RALEIGH – Women oftentimes hide their own problems to help others, but a summer camp lets them unwind and be themselves.

"So many emotions and thoughts ran through my mind as I thought of all the different comments, feelings, emotions and day-to-day dealings that each of us as women face, all while wearing a smile and sometimes donning a mask," said Celeste Hinnant, a camp participant who wrote a poem about her experience, "Beautiful Butterflies."

"I have always loved the beauty and grace of butterflies and after my Mom passed away in 2001, each time I would visit her gravesite, a beautiful butterfly would appear. I would always sense a feeling of calmness, love, warmth and peace. Exactly what I felt during the entire experience at the Encouraging Place and Women's Summer Camp."

The Encouraging Place, a 501(c)3 outreach ministry, sponsored the camp. "It's a safe place for women to come and be themselves, and God always shows up and shows out," said Jameen Gude, who has been attending the camp for six years and has been a camp leader for three.

"Where it's always ladies' night" is the camp's motto. Participants enjoy refreshments and an uplifting message in evening sessions on topics ranging from "OK, give me a issue, I got issues!" to "Moving dreams into realities." The seven-week camp took place in several locations including Building Together Ministries Hope School Auditorium, known for repairs made on "Extreme Home Makeover," the Salvation Army and the Women's Center for homeless women.

"It was an amazing experience watching women come in there not having any idea what to expect, and having an evening that touched all of us from all walks of life," said Fraley Marshall, who has been in the women's fellowship for about four years and now serves on the advisory board. "Just being women, there are some commonalities that tie us together no matter what."

Radio on-air personality, Shelia Wilson, a camp leader who has also been the speaker at some of the sessions, agrees. "Love yourself because, especially as women, we will love everyone else before we began to love ourselves," she said. "If you can love you and do you as much as you do for others, then you will be that much better when you do sow into other people."

Patricia Allen, who was a co-leader with Wilson at the Women's Center campsite in downtown Raleigh, said it broke down stereotypes that these women who had so many obstacles to overcome themselves would be selfish.

"Just about everyone in the room had a vision of helping another woman," she said. "Though homeless or mending themselves, what came out was they wanted to pass back what was given to them."

Donna Ebron, who conducted a session, "I look good, I feel good," said: "I went there thinking that all I was going to do was give a little talk and sell some books, but what I found was a bunch of women who were hungry for the truth and their hearts were open."

The summer camp is just one of three major programs of The Encouraging Place: SisterShare, a monthly sharing and caring fellowship, is for women that meet in different locations around the city, and Females Reaching for Excellence and Empowerment is for incarcerated women. FREE collaborates with JOBSTART, Community Success Initiative re-entry programs as well as the Women's and the Helen Wright centers for homeless women to help them transition successfully  into society.

Reggie Edwards, who headed the women's outreach ministry at Building Together Ministries for over 10 years, decided to branch off and form The Encouraging Place. Edwards said she's excited about how the ministry has grown because it started out as a "get together with some ladies," and then she began to bring in speakers to talk about relevant issues.
 
--Article published in the Triangle Tribune, September 3, 2009