Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Rose.
Lisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2007, I was called to help meet the need in our community for women to receive genuine hope and practical help to positively navigate life’s increasing challenges. Certain friends were already helping others through philanthropic groups and churches, but there had to be something more. So, we came together to organize an effort to meet that need.
2008 saw the birth of First Friday, a free to the public, speaker event on the first Friday of each month from September through May. Approximately 350 Dallas/Fort Worth women from all walks of life joined together at the movie theater to receive solutions for real-life challenges, from local and national experts.
While volunteering in the community, it became clear that handouts weren’t working to help people permanently change their lives, but there were countless women who needed a more urgent hand up than what First Friday could provide in a one-hour event and book signing. Particularly the women experiencing domestic violence and resulting poverty needed long-term assistance to escape life-threatening circumstances and learn to build totally new lives for healing and permanent self-supportiveness.
In 2011, I created the 501©(3) projectHandUp whose mission was to “offer women a hand up to positively navigate life’s challenges.” We didn’t know where it would lead… but the mission was broad enough so we could do whatever it was God was calling us to do.
The result by 2012, was to build a place and program for permanent change for women and their kids in crisis. Today, The Gatehouse, is a 61-acre, privately funded, supportive living community for approximately 85 women and 150 children at a time, and the tools we use to serve the families are The Washington Community and Education Center, 4 neighborhoods totaling 96 apartments, the General Store, Keeps Boutique, The Hope Chapel and Premier Academy.
Has it been a smooth road?
Even though there were bumps in the road, It genuinely didn’t seem like a struggle. All along the way through the building process, we simply took the “next best step”, and God opened doors. When we “showed up” to do the next best thing, it eventually led to greater results than what we had originally dreamed of.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Gatehouse is a faith-based, privately funded, supportive living community where women and kids in crisis end cycles of abuse and poverty and receive a hand up for permanent change.
We are not a shelter, but we fill the gap between short-term services and permanent self-supportiveness.
You can remember The Gatehouse as a place and program for permanent change.
We are most proud of seeing women’s and children’s lives transformed from hopelessness to happy, as they are empowered to end cycles of abuse and poverty and build totally new lives for themselves and the generations to follow.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 817.912.0317
- Facebook: @gatehousegrapevine.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.