This true account was submitted for publication. The writer wishes to remain anonymous under the pseudonym Jean Oaks
At the tender age of 15, on the streets of a Michigan town, Samantha finds herself with an addiction to sex and drugs that just kept growing. This volatile combination led to a lonely life full of heartache and feeling trapped; a life lived from couch to couch, sometimes even left on the streets shoeless with nowhere to go, no food, and no one even thinking to ask where she is; selling her body for her next fix. Her older sister Ashley gets jobs in the strip clubs to try to make a better life for them both, which just seems to add fuel to the fire of their downward spiral.
One day in the strip club, Ashley gets a visit from Anny, founder of Eve’s Angels, who tries to show her love, support, resources, and a way out if she wishes. She is at first skeptical of this woman’s words, feeling as though they are empty promises and that can’t possibly relate to her situation. She finds out quickly that Anny can, in fact, relate, in more ways than one.
Finally, the day comes when Ashley takes up the offer to go the support group at a local church that she finds enjoyable as she sought healing and made connections with people that really do care about her. Soon after, Ashley finds her little sister has overdosed for not the first, or second, but the fourth time. Eve’s Angels steps in to show their support and helps get Samantha back on her feet through rehab, prayer, and a place to live in a Christian home.
Now, at the age of 19, Samantha has now been clean for almost 3 years, not looking back, but remembering her roots, and looking forward with promise to an extremely hopeful future. Eve’s Angels has again set up a place for her to live and she is now attending college. Her sister Ashley quit dancing and pursued an education at a local college as well.
Eve’s Angels is a nonprofit organization based out of Grand Rapids, MI, founded by 3 years ago by Anny Donewald. We are devoted to helping women in the sex industry through outreach by offering them prayer, love, support through Bible studies, and resources for getting out. We prepare gift bags with baked goods, lip glosses, chocolates, and other “girly” things, and take them to women in strip cubs here in Detroit. This helps us build relationships and show we care. There are chapter locations in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Chicago, Indiana, and a recently established one in the city of Detroit. We are excited to be here and have such a big heart for the community!
We held our first fundraiser, a 5K walk-a-thon called “Walk for Wings,” on August 17th at the Riverwalk, and were able to raise $1500 for our outreaches and toward a safe house. We also won a presentation award of $1500 at Detroit SOUP, and are looking to do a basketball tournament fundraiser soon. So be on lookout for our future events!
Interested in finding out more about how YOU can be a part of providing hope to women like Ashley and Samantha through Eve’s Angels? Come join us as we meet every Thursday at 6:30 at Citadel of Faith Covenant Church on Warren and Trumbull here in Detroit, to see where you can fit in as a volunteer, or email us at msheehy1208@gmail.com.