Open Door Recovery Prayer Walk helps women with addictions
CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS —Shedding as much weight as another whole person has inspired Wendy Armour to give back to the program that helped her accomplish her goal.
“I lost 115 pounds. I know how it feels to be beaten down and depressed and down and out. God has delivered me from emotional eating,” she said. “Now, I want to help these women be delivered in so many different ways.”
Because of her success with the Faith and Fitness Challenge as part of the Open Door Recovery program, Armour has launched a Prayer Walk event to inspire and motivate other women facing life struggles.
Open Door Recovery, based in Marble Falls, offers programs and lodging for women overcoming drug, alcohol and eating addictions.
Resources to combat addiction involve empowering activities such as gardening and fitness; faith-based studies and fellowship; and access to health care and workforce services.
Armour and Open Door Recovery volunteer Leanne Raesener have joined together area church congregations and community volunteers for the first Prayer Walk on May 16 at Westside Park to raise money for the program and facility and offer spiritual strength for women in the program.
“They’re getting themselves together. We’re getting ready to accept them into the community and pray for their recovery,” Armour said. “It’s just outreach, helping them and showing them that we really do care.”
Registration for the Open Door Recovery Prayer Walk is 8 a.m. and includes a breakfast. The walk starts at 9 a.m. at the park, 1610 Second St.
Registration is $12 on the day of the event and $7 if participants pre-register at www.opendoorrecovery.net. Participants are eligible for door prizes with online registration.
Area church congregations scheduled to participate are First United Methodist Church, Lake Shores Church, Smoking for Jesus Ministry, Packsaddle Fellowship Church in Kingsland and St. Frederick Baptist Church.
Contributors to the event include Anchor of Hope Church, Cross Stone Church, River of Life Ministry, Serendipity Ministry, Trinity Episcopal Church and Victory Church of the Highland Lakes.
“We were inspired by the story of Jericho and the walls of Jericho coming down,” Raesener said. “The pastors are each going to be praying for seven minutes at a time to reflect that, and we will be walking the route seven times.
“We want the walls to come down from any stigma and just have an opening of the community’s hearts, the girls’ hearts and just represent that we are all one in God’s view, in God’s name and as brothers and sisters,” Raesener added.
During the event, participants can sign up to be a mentor or a volunteer and find out more about how to contribute to the effort.
“I’ve had three to four of (the women) tell me they have been clean for four and five years. They have been delivered through the program,” Armour said. “There’s a lot of women living with addiction, and they have no way out. We need to give them a way out. There will be a time when we’re going to need someone to come lift us up, so why not lift these women up?”
connie@thepicayune.com