Being a parent is a hard job and being a single parent is even harder.
Non-profit Unpack Ministries helps these single mothers any way they can and it’s volunteers that make this possible.
Founder Poppy Beard says giving back is her passion, especially giving back to single moms.
“I’ve been a single mom for a long time,” Beard explains. “I have seen God’s hand through it all and I believe that He’s allowed me to go through it so I can be passionate and change lives of women.”
That’s why she started Unpack Ministries, to give back to single moms in the Lubbock community.
“Helping women unpack the pain of their past and unpack their things to create a home,” explains Beard. “We want these single moms to have a nice home but not go back to the same mess they came out of so want to help unpack the pain that got them in that mess to begin with.”
She and her volunteers serve a number of single mothers in our community in a number of different ways.
“We listen to memory verses, listen to prayer requests, pass out cleaning products, hygiene products and things that food stamps won’t buy and just to help these ladies pay the bills,” Beard said.
She even sponsors a family of the week who gets a special meal from a Lubbock restaurant.
“I believe every person who has come through these doors have changed for the better because they got to do something and meet a need and they walk out of this place with a smile on their face because they’ve changed somebody’s life,” said Beard.
Changing lives like Alexandria Ziegenfuss’s.
“I was struggling with drug addiction and suicide,” Ziegenfuss explained. “The way that she loves I feel as though she has the love of God that God works through her so miraculously that I felt the love of God from her.”
Beard says she hopes by giving back the women she helps will pay it forward, and continue the mission she started so long ago.
“I encourage them to pay back and give what has given to them just out of kindness. They can’t financially give back but they can smile at someone and put their basket back at the store and I encourage that they do that,” Beard said.
Unpack is always looking for help and always looking for volunteers.
You can contact them here.
