LEFSA as a Family
When I was at a very low point in my life, someone invited me to the LEFSA Women’s Group. Fortunately, I was not working that day, so I went. Knowing that there were people that had very similar experiences to my own and actually talking about them in a safe environment changed how I felt about myself, my faith, my situation, and my goals. I thank God for LEFSA every day! My favorite memory with LEFSA was my first Leadership Retreat in Ossining. The area was so beautiful and peaceful. Everyone was so welcoming. The nightly workshops, being able to create art, the Labyrinth walk… it was so powerful and amazing.
I want everyone to know that LEFSA is all about empowering people from all walks of life. LEFSA is about coming together as family, sharing our human experiences by faith.
Related Stories
Grace - God had something for me
The retreat was beautiful and overwhelming. The people that I met, the staff, the team, the ladies and the men and Martindale—everyone touched my heart deeply. I was invited by Georgia and Pamela, and Sr. Mary. You know you’re not going to come back the same, and I feel spiritually changed. I went up there because I knew God had something for me. When I reflected, I saw myself in everyone. God placed in my heart ...
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Donna - Drawn to the positivity
I’d been at Franklin Women’s Shelter and was feeling depressed and down. I was sitting in the corner and didn’t have a sense of direction or know which way to go. I had been working in home care, and my last client was a live-in situation, but after that client passed I couldn’t stay there and had to stay in a shelter. I didn’t know what to expect. All that I knew was...
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James B - It's a blessing
It’s been our blessing to provide this service. So many people have said to us, ‘we thought you were not coming out today, but it’s a blessing you are here for us.’ And we are there, every Monday, whether it’s cold or warm outside"...
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Lisa - Bringing out the love
I first starting coming to LEFSA’s women’s group in 2002 when a community member recommended me to the ministry. There I was introduced to Sr. Dorothy, who instantly made me feel really loved.
During the group everybody was talking about God, so I asked who God was and whether He was a person. Sr. Dorothy told me that God is love...
Timothy - They’ve seen their father become someone
You will know my disciples, because they show love for one another. When you come to this community, that is what you are going to get. It takes time to work on people, but it works. It worked on me. My children think LEFSA is the greatest thing on earth. They love it as much as I do, because they’ve seen their father become someone, and when someone mentions their father’s name people don’t cringe anymore ...
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John Wesley - Little Miracles
When asked to write about Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates (LEFSA) I came up with a title for the essay. I call it “Little Miracles.” Read on, hopefully you’ll agree.
A couple of weeks after I moved out of the shelter and into my apartment, I was confined to a wheelchair. One night while coming home, a lady smiled at me and said: “you need LEFSA.” Somehow she knew ...
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Althea - Reconnected Through LEFSA
I became affiliated with LEFSA in 2011 when I was living in Lenox Hill Women’s Shelter on Park Avenue.
I always believed in God and that all people are children of God. Every week I looked forward to LEFSA coming to the shelter. It was my dose of reality ...
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Lucy - Food for the soul
In the beginning, being homeless was depressing. I was angry, ashamed, and upset for being in that predicament. I had no relationship with God. One day, I came in early from work and went to the Rec Room and walked in on a Life Sharing Community Gathering.
The gathering was on love, and it got me thinking about God’s love for me. I decided I would let these gatherings be my connection back to God ...
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Joan - Testimony to Ministry
I arrived at Lenox Hill Shelter for Women in the month of July 2008, feeling sickly and weak. Sorrow had taken the place of joy, because of my dire circumstances. At least one year and a half earlier I underwent a yearlong treatment for chemotherapy, then came the death of my beloved mother, followed by homelessness. Homeless was a word I’d never experienced ...
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