Business Bound: from crisis mode to self-sufficiency

Glenda's Journey

“My son had to literally peel my hands off the gate as I entered the Crisis Shelter,” says Glenda Bogart. “I was afraid and couldn’t believe this was where the choices in my life had taken me.”

Glenda is the first trainee in the new social enterprise development track, Business Bound, at the UGM Crisis Shelter for Women and Children.

Seven years into her addiction to meth, Glenda’s family decided an intervention was in order. Her three children wanted their mama back. Her other family members wanted the bright, beautiful woman with a lust for life back.

Glenda was a devoted mother and wife with a top-notch work ethic instilled by her parents, who owned a thriving fast-food restaurant here in Spokane. Hard work and integrity were the fundamentals of what Glenda’s parents taught her while she was growing up.

How did Glenda’s full and happy life turn into drug addiction and the subsequent loss of her family and her zest for life?

As we walk with Glenda through Business Bound, we will begin to find out.

Business Bound consists of a three step process – READY, SET, GO – with the end goal of equipping, empowering and encouraging women to open and own their own social businesses.

The vision for the program is inspired by Proverbs 31:16-20, which describes a wise, disciplined and hard-working businesswoman. These biblical principles are vital to UGM’s mission of “reaching the poor with the love and power of the gospel so they may become God-dependent, contributing members of society.” Each step of Business Bound includes biblical principles, one-on-one mentorship, and business fundamentals. 

Join us as we journey with Glenda in a series of blog posts to delve into her past, watch the transformation as she internalizes what Christ thinks about her, and see how she gets acclimated to life as a drug-free, God-dependent, contributing member of society.

Glenda is approaching the end of Step 1: READY. Stay tuned to the blog as we share her progress. The next one will highlight her trials and breakthroughs through the READY process. In the meantime, please be praying for Glenda!

- Traci Hudson, House Manager/Business Bound, UGM Crisis Shelter for Women & Children

To help raise awareness of the Business Bound track and Glenda's business in particular, UGM is giving away one of Glenda's handmade tote bags. Click on the link below to sign for the free drawing. Then, stay posted to the blog. As soon as Glenda has her Etsy online business up and running, we'll post the link.

If you'd like to know more about the Crisis Shelter, you can sign up for regular updates or check out the following blog posts: 

• One Woman's Journey into Homelessness
• The Crisis Shelter: A Safe Place for Women & Children
• Homeless Women and the Abundance of Villains Who Prey on Them
• Women in Free Fall: the Missing Safety Net for Homeless Families