OUR STORY
MAGGIE BAGS
The Maggie Bag Project was born out of the vision of a good friend of Maggie Bags' parent company, Stability First, Susan Hobson. Susan is a gifted seamstress and quilter. She and her colleagues in the Morgan County Schoolhouse Quilters Guild in Martinsville, IN agreed to share their knowledge with some of the women at the Magdalene House, teaching them not only to sew, but also envisioning that the women would learn many of the nuances of running a small business including product design, marketing, production, equipment maintenance, quality assurance, e-commerce, and shipping. When positions are available, residents in other community shelters are also eligible to participate and learn. All proceeds from the sale of Maggie Bags are re-invested in the ministries of Stability First.
STABILITY FIRST
Stability First, our parent organization, is a faith- based ministry focused on addressing multiple issues associated with the alleviation of poverty. We operate a shelter for homeless women, the Magdalene House, as well as transitional housing for those who have taken several positive steps toward living independently. Many programs and resources are available to shelter residents as well as community members at the adjacent Lynay Community Resource Center. Central Nine Career Center offers high school equivalency exam prep classes at the center two evenings per week. Other opportunities at the Center include addiction recovery group meetings, support and stability counseling for under-resourced men, and career exploration classes. The Lynay Center is also home to our skill building business – it houses the Maggie Bag project worksite.
THE MAGDALENE HOUSE
The Magdalene House is a shelter for homeless women. Here, women receive much more than a place to eat and sleep. Shelter residents are guided through an individualized stability plan. Depending upon the need, support services include educational resources, job readiness skills, health & wellness opportunities, addiction recovery programs, transportation resources, mental health services, spiritual guidance and many other resources. While each woman's plan is different, our goal is for each one to leave our doors fully equipped to live as an independent and active resident of our community.