the two of us, we got to catch up quite a bit,” Joy remembers.

Also that weekend, Joy met housemom Virginia Wilkins during the tour of Boothe Campus. Over time as Joy visited the campus for both personal and service project trips, the two ladies built a close friendship. Joy expressed that hearing the testimony of one of her “favorite people” this year pleased her greatly.

Sisters Lorraine Ross and Kay Walleck from East Bernard also attended the first luncheon. As women do, the two struck up a conversation with Joy in the ladies’ room. Joy shared with them how she intentionally tries to share Jesus’ love in her everyday life – praying for opportunities to minister to ladies she meets at social functions. Joy told them. “I pray for discernment – that I’ll know whether someone needs a hug or an offer of prayer or a kind word.” Joy’s intentionality resonated with the sisters and Lorraine said she never forgot that conversation and determined to adopt the habit herself. The three ladies sat together this year and enjoyed the opportunity to renew their acquaintance.

Lorraine and Kay have attended almost all LFTL Luncheons, but their fondness for STCH Ministries surpasses monetary donations. A young lady came to the sisters for help in 2015 and they introduced her to the Homes for Families (HFF) program. HFF is a resource for single mothers and their children designed to bring them through a time of crisis while transitioning into independent living. The young lady completed the HFF program in 2018.

When asked about the luncheon this year, Lorraine and Kay expressed their delight with the event. Lorraine shared it was particularly poignant, “We were able to bring as our guest a young lady who graduated from the HFF program. It was so special to see her visiting with those people who had so much to do with her getting stronger and learning how to be a good mom. I love Ladies for the Least!” Kay enjoyed the personal feel of the presentations. “I loved being able to hear the personal testimonies of hope and healing,” she stated. “The stories brought to life what STCH Ministries stands for. Ladies for the Least is always such an enjoyable experience.”

If you would like to enjoy the comradery of the Ladies for the Least mark your calendars now for Saturday, April 4, 2020. Plans are underway for the 2020 LFTL event which will be in San Antonio. We will announce more details as the date draws closer.