Clear noonday light shines through the window of the Champa House nursery. Two-year-old Sarah prances around the room, her long blonde hair floating around her in a cloud. Laughing, she presses the buttons on the toy she holds in her hand, and the room echoes with sound. Darcy, her mother, watches her daughter with a smile.

“Sarah,” Darcy says, “Wouldn’t you like to go into the other room to play?” Sarah shakes her head. She wants to be with her mom. She runs to Darcy, who takes her little daughter on to her knee and holds her tightly. Sarah hugs her mother back.

Only a few years ago, Darcy and her children were trapped in a terrible cycle of poverty, crime and abuse. Sarah’s father had seemed charming when Darcy first met him. He had promised to give her and her two sons from a previous marriage a happy home and a good life. But before long, the controlling and abusive facets of his character revealed themselves. Darcy says, “I wanted to leave so bad, but I could not. I feared for my life and the lives of my children. [My husband] convinced me I was not a fit mother and over time, I believed him. I had no confidence in myself and didn’t think I could do anything without him.”

In 2004, the family became homeless and moved into the woods. First, they lived in a tent, then a cargo van. The physical and mental abuse persisted and intensified. After Darcy gave birth to Sarah, her fifth child, in 2005, her husband taught her two oldest boys how to rob banks. Over the next year, her husband and the boys were arrested for robberies, and Darcy was taken into custody as well. Her three youngest children were placed in homes with foster parents. Darcy says of that time, “I thought to myself, ‘How did I get here?’ I just started crying and praying to God because I really didn’t know what to do. I felt so alone.”

Determined to do whatever it would take to win her children back, Darcy researched different programs for women in the Rocky Mountain region. That’s when she found Champa House.

On October 27, 2006, Darcy moved in to the Denver Rescue Mission’s home for mothers seeking transformed lives. Darcy’s coursework through the New Life Program at Champa House helped her to regain custody, and on August 16, 2007, her three youngest children were returned to her.

“Champa House has truly been a blessing for me,” Darcy says. Parenting classes, Bible studies and Christian counseling have helped her to grow in self-confidence and to hone her unique strengths. With a scholarship from the Denver Rescue Mission, Darcy completed her certificate in bookkeeping from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. Soon, she will begin an internship, and after she completes it, she hopes to obtain a secure and rewarding position. “With the help of God and Champa House, I can see a much brighter future now,” she says. “I want to be able to support my family and be a good role model for my children.”

Darcy is also thankful for the relational dimensions of the New Life Program. “I did not have any friends for ten years because I lived in isolation, so it is so nice to make friends,” she says. She adds, “My relationship with God has gotten so much stronger. I depend on Him now and try to take everything to Him in prayer.”

Today, Darcy has recovered her self-esteem, her children and her hope for the future. Darcy says, “I love my children and want to give them what I haven’t been able to for years—a happy, loving home. My family now has hope. I want to thank the Denver Rescue Mission staff and donors for all they have done to help. Thank you.”

You Can Help at Champa House!

Do you enjoy spending time with children? Would you like to make a difference in the life of a mom seeking self-sufficiency? We are looking for volunteers to assist with infants and children up to four years old in the Champa House nursery. If you are interested and available on weekday mornings, Monday–Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, please contact Josh @ 303.953.3956 or lderemer@denrescue.org.