Agape Resource & Assistance Center, Inc.

Women of Valor 

Honoring Courageous Women Through History

In 2024, we unveil our theme "Women of Valor" by celebrating Corrie ten Boom, a woman of extraordinary courage and faith.  

Corrie ten Boom exemplified courage, faith, and compassion during one of history's darkest times.  As a watchmaker in the Netherlands, she and her family saved countless Jewish lives during the Holocaust by providing them with a secret refuge in their home.  Her unwavering faith and resilience made her a true Woman of Valor.  

At Agape, we celebrate honor, and support women who, like Corrie ten Boom, face incredible challenges with courage and strength.  

OUR HISTORY

For 10+ years Agape has successfully empowered homeless women led families to move from crisis, poverty and abuse to fulfilling, self-sustaining lives by providing safe, stable transitional housing, childcare, workforce education, transportation assistance, budgeting, credit repair & counseling. Since 2013 Agape has grown from 1 house, 2 beds and a crib to supporting, on average, 25 families a year in 5 owned housing units. To meet the growing need, over the next two years, Agape will add four transitional housing town homes.  We will remodel four office condos into housing units.  Even with these additions, Agape will continue to be chronically at capacity and must turn away hundreds of women and children in need each year.

Families come to Agape without a support system to help them overcome the debilitating oppression of poverty and homelessness. 100% are homeless and living at or below the poverty level. The average income upon arrival is $10/hr. or $15K-$20K/yr., well below the poverty level. Through Agape’s focus on education to higher income, Agapeans graduate typically making between $35K-$50K/yr., most with insurance benefits.

Agape has provided home, help and hope for 290+ souls, including 120+ women with 170+ children. Over 91% of Agape families are survivors of family violence, sexual assault, or trafficking. Of the families served, 78+women (>77%) with 98 children have graduated with jobs that enable them to provide homes and stability for their children. 

Agape is not a Band-Aid® but rather provides a holistic solution to homelessness proven to help our Agapeans move on to fulfilling, self-sustaining lives realizing the plans God has for each of us: no harm, true shalom, and a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11).

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS CRITICAL

Although Collin County is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S, over 6,500 households are one crisis away from homelessness. A 2023 study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks the DFW area 3rd of the top 10 worst metropolitan areas for affordable housing with only 16 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income renters! And, the fastest growing homeless population is families with children, including single parent households of which 80% are led by women. Single moms comprise 31% of the households living in poverty in Texas.

Despite graduating from Agape with higher wages and increased education, our women face the nearly impossible task of finding safe, economically attainable housing.

AGAPE IS BUILDING AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION – JERICHO VILLAGE™

Agape is expanding its mission and continuum of care by building Jericho Village, an innovative 38-unit urban village of income based rental homes in Wylie, Texas. Jericho Village will provide truly affordable homes not only for women-led families who graduate from Agape, but for other households who struggle each month to stay safely housed. 95% of the units will serve households earning 80% or less of Area Median Income, with 60% targeting households earning 50% or less of AMI.

Building on the success of Agape’s Housing 4 Hope Empowerment Program, Jericho Village will provide Empowerment Support Services on-site and available to all Villagers to help vulnerable households attain and retain increased stability. Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter says, “The Village fills a gap that people sometimes don’t think about; it can help people who have a job but struggle to make ends meet.”

Together, Agape and Jericho Village will provide a continuum of transitional to affordable housing to households who are or are at risk of becoming homeless. Empowering Services will provide the ways and means to attain and retain economic stability breaking cycles of poverty and homelessness now and for generations to come.

Funds raised through the generous support of North Texas Giving Day donors and sponsors will provide resources needed to help women and children overcome the oppression of homelessness, poverty and abuse and look forward with hope to futures not limited or defined by their past.

Generous community support has allowed Agape to serve homeless women and children for 10+ years. With YOUR help, we can expand our care to help families move from homeless to home!

For more information, please visit our website at Hope4Agape.org